Roasting Coffee at Home: Where to Start
Coffee has never been bigger. According to a study from 2024, American coffee consumption is up nearly 40% over the last 20 years. But it’s
Since launching last year, Sneaky Beans has quickly become a fan-favorite at Brew North Roasters. This medium-blend roast has a little something for everyone with its mellow citrus notes combined with smooth cocoa and toasted almond. Like all of our coffee, Sneaky Beans is an organically and ethically sourced coffee that provides a consistent experience over and over again.
But with a name like Sneaky Beans, people regularly ask us…
Why is it called Sneaky Beans?
Today, we’d like to pull back the curtain and reveal how sneaky beans came about and what makes it so special.
When people think of the naming process behind a particular coffee, they probably imagine a group of people sitting around a table presenting their thoughts and ideas. There’s likely a whiteboard to one side where someone is narrowing down and combining the various options until the perfect name is chosen.
This is not how Sneaky Beans came about.
Sneaky Beans actually wasn’t planned at all. One day, we were bagging coffee when our own Darren noticed a few stray beans at the bottom of a bucket. They didn’t match the rest of the batch, but he tossed them in his bag anyway.
“Sneaky little beans,” Darren said with a laugh.
Our eyes lit up at the moment, with Darren saying that should be a coffee!
“Someday,” Matt said.
It wasn’t until a few months later that Matt was prepping a three-bean blend to roast. However, he quickly realized he had actually doubled up on our Peru beans, making it a lopsided 2-bean roast. Rather than toss the batch, he decided to roast it, and the results were surprisingly great.
“Sneaky Beans has been created,” Matt texted Darren afterwards.
And with that, Sneaky Beans was born. Life takes unexpected turns sometimes, and often, those moments tend to be the most memorable. This two-parts Peru, one-part Ethiopian blend might not have been planned, but it became something special.
If you’d like to try Sneaky Beans, you can find it here.
Of course, you can also select it as one of the options in our sampler packs here.
And if you’d like to learn a little more about coffee in general, keep scrolling.
As we said before, Sneaky Beans is a blend roast. What does that mean?
Instead of relying on a single origin such as Peru, Brazil, Ethiopia, etc, blends combine different coffees to create a balanced and layered cup.
A well-crafted blend can bring together the bright acidity of a lighter roast, the smooth sweetness of a medium roast, and the rich body of a darker roast, all in one brew. The goal isn’t to overpower the palate but to create harmony between different characteristics and flavors.
For many coffee drinkers, blends maintain consistency while offering a deeper, more dynamic experience.
Blends can be made one of two ways: post-blend and pre-blend.
With a post-blend roast, each coffee is roasted separately. It is then blended together afterwards. This allows roasters to develop every bean to its ideal roast level before combining. For example, one coffee may be roasted lighter to preserve brightness and citrus notes, while another is roasted darker to bring out body and chocolate richness. The final blend creates balance while still highlighting the personality of each roast.
A pre-blend roast takes a different approach. In this method, coffees from different origins are combined before roasting and developed together in the same batch. Because the beans roast as one, the flavors tend to integrate more naturally, often creating a smoother and more unified cup profile.
Both post-blend and pre-blend have their place in the world of coffee, offering unique and enjoyable experiences.
Which is right for you? It depends on what you’re looking for.
Buying coffee beans online can be intimidating, especially if it’s from a brand you’ve never tried before.
With so many roast levels, tasting notes, and brewing options available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The good news is that finding your ideal coffee doesn’t need to be complicated. Once you understand a few basics, choosing the right roast becomes much more approachable.
A great place to start is by thinking about the flavors you naturally enjoy:
Your brewing method can also influence which roast you enjoy most. Light and medium roasts often shine in pour overs, drip coffee, and AeroPress brewing, where delicate flavors can stand out. Darker roasts are commonly enjoyed in espresso or French press brewing because of their fuller body and deeper flavor profile.
Another important decision is whether to buy whole bean or ground coffee.
Whole bean coffee stays fresher longer because the beans retain their natural oils and aromas until they’re ground. If you have a grinder at home, whole bean coffee is usually the best option for flavor and freshness.
Ground coffee offers convenience and consistency, especially for people who want a quick and easy brewing process. The key is choosing a grind size that matches your brewing method. A coarse grind works well for French press, while finer grinds are better suited for espresso machines.
At the end of the day, there’s no “correct” roast level, only the one that fits your taste and routine. Part of the fun of specialty coffee is exploring different origins, roast profiles, and brewing methods until you discover the cup that keeps you coming back for another brew.
Whether you enjoy bright and adventurous flavors or something smooth and comforting, the right coffee should help you slow down, recharge, and stay grounded.
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