My Roaster Yes, this is just a popcorn popper with a few "minor" modifications! Karen swears I'm going insane!!! The is my West Bend Poppery Popcorn Popper (first version, not the "Poppery II"). I have the inside heating coil and fan separated on two separate circuits. I have also installed a Cooper thermometer on the side. On top is a home made chaff collector. The "big red" Variac controls the AC voltage to the Poppery's heating coil, thus controlling the temperature and lengthening roasting time. The cooling fan and colander cool the coffee beans down fast after roasting. For more info on this type of roasting visit Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting Supplies

Here is a picture of my current roasting set-up.

I love vacuum brewing! I use a Black & Decker Infuze Vacuum Brewer at home (I own 2 of these, they are no longer available), I also have a Bodum Vacuum Brewer (pictured) and a Yama Vacuum Brewer. I also own several vintage brewers by Cory and General Electric, it is a nice collection of old vacuum brewers.

Vacuum brewing was a predominant infusion method early in the century, before paper coffee filters became widely popular. It takes a bit longer, but once you have tried it a couple times the process is fast and simple. And your incentive to use these devices will be clear: coffee with pronounced body and no sediment; very clean and crisp; a cup where flavors are dramatic and heightened in every respect. Delicate coffees (African coffees, central Americans...) are especially suited for vacuum brewing.

More on Vacuum brewing from Sweet Marias

Recommended French Press Brewing Method (from Sweet Maria's)

1. Use the finest even grind coffee you can, but coarse enough to avoid having the grind pass through the filter. I use a grind just a few notches coarser than filter drip, and nowhere near a coarse multipurpose or perc grind. They key to avoiding sediment is in the evenness of the grind, and a burr grinder will give you this.

2. Pull the lid and plunger out of the glass beaker. Put one coffee measure (7.25 grams by weight is the standard) per 4 to 5 oz. water, into the beaker. (if your coffee scoop is a 2 tablespoon measure - like the blue SCAA scoops we sell for $.35 - then use one scoop per 8 to 10 ounces water.) Many presses measure cups in small 4 oz (about 125 ml) size called a Tasse. A 3 Tasse press makes about 12 ounces maximum. (That's 1 mug of coffee for many people!) Buy a press that's just a little larger than you need because you can always make less.

3. Pour the correct amount of 195 to 200 degree water into the press, slowly at first to avoid creating a dry island of coffee grounds. Allow the coffee to float to the surface, which much of it should, Don't overfill the press. The water/coffee needs to be just at, or a little below the bottom of the beaker spout.

4. Pick up the plunger by the knob so that the lid is down against the screen. Place it lightly on top of the press so that it keeps the heat in, but does not start to push down on the coffee at all. Leave it for 1 minute.

5. After 1 minute either remove the lid and briefly stir the coffee with a spoon, or (and this is what I do) carefully swirl the press in a circular motion to agitate the brew and make the grinds sink. (Not all the grinds sink, they resurface at the top again. If all the grinds have sunk., You probably let it brew for 5+ minutes). If you removed the top, replace it.

6. After another minute or 90 seconds, began to plunge. Please note: most instructions have you plunge after 4-5 minutes rather than my recommended 2.5 to 3 minutes. This is because I prefer using the finest grind possible, to a coarse chunky grind that cannot make all the coffee oils and aromas available in the brew. Finer grinds extract faster.) Hold the lid in place with one hand, and carefully start to push on the know at the top to force the plunger screen downward, pushing the grinds with it to the bottom. Take care right at first, because its easy to have the filter disc in crooked and allow a flurry of grounds to escape around it. If disaster strikes, don't worry. Just pull out the plunger and lid completely, rinse quickly in hot water, and start over right away.

7. Push steadily and the plunger should reach the bottom in 20-30 seconds or less. There should be some resistance though. If you do all this, there should be a small amount of tan crema on the surface of the coffee in the plunger (provided your coffee is homeroasted or roaster fresh!) Pour, serve, don't save it! Coffee is best right away, within the first 10 minutes. Don't try to keep it hot, just make more fresh Press coffee if you need it. Enjoy!

(The above information is used by permission from Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting Supplies)
For more about French Press brewing visit Sweet Maria's

A Tasse is 4 oz. (French Presses are measured in Tasses)