Del Grano al Café 2025 Review: My Experience Roasting Coffee

My morning coffee routine was, to be honest, just a little predictable. You know, you wake up, you push a button, and coffee sort of happens. I mean, it was fine, but it really lacked any kind of connection. I felt so distant from the drink I supposedly loved. Then I heard some people talking about this workshop, the 2025 ‘Del Grano al Café’—which basically means ‘From Grain to Coffee.’ Honestly, it just sounded completely different. The whole idea of going from a raw, green bean to a finished cup was, like, pretty intriguing. So, I figured, you know, why not just give it a try? It was almost time to change things up a little anyway.

First Impressions and Getting Started

So, walking into the studio for the first time was a really great experience. The air inside was already thick with the sweet, nutty smell of coffee, but it was just so much richer than a typical café. It was apparently a mix of freshly ground beans and maybe some roasting in progress from an earlier class. They just give you an apron and a name tag right away, which sort of makes you feel part of the group. The main instructor, a person with a genuine warmth, greeted everyone with a cup of their house blend. As I was saying, it was a fantastic welcome. You just feel pretty comfortable almost immediately. The whole space, with its wooden benches and small-batch roasting machines lined up, clearly communicates a serious appreciation for the craft.

The group was, like, a bit smaller than I expected, which was actually a huge positive. It meant everyone, you know, had a real chance to ask questions and get some one-on-one guidance. Our instructor started things off not with a technical lecture, but with a story. They told us about the origin of the specific beans we’d be working with that day, which were from a single-estate farm in Colombia. As a matter of fact, hearing about the farm and the people who grew the beans created an immediate sense of respect for the raw materials. It just wasn’t about a generic product anymore; it was basically about something with a history and a place. This narrative approach set the stage for the entire day, really framing our work as the final step in a long chain of care.

From Green Bean to Aromatic Gold: The Roasting Process

The roasting part was honestly what I was most excited about, and it absolutely delivered. Each person got their own little roasting machine to command. We started with these pale, greenish-grey beans that, you know, didn’t smell like coffee at all; they sort of had a fresh, grassy scent. Our instructor guided us through controlling the heat and airflow, two variables that are apparently very important. As the beans tumbled inside the drum, they slowly started to shift in color, first to a pale yellow and then to a lovely cinnamon brown. You could just watch the entire transformation happen right in front of your eyes.

Then came the moment we were all waiting for: the ‘first crack.’ Our instructor told us to listen carefully. It’s a sound that’s a bit like popcorn popping, and it signals that the beans are, you know, really developing their flavors. Seriously, it’s such a satisfying auditory cue. You just feel like a chemist and a chef at the same time. After the first crack, you have a pretty short window to decide how dark you want your roast. We took our batch to a medium roast, stopping just before the ‘second crack’ to preserve more of the original character of the bean. Pouring the hot, fragrant, and deeply brown beans into the cooling tray, with steam billowing up, was an incredibly rewarding moment. The aroma was just something else entirely—so complex and rich.

The Perfect Grind: Why It Actually Matters So Much

I always sort of knew that the grind was important, but ‘Del Grano al Café’ really showed me just how critical it is. The next module was basically all about grinding. We didn’t just talk about it; we actually spent a good amount of time experimenting. They had several high-quality burr grinders set up for us to use. The instructor frankly explained why a burr grinder is so much better than a blade one, showing us how it crushes beans into a uniform size instead of, you know, just shattering them into dust and boulders. This consistency is apparently key for an even extraction when you brew.

We got to play with all the settings, creating piles of grounds for different brewing methods. You could really feel the difference between the gritty, sand-like texture of a coarse grind for a French press and the fine, almost powdery feel of an espresso grind. We learned that an incorrect grind size can, like, totally ruin a perfect roast. For example, if your grind is too fine for your brewing method, your coffee might be sludgy and bitter. If it’s too coarse, it could just be weak and sour. At the end of the day, matching the grind to the brew is just as much of an art as the roasting itself.

Brewing Your Creation: The Moment of Truth

So, this was it. The final act was brewing the very coffee beans we had roasted and ground ourselves. It felt like the culmination of everything we had learned. The workshop had stations for three different brewing methods: a classic pour-over, an AeroPress, and a French press. I mean, you could just pick your favorite or try a new one. I opted for the pour-over because I love how, you know, it gives you a very clean and bright cup of coffee.

The instructor gave us a little guidance, like the ideal water temperature and the best pour-to-pause ratio, but then they let us just take the lead. Watching the water saturate the grounds and release that beautiful ‘bloom’ was honestly magical. The room filled with the scent of my very own coffee. I brewed a cup and let it cool just a little. The first sip was, you know, a genuine revelation. It didn’t taste like any coffee I’d ever bought. It had these bright, citrus notes and a kind of sweet, chocolatey finish that was just incredible. There’s a certain pride that comes from drinking something you made, like, completely from scratch. It just connects you to the whole process in a really profound way.

Was ‘Del Grano al Café’ Worth It? My Honest Opinion

So, the big question is whether this whole experience is worth the time and money. Honestly, my answer is a definite yes. This workshop is really for anyone who has even a slight curiosity about what goes into their morning mug. You don’t need to be a coffee snob at all; as a matter of fact, it’s probably better if you’re not. It’s for the person who wants to lift the curtain and see what’s actually going on. The hands-on nature of every single step, from handling green beans to tasting your final brew, is just so engaging. You leave with a bag of coffee you roasted yourself, which is a pretty great souvenir.

But you know, you really leave with so much more than that. You leave with a deep appreciation for the entire process and, like, a new set of skills. My daily coffee ritual has completely changed. I now buy green beans and roast a small batch every week. It’s become a very enjoyable part of my routine. This course gives you the confidence and the foundational knowledge to start doing it yourself. It’s almost less of a class and more of a guided exploration. The instructor said something that really stuck with me.

“You just have to remember that you’re not just making a drink. You are, in a way, completing the story that the farmer started.”

And you know what? They were absolutely right.

Key Takeaways

• The workshop is completely hands-on, so you get to use real roasting and grinding equipment.
• It’s more than just technical steps; it’s really about building a connection with the coffee you drink.
• Learning about the ‘first crack’ and ‘second crack’ during roasting is, like, a very cool experience.
• You finally understand why grind size is actually one of the most important parts of making good coffee.
• You actually leave with a bag of coffee that you personally roasted, which is, you know, pretty special.
• This is great for both beginners and, like, any coffee fan looking to deepen their understanding.

Read our full review: [Del Grano al Café 2025 Full Review and Details]
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