Cool Roasted Coffee On A Sheet Pan

I used to leave freshly roasted coffee in the roaster’s cooling tray until it looked done. That was close, but the beans kept carrying heat into the container.

Now I spread them on a plain metal sheet pan as soon as the roast finishes. One layer cools faster than a pile, and I can stir the beans once while checking for a few that need another minute. After about ten minutes, the pan is cool enough that the beans can go into their container without warming it up.

This is especially useful with small batches. I roast only what fits comfortably in the pan, then leave the lid off until the beans are fully at room temperature. The kitchen smells like coffee, but the container does not become a tiny sauna.