As I've blogged about earlier, I'm currently looking into starting roasting my own beans. Not that I have an urgent need because of the lack of freshly roasted beans, but just because the idea of roasting your own coffee is so intriguing.
I have run into a problem however. After surfing sites selling green beans, I've found that there is too much to choose from! Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira Canario Special, Colombia Cup of Excellence La Mina Estate, El Salvador Finca La Fany, Ethiopian Longberry Harrar, Indian Monsooned Malabar, Kenya AA Estate Gethumbwini.... The list goes on. They all sound so delicious! I feel like a kid in a candy store; wanting to buy it all.
I've read numerous forum posts, blogs and magazine articles about roasting, but this has only added to the dilemma. I've really gotten too much information. I have to start to forget what I've read if I'm ever going to get started. The information available is daunting, and the process of filtering what is the most important seeming an unassailable task.
Having set the time I'm going to buy a roaster to when we move into the new, bigger appartment, there is still much time to ponder about these things, and to maybe figure out what is my preference in types of beans. When I first started out I was sure that I liked the full bodied, nutty flavour of India Estate Bibi and the likes. This has developed however as I've tasted more and more different beans from around the world. I've started to appreciate the more subtle and more citrusy coffees as well.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is: Is there anyone out there who can help me figuring out what coffee should be the first to get roasted in my yet-to-be-purchased roaster? Is there perhaps a certain type of bean that is more forgiving and therefor more suitable for a rookie roaster?
And ultimately:
Is having so much to choose from necessarily a good thing?
