Shawna

Best Electric Iced Tea Makers 2023

January 5, 2023 By Shawna Leave a Comment

When it is hot outside and you are really thirsty, then nothing beats a refreshing glass of iced tea. And if you’re from the South like me, then when that tea hits your lips it will be of the sugary-sweet variety. I tell ya, we make a LOT of iced tea in my house. If I had to guess, I’d say that we go through a pitcher of tea every 1.5 days. But when we all get together at my mama’s for a holiday or other family gathering, then you better believe that we need more tea than that! I swear one Fourth of July that we went through five pitchers of iced tea on that one day.

When it comes to making good iced tea, I honestly think that the old school way of just boiling some water in a sauce pan on the stove and then letting some tea bags steep in it is the very best ways to make your tea. It’s how my grandma still makes it. And when I have time on my hands, that is how I make it. But, when you’re working full-time, trying to raise a family and keep the house somewhat clean, you ain’t got all that time to deal with steeping tea. Right? Well, that is why I started using an iced tea machine a while back. I kept seeing them at my local Wal-Mart and wondered what all the fuss was about. So, I decided to learn a bit more about ’em.

Before You Buy A Tea Maker

Since I know that my Wal-Mart doesn’t always carry the best stuff, I decided to look online and compare the different iced tea makers to see what I could learn about them. After a bit of comparing, I learned that for the most part, they all work in the same basic way.

Of course, there are some differences between the machines. That means that some of them are better for my needs while others might be better for your needs. It’s all about what you need from your iced tea making machine.

Things that you will want to consider when comparing electric iced tea makers:

capacity of tea pitcher
amount of space tea maker will take up on counter
does it spill water when making?
is clean-up easy after you make tea?
is the tea pitcher dishwasher safe?
what type of tea does it take – loose, bagged or both?
is there a sugar compartment?
does it have an auto shut-off switch for safety?
is there a re-usable filter?
can I use my own pitcher with it?
is there a brew-strength setting?
how fast is the brew time?

As you can see, I take my iced tea making very seriously and I have a long list of needs and wants when it comes to an electric iced tea maker. Armed with my list of things to consider, I narrowed it down to just three different models of electric tea makers. Then, I tried each of them to see which best meets my needs.

Hamilton Beach 40911 2-Quart Electric Iced Tea Maker Review

Hamilton Beach 40911 2-Quart Electric Iced Tea Maker review I found this electric iced tea machine online and thought it would look nice next to the Brita pitcher in my fridge since they have a similar look. Normally, I prefer something in a stainless steel to match my coffee maker, but this is a decent second choice.

I already own a Hamilton Beach blender, so I knew that this was going to be a decent quality machine. Though I wasn’t sure if 2-quarts would be a large enough pitcher. You see, my ideal scenario is to be able to run one of these on holidays to keep everyone stocked in iced tea.

This tea maker is priced higher than I would prefer to pay. Still, I decided to give it a try in my quest for the best electric iced tea maker machine.

Where to buy:

What I did not like about this one is that the pitcher is not dishwasher safe. Also, the pitcher gives off a strong plastic smell right out of the box and it does not go away. As a result, it left the tea that I made tasting a little bit like plastic. Needless to say, it wasn’t the best tea, but any tea is better than none at all, right?

This one also got some water on the counter each time it is run, which means taking time out to clean it up. It doesn’t take long but that starts to add up over time. And, if you prefer loose tea, I heard from another owner that you can end up with the loose tea actually in your pitcher.

There are a lot of things that I like about this one though. The design is slim, which means it doesn’t take up a lot of space and that’s nice. It also meets my requirements of having an auto shut-off, a brew strength selector setting and a paperless filter. And probably best of all, a full pitcher of tea is done in under 10 minutes!

Bottom line: this is a nice machine, but not the best iced tea maker for my budget or my tea making needs

Mr. Coffee TM70 3-Quart Iced Tea Maker Review

Probably my favorite thing about this electric iced tea maker is the pitcher size. It’s like making a vat of iced tea, which is pretty great if you ask me. It is seriously a big electric iced tea maker. In fact, it’s got the largest pitcher that I’ve been able to find.

But, it’s really ugly, right? I mean, this is not something that you would want to leave sitting out on your counter. At least not me, but I was super tempted by the 3-quart capacity of that pitcher, so I picked it up at my Wal-Mart. You can also find it online at places like Amazon.

Where to buy:

What I did not like about this one, other than the way that it looks, is that it leaks quite a bit. I also learned that if you do not remember to put ice in it before you brew the tea, then the pitcher is so flimsy that it will actually warp from the heat of the water! I could not believe that when it happened.

Though it does have a filter basket, it doesn’t work all that well and results in needing to use a paper coffee filter. That kind of defeats the purpose of the filter, right?

And when I was learning about this tea maker, I came across several people who mentioned that the pitcher actually cracks so that you can’t use it after a few months time. This seems to be a common problem. So, I returned this one pretty much immediately.

That being said, I did like that it has a cheap price and makes a large amount of tea at once. It also meets my requirements of an auto shut-off, being dishwasher safe and brew strength selector. But, it also takes up a lot of space thanks to that super size pitcher.

Bottom line: In my opinion and experience, it’s the cheapest option, but you also get what you pay for, though I do enjoy the large tea pitcher – but it’s not for me in the end.

West Bend 68305T Iced Tea Maker Review

West Bend electric Iced Tea Maker review I have to admit, when I first saw this one online I got a little bit giddy about how nice it looks when it has such a low price. I was secretly hoping that it would be the best choice for me just based on its design.

This electric tea maker meets so many of my requirements, so let me first tell you what I don’t like about it.

Sometimes, the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve when you make the tea. This isn’t really a big deal as long as I remember to stir it before pouring it. It has a drip tray, which is a nice feature, but it’s also just something else that needs to be cleaned and I am notoriously lazy! Also, the size is a bit large for my cabinets – it is quite tall so it can’t be placed where you have short cabinets above the counter.

What I do like is that it comes with a 2.75 quart pitcher, which is almost as big as the Mr. Coffee one. It is also easy to use your own pitcher with this machine. It features a dedicated sugar compartment, as well as a brew strength setting, auto shut-off and reusable filter. It also works well with loose leaf teas and it fills the pitcher quickly.

Where to buy:

Bottom line: this the best electric iced tea maker for the money – it’s the one that I use and that I recommend to all my friends. Plus, it looks great on the counter.

There are plenty of other electric iced tea makers that you can choose from if you do not like any of these, but I do highly suggest that you consider the West Bend model and it truly does make a good pitcher of iced tea in a hurry.

Best Portable Travel Coffee Makers in 2023

January 5, 2023 By Shawna 1 Comment

There is no such a state as too many coffee shops, but most U.S. cities do at least have a sufficient supply. Whether you like to grab a standard cup of joe, or prefer your morning espresso frothed and sweetened, you can find your satisfaction in and around the city limits. Once outside those metro areas, though, pickings can be dreadfully slim. If you’re lucky, you might happen upon one or two local shops with espresso on tap. More likely, though, you’ll be relegated to a lackluster stream of diners and chains for your coffee fix. Stale Dunkin’ Donuts Express at a gas station, anyone?

To avoid that painful moment of being forced to consume whatever coffee is available on the road between destinations, true coffee aficionados always travel prepared. While some people have been known to carry a full-size coffee maker in the back floorboard of their SUV(guilty as charged!), portable makes more sense to more java-addicted people like you and me. Plus, you can find one for any occasion. We’ll give you great options for:

making coffee in your car
making coffee when camping
battery-operated options for when the power is out
and, the best any time portable option

So, whether you’re a frequent roadtripper, a camper, or you make your living on the road, these best portable travel coffee makers are the right fit for those who take their coffee truly to go. Check out our reviews below for our top rated picks.

Best Portable Travel Coffee Maker for Your Car

best portable coffee maker for car Not every car can be a Fiat with its built-in coffee maker and dashboard light that gently coddles one’s coffee addiction by reminding the driver when it’s time for a caffeine-fix. Unless you’ve had it souped up coffee style, in any other ride, you’re the one responsible for the coffee creation.

When you plan to roll through out of the way places in a car without its own coffee maker, you need coffee equipment that works equally well at making straight-up coffee or perfect espresso, and you’ll find that combination in the Aerobie AeroPress.

The AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker is small, it’s lightweight, and it’s pretty much a godsend for coffee addicts on the road. Carry your coffee and AeroPress filters with you, and all you need is hot water, which any gas station can supply. And it will save you a lot of money when traveling (if you drink as much coffee as I do!) since the price is around the equivalent of three or four large Starbucks lattes. For me, this thing would pay for itself on the first day of a road trip!

It only takes about a minute to take your coffee scoop to pour, and in my opinion the flavor produced by the AeroPress is so impressive, even restaurants like Urban Angel in Edinburgh, Scotland and praised U.S. coffee chain Stumptown Coffee Roasters have AeroPressed coffee on the menu.

In my opinion, the only downside to this piece of powerhouse coffee equipment is that it has multiple pieces, so find a case to carry its components in or buy it with its official tote bag if you don’t want to be searching for pieces all over your car. More detailed information is available on the official site, however that it may not be the cheapest place to buy it. We suggest checking prices at the following online stores:

Best Portable Travel Coffee Maker for Camping

best portable coffee maker for camping When it comes to camp portability, backpackers and backcountry campers are most limited in their space for coffee equipment, but even campsite campers benefit from keeping their supplies light. The GSI Outdoors Collapsible JavaDrip Slim Drip Coffee Maker is an ideal coffee apparatus for any camper.

For me, it meets the two most important criteria (in my opinion) – it is cheap and it works as advertised.

Where to buy:

According to the manufacturer, it is designed so that it holds a #4 filter, which means that you can make anywhere between one cup and 12 cups of coffee at camp. This is great because you can easily adjust depending on how many people are out with you. Great for car camping, tent camping and glamping. Also good for java addicts like me who need that fix every few hours when hiking or backpacking.

Weighing less than 5 ounces, the coffee cone collapses down to a one inch disc that can easily be slid into a small pocket or the leftover space in a pack. The base of the cone is specially designed to fit on cups and bottles with wide mouths without moving. And, unlike many collapsible coffee cones, the JavaDrip Slim Drip is built with sturdiness in mind, so those incidents you might have had with collapsing cones of boiling water are a thing of the past.

As you can see, it is made of plastic and has a bit of a latex smell when new, however this does not affect the taste of the brewed coffee. One thing to note is that it does make coffee slowly (in my opinion), so you’re looking at about two minutes or so to get two decent size cups of joe from it. It’s not really that long, but if you’re used to using a Bunn then it might seem like an eternity!

Inexpensive, and free of protruding pieces that can easily be snapped off in a pack, this is a simple coffee maker for your nature getaway. It is easy to store and easy to clean – what more do you need?

Best Battery Operated Travel Coffee Maker

best battery powered coffee maker If you want the best battery-powered coffee maker in the world, you’d better be willing to jump on a plane and buy an adapter. The Trisa Coffee to Go espresso maker is hands down the world’s best (and kind of the only) truly battery-powered coffee maker. Unfortunately, the Trisa Coffee to Go is available to a limited European market, so in the U.S. you’ll have to settle for the next best thing.

Unfortunately, the choices of battery powered coffee makers in the U.S. are sadly slim. Not truly battery-powered, the coffee makers in the U.S. run off 12-volt batteries, which means they have to be hooked up to your car’s power supply and they have a reputation for being real battery-suckers.

If you find yourself in desperate need of a 12-volt coffee maker, your best option is the Roadpro Quick Cup. In my opinion, it has its share of issues, including a spill-happy cup, so it’s best used for brewing only, with coffee poured into another container to drink. You can buy it online at:

Of course, it’s not all bad as this little gadget has an affordable price and my experience shows that in just 15 minutes it can deliver up 16 piping hot ounces of coffee for your drinking pleasure. Just be careful not to spill it on your lap while driving!

The wrap-around band on the Roadpro that holds the cup in place, though, puts this battery operated coffee maker a cut above the rest. Just make sure you have an extra car battery on hand. Or, better yet, skip the battery powered coffee maker and go for a 12-volt electric kettle instead. While it might not be ideal, in my opinion the SZHuibang Car Electric Kettle is fastest, and you can use it in conjunction with any one of the coffee-making tools on this list. You can buy it from:

Vietnamese Coffee Filter for Any Occasion

best all around portable coffee maker Camping, at the office, or traveling by car, a Vietnamese coffee filter set is a top-notch solution for portable coffee making, at least in my opinion. Simplistic, small and lightweight, the stainless steel components of this coffee maker come in under half a pound total.

Somewhere between the GSI collapsible drip and the AeroPress, the Vietnamese coffee filter has become a go-to coffee maker for anyone who wants to make great coffee, regardless of location.

In my opinion, it seems to have the most affordable price compared to the other options and it is ultra portable. You can even use it at home on a regular basis.

Where to buy:

Amazon
eBay

When you buy one of these sets, you get several stainless steel pieces. It includes the saucer, the brew chamber, the insert press, and the lid. It also has rubber handles so you do not have to worry about burning yourself when trying to make coffee.

For the best results using this, I suggest that you go with coffee with a medium to thick grind. Based on my research, most people who use this on a regular basis stick with Trung Nguyen coffee for optimal brewing results. The video below can give you some tips on brewing the perfect cup o’joe with one of these.

In my opinion, the best thing about each of these coffee makers listed above is how interchangeable they can be. While the GSI Outdoors Collapsible JavaDrip Slim Drip Coffee Maker listed at the top is most compact, for instance, there is nothing stopping a truly dedicated joe-master from finding a spot for an AeroPress in his or her hiking pack.

Once you find the portable coffee maker that suits you best, stick with it. You will always be able to brew up the perfect cup of coffee, no matter where you are or how you’re traveling.

Barista Quality Coffee: A Milk Frother Buying Guide

April 18, 2021 By Shawna Leave a Comment

If you’re looking to get that perfect latte at home just like the barista makes, there is one essential coffee gadget that you need to reach this level of perfection. A milk frother. At coffee shops, the espresso machines have a little component on the side that lets them froth the milk in a stainless steel carafe. You don’t have to go that far, unless you also have a home espresso machine with that function. Instead, you can purchase a standalone frother for your coffee and it will taste just as good as that expensive latte. There are a lot of frothers on the market right now, but we’ve compared the top milk frothers to come up with our list of the best milk frothers for the money when it comes to barista quality coffee drinks at home.

Top 10 Best Milk Frothers of 2021

PHOTO	MODEL	OUR RATING
	MatchaDNA Handheld Electric Milk Frother
	Nespresso Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother
	Elementi Premier Milk Frother with Stand
	Epica Automatic Electric Milk Frother and Heater Carafe
	Estilo 0153 Automatic Electric Milk Frother, Heater and Cappuccino Maker
	Kuissential SlickFroth 2.0 - Electric Milk Frother
	Bru Joy Stainless Steel Milk Frother 2.0
	Secura Automatic Electric Milk Frother and Warmer
	Aerolatte Milk Frother
	Kuissential Deluxe Automatic Milk Frother and Warmer
	Bodum 1446-01US4 Latteo Milk Frother with Glass Handle

Handheld vs Electric Milk Frothers

If you’re trying to decide between the two types of frothers you see listed above, then let me help you out by showing you the differences between the two.

The handheld frothers are usually battery powered, which means that you can take them anywhere – even camping. And the electric frothers either have an electric base that plugs into a wall outlet or the entire carafe plugs into outlet.

You can’t heat milk with a handheld frothing unit – it only froths the milk. With an electrical unit, you can both heat and froth the milk.

Based on my experience, I find that handheld units are the cheapest type of milk frothers on the market. You can usually find them for $20 or less. Electric milk frothing units have a higher cost and are usually prices between $30 and $50 for a good electric milk frother.

Estilo 0153 Automatic Electric Milk Frother, Heater and Cappuccino Maker Review

Out of all the electric milk frothers that we compared, the Estilo 0153 Automatic Electric Milk Frother, Heater and Cappuccino Maker came out on top with our in-house reviewers as the highest rated of all the models on the market right now.

The exterior of this model is polished stainless steel, so it looks awesome sitting on your kitchen counter. When guests come over, it will definitely look like a luxury coffee item. And the best part is that the Estilo 0153 milk frother is very affordable! In fact, like most electric frothers, it has a very affordable price (in my opinion).

Click here for the Amazon price online.

Cleaning this little machine is pretty easy. The inside has a non-stick coating that make it simple. Of course, you can’t really put it in the dishwasher since the carafe sits on the electrically charged hot plate, but a quick rinse in the sink is easy enough even for the busiest professional.

This thing is FAST! Once you pour in the cold milk, it can be heated up to hot milk in only 80 seconds! And the carafe has vacuum insulation, which means that your hot milk will actually stay hot. This is important for people who plan on having a second cup of coffee or who are making several cups of coffee for friends and family – that way no one ends up with lukewarm milk.

Once the milk is heated, you can easily lift the carafe off the non-slip silicone base and take it over to the table or wherever you need it. That also makes it easy to pour the milk into your coffee cups since you don’t have to worry about a heavy base weighing down the frother.

The frothing capacity for the Estilo 0153 electric milk frother is 115 ml, but if you just need to heat up some milk for lattes without foam, then the capacity is 240 ml. A heating whisk is attached to the lid for when you need it. Of course, a lot of times you’ll probably just need heated milk, which is perfect for both coffee and tea – as well as hot chocolate!

This awesome little stainless steel milk frother can be used to froth both hot and cold milk for you hot and iced drinks like cappuccino. Or, like I mentioned, just heat up some milk for hot chocolate, coffee and tea. I even use my milk frother to heat up milk for oatmeal or porridge on cold winter mornings.

As of right now, this is our choice for top rated electric milk frother for the money, so if you want one of these gadgets that is highly rated by current owners, then it doesn’t get any better than this. However, if your budget is tight and you need something a little cheaper, there are a few other options on this page that might be a better fit for you.

Elementi Premier Milk Frother with Stand Review

If you’re shopping for the top rated handheld milk frother on the market, then look no further than the Elementi Premier Milk Frother with Stand. This model really stands out from the pack because it is very highly rated by consumers, comes with a stand and has a very powerful motor.

This Elementi frother has 15,000 RPM motor that can get you that foamed milk that you like in about 45 seconds. It is not the most powerful handheld unit, but close to it. Two AA batteries are required to power the device.

This sleek milk frother makes a good gift for coffee lovers because it has a nice elegant design and the stand really makes it stand out from the other models. The handle has an ergonomic grip, which makes it comfortable to use even for older people who have arthritis. The stainless steel whisk is rust-proof, which means that when it’s displayed on your kitchen counter in the stand, it will continue to look like an awesome luxury coffee accessory. Plus, that stand makes it easy to store it right next to the espresso machine or coffee maker.

Click here for Amazon price online.

Clean up is very easy with this frother. All you have to do is rinse it off in some hot water and then put it back in the stand to air dry. Doesn’t get any better than that, huh?

This frothing unit will get you that awesome velvety foam that you love on your coffee drinks. Use it for lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, whipped hot chocolate, and Bulletproof Coffee. And since it runs on batteries, you can use it anywhere – home, work, camping, etc. That’s what makes this such a great purchase.

Bodum Latteo Milk Frother Review

Whether you need a quiet milk frother or just want to be able to do it by hand, the best model for the job is the Bodum Latteo Milk Frother. The Bodum brand is known for making some of the highest quality coffee accessories and this manual milk frother is no different.

One of the best things about this Bodum milk frothing carafe is that is it made of glass, which makes it BPA free unlike many of the plastic carafe models. Of course, since this is a manual frother, it means that it cannot heat milk and can only froth it. However, since the carafe is made out of borosilicate glass, you can put it in the microwave for 30 to 50 seconds to heat the milk before you do the frothing! Just be careful getting it out since the handle is also glass.

The glass handle is very easy to hold while you’re doing the frothing. And the entire process is just as quick as the handheld and electric models. To use the Bodum 1446-01US4 Latteo Milk Frother, just add milk up to the fill line and put the lid on it. Make sure you turn the lid so that the pouring outlet is blocked. Then, pump the plunger somewhere between 60 and 90 times. As you do it, you will start to feel the milk thicken. Once you’re done with this, let the milk sit about about a minute so that it can thicken some more on its own. After that, you’re ready to spoon out that milk foam onto your coffee!

As you can see, the process is very easy and you get complete control over the thickness of your milk foam – pump longer for thicker foam or less for thinner foam. The total milk capacity is 8 oz, which is plenty for several cups of coffee. Just be sure to not make any more than you need since there is no way to keep it warm.

Click here for Amazon price online.

Unlike all of the other models listed here, the Bodum 1446-01US4 Latteo Milk Frother is dishwasher safe. You can put all of its pieces in the dishwasher, or hand wash them if you prefer.

Review: Kona Coffee & Tea Co. in Kailua-Kona, HI

March 28, 2015 By Shawna 1 Comment

If you find yourself in Hawaii on the Big Island, there is certainly no shortage of coffee thanks to the popularity of Kona coffee. So, do yourself a favor and drive right on past the Starbucks and pull into the cute little coffee shop of Kona Coffee & Tea Company. It’s in the Kailua area, just south of the Kona airport.

They have more than one location and I visited the Village store in the Kona Coast Shopping Center, which is just off Queen Kaahumanu Highway on Palani Rd. This location is open until 6:30pm, which is great for people like me who enjoy drinking coffee in the afternoon.

This shop serves a variety of coffee drinks – including flat whites – as well as teas. And they serve some food and offer some baked goods in plastic near the register.

For my visit, I order up a piece of the peanut butter banana bread, a large macnut latte and a regular coconut latte.

lattes at kona coffee and tea company

So, they only offer two sizes for the coffee. A regular size is 12 oz. and a large size is 16 oz. Overall, this was some good quality coffee and I think that the macadamia nut was superior to the coconut, however the flavor of both was good.

The only disappoint here was the PB banana bread. I mean, it sounds like something that would be the ultimate in tasty treats. However, it was truly a letdown. The peanut butter flavor was so strong that you could not even get a hint of the banana flavor. In the end, it was just a peanut butter bread.

And if you’re instantly in love with their coffees, they do sell bags of them in the store. So, load up your suitcase with some yummy smelling Kona coffee before heading back to the mainland. And you’ll get the bonus of all your dirty clothes smelling like coffee!

Want To Roast Your Own Coffee At Home?

November 24, 2014 By Shawna Leave a Comment

Coffee connoisseurs will tell you that the best coffee is fresh-roasted. After just a week, the natural flavors and aromas of the roasted coffee bean start to diminish, so fresh-roasting is a great way to preserve maximum flavor and freshness. Roasting your own coffee can also be a great way to incorporate coffee into your food storage or buy in bulk, as unroasted coffee (properly stored!) has a long shelf life.

Equipment

Roasting coffee can use equipment you already have in your kitchen, or you can purchase equipment specifically for coffee roasting. At the lower end of the price scale is a simple air-pop popcorn machine, whereas a fluid air bed roasting machine will cost around $900 at least. The machines are less messy and easier, as well as being easier to automate, but the they are expensive, and if you’re adding unroasted coffee to your food storage, it’s a good idea to know how to do it without electricity if you ever need to.

Roasting on the Stovetop

The biggest challenge of a stovetop roast is getting all the beans roasted uniformly. It’s best to have a dedicated pot or pan for coffee roasting, as the oils in the coffee bean can permeate cookware, leaving all your other dishes with a coffee aroma! Heat the pan to the medium setting and add coffee beans, stirring constantly until the beans reach the desired roast level.

Roasting in an Oven

The only downside to roasting in an oven is that many home ovens don’t get hot enough to roast the beans well. If your oven can get up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, you may be in luck! Set the temperature to at least 500 degrees and let it preheat. Put the coffee beans on a baking sheet in a single layer where they’re all pressed up against each other but not overlapping, and roast for 15-20 minutes in the middle of the oven. If they’re not roasted dark enough after 20 minutes, you’ll need to increase the temperature rather than the time to get it just right.

How do I know when they’re done?

As you roast the coffee, you’ll hear it starting to crackle. The first time you hear this, keep going! It could be consumed at this stage but it won’t taste like the coffee you’re used to. The second time you hear the crackling, it’s a sign that your coffee has reached the “City Roast” stage. Coffee at this stage has a strong aroma and a medium brown appearance.

After the City stage is the Full City stage, sometimes called Viennese or Seattle roast. The surface of the beans will look a little bit oily and the color moves to a medium-dark brown. For espresso roast, wait until the surface of the beans is dark brown and shiny, and the aroma mellows out a little bit. French or Spanish roast is nearly black, and it’s not very popular in the U.S., but it is common in Europe. The aroma of this very dark roast is very mellow, and the beans are very shiny on the outer surface.

Now what?

After your beans are roasted, you want to cool them quickly. The easiest way to do this is to spread them onto a clean, cool baking sheet and stir until cooled to room temperature. Give the roasted beans a full day to rest before grinding them into coffee. While fresh-roasted coffee is best a day after roasting, it can keep in an airtight container for up to a week.