Home Roasting Gear, Safety & Free Log Template
Before you dive too deep into techniques, it helps to have a simple checklist, a basic gear plan, and a place to record what you are doing. This page collects all three in one place.
Home roast safety checklist
Print this or keep it handy on your phone before every roast:
- Ventilation ready (window open / fan on / roasting outdoors).
- Roasting area is clear of paper, plastic bags, and loose clutter.
- Fire extinguisher or fire blanket within reach.
- Pan handles and popper cords are positioned so they cannot be knocked over.
- Plan to stay with the roast the entire time—no walking away.
- Cooling colander / tray ready before you start heating.
Starter gear: what you need now, what can wait
Start with what you already own
- Pan method: heavy pan or skillet, spoon, colander, stovetop.
- Popcorn popper: hot-air popper, bowl to catch beans, extra bowl or box for chaff.
Nice-to-have upgrades
- Scale: to measure beans and water consistently.
- Timer: phone, watch, or simple kitchen timer.
- Thermometer or probe: optional, useful as you get more serious.
- Dedicated home roaster: once you know you enjoy roasting and want more control.
If you want help choosing your next purchase, check out the main hub article Home Roasting Made Simple and the method guides: Pan Roasting 101 and Popcorn Popper Roasting.
Free printable roast log template
You can copy this layout into a notebook or spreadsheet, or print it as a one-page, double-sided sheet:
- Date:
- Bean / Origin:
- Roast method (pan / popper / roaster):
- Batch size:
- Time to first crack:
- Total roast time:
- Roast level (light / medium / dark):
- Tasting notes (sweetness, acidity, body, finish):
- What I’ll change next time:
You can also download our home roasting log here as a PDF file and print it out: