Hi there,
Not a coffee drinker, the caffeine hurts my stomach, but I saw something that I would love to get for my fiancé: a coffee roasting pan. I know that there are all sorts of machines on the market that will do this but he's a hands-on type, do-it-yourselfer and I think he would enjoy this. At an exhibition of Italian culture last week they had something I remember my grandmother using in the Old World, essentially a cast iron skillet with a cover and a little window so that you take a peek. I have looked on the net and haven't found something like this.
My two questions:
1) Does anyone know where I can find a roaster like this? I will by in NYC this weekend so if there is someplace physical where I can look for such an item, I'd love to know.
2) Is this a completely stupid, impractical idea? We don't have much ventilation in our place so if it causes clouds and clouds of smoke this might not be a great idea after all. However in his woodworking shop... we have a woodfire stove and I thought that perhaps he could try roasting his own beans in there if it is something that causes too much smoke indoors.
Any advice would be great and I apologize if this topic has already been dealt with.
Best, Johanna