When settling down to a nice cigar in my lounge, I find that more often than not, I reach for my trusty coffee cup, a combination that is both unassuming and relaxing.

Now, if you guessed that I’ve never been a Folgers kind of guy, you’re absolutely right. In fact, wherever I go, I usually try to find a small local roaster where I can get some sort of good quality artisan coffee.

But I never thought that, in my search for perfection, I’d be going a step further to even roast my own beans. I mean, if the pros can’t get it right, how could I possibly do it, right?

Home Roasted Coffee Cigar Companion

Wrong! What I didn’t realize is the difference it makes when coffee is brewed shortly after roasting. Usually, unless you get the beans from a local roaster, they may sit in sackcloth for days, if not weeks, before they are officially packaged and shipped to the retailers.

That means that by the time we grind and brew the coffee, it’s months after roasting has taken place and well after the coffee has gone stale. The real difference with home roasting is that you can now enjoy the coffee when it is still at its peak freshness: between 24 and 48 hours after roasting.

Well, after months of thinking about it, I finally took the plunge and bought me a small Hearth Ware home roaster with a good selection of green coffee beans; and all I can say is that while I was perfectly happy with my pickings from my local shop, the home roasted stuff is absolutely the best I’ve ever had.

Home Roasted Coffee

An added bonus of roasting your own is the great variety of coffee beans that are available for purchase, each with their own character and unique flavor.

From the well structured power beans to the subtle aromatic ones, their wonderful complexity and aromas make these home roasts excellent companions to a fine cigar.