Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Roaster

[headchange4u]

I was watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmer last night and he was in Ethiopia. In one of the segments of the show he attended a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. In the ceremony they used a traditional coffee roaster which consisted of a firebox with a small, shallow bowl on top. They made a fire in the bottom, placed the greens in the bowl, and used a metal rod that resembled a shepherd's hook to stir the beans.

I've seen these roaster before and I have always thought that they are very interesting. I would like to find out more about them. I would even like to buy a small one.

I tried searching the almighty Google, but I didn't turn up anything, probably because I don't know what to search for. Anybody know what these roasters are called or where I can find more info on them?

[milowebailey]

I have one... I picked it up in Ethiopia... I don't know what it's called but it's just a metal disk.. nothin' fancy about it

Here is a link of when I used it... lots of work to stir.

[headchange4u]

Larry,

Do you know what those pans are called?

I would also like to find something with it's own heat source like this setup.

[milowebailey]

They roast the beans over coals on a baret metad or beramtad.

good description of the whole ceremony here:

You can buys some stuff here... but I don't see a pan.

[headchange4u]

good description of the whole ceremony here:

I'm pretty sure that the lady pictured in that writeup was the same lady that performed the ritual on Bizarre Foods.

[Jeffo]

This isn't quite relevant but here is a picture I like. I can't remember where I got it. J.Jireh may have posted it.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

This isn't quite relevant but here is a picture I like. I can't remember where I got it. J.Jireh may have posted it.

Yeah.. I like that one ....   I think I just picked it up from google images...  looks like you could use a wok pan to get close to the same thing...(maybe run over it in the driveway a few times to get closer  )

I have looked for that a few times and it is not something anyone has thought to try and mass market over here (I suspect it is the same pan they cook their Suckuma Wiki in  (I have a better recipe... just cant find it)

[nice link in your signature Jeffo]

[barko78]

This isn't quite relevant but here is a picture I like. I can't remember where I got it. J.Jireh may have posted it.

The guy looks like he's talking on his cell phone.

[Jeffo]

I'm glad you like the sig link J.Jirehs.

I like the dog in the picture. Keeping  him company and on the look out too it looks like.

Cell phone and roasting can lead to third crack.

 

[peter]

Cell phone and roasting can lead to third crack.
 

You can say that again!  I had to put a sign up above my roaster that reads, "If you talk on the phone while roasting, you WILL screw up."



This method of roasting just looks too time consuming and labor-intensive.  But for camping or backpacking, where one has lots of time and you look for things to do, it could be perfect.

[milowebailey]

From looking at the photo, he's roasting on the lid of a dutch oven, which is on the dutch oven... I wonder if breakfast is inside the dutch oven... maybe a goat and eggs omelet?

[anastasio]

After I turned my neighbor on to home roasting, he wanted to try doing it over his patio fire pit. I lent him a large steel wok. It is very challenging. It requires constant stirring of the beans and blowing out the chaff. It is very hard to regulate the temperature and the beans tend to stay on their flat side and burn. You end up with a very uneven roast.

He loves it, but I'll stick with the popcorn popper or my new SC/TO.

[headchange4u]

This isn't quite relevant but here is a picture I like. I can't remember where I got it. J.Jireh may have posted it.

I really like the picture. I have an old, rusty cast iron skillet I've been meaning to clean up. Now I know what to use it for.

I still would like to get one of the Ethiopian style pans at some point. If anyone finds a retailer please let me know.

[Charly]

 They look like metal comals used in Mexico to make tortillas and/or roast coffee. I prefer the clay ones but they always break in my suitcase coming back here. Way back when I was growing coffee I roasted the entire crop, a bit at a time, on a clay comal over a little wood fire to get full value from the harvest, selling a couple of lbs a day around the village.  Lots of constant stirring and smoke in your eyes. Best to use twigs that you can pull back from under the roasting tray to lower temp when first crack gets rolling. Coals are less smokey but it's harder to do a controlled profile.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

They look like metal comals used in Mexico to make tortillas and/or roast coffee. I prefer the clay ones but they always break in my suitcase coming back here. Way back when I was growing coffee I roasted the entire crop, a bit at a time, on a clay comal over a little wood fire to get full value from the harvest, selling a couple of lbs a day around the village.  Lots of constant stirring and smoke in your eyes. Best to use twigs that you can pull back from under the roasting tray to lower temp when first crack gets rolling. Coals are less smokey but it's harder to do a controlled profile.

good tip on the removable fuel source.... and comals....  I started out roasting in a small cast iron pan... drove my wife nutty  with the smoke and chaff... (SC/TO in the garage still does  ) I think it is important to try the simple ways of roasting.... it can be challenging and the roasts uneven but I remember a few that were intriguing (although not repeatable) I believe the light and dark roasted beans in the same roast were part of the flavor, in a good way...