Hi there,

Not a coffee drinker, the caffeine hurts my stomach, but I saw
something that I would love to get for my fiancé: a coffee roasting
pan. I know that there are all sorts of machines on the market that
will do this but he's a hands-on type, do-it-yourselfer and I think he
would enjoy this. At an exhibition of Italian culture last week they
had something I remember my grandmother using in the Old World,
essentially a cast iron skillet with a cover and a little window so
that you take a peek. I have looked on the net and haven't found
something like this.

My two questions:

1) Does anyone know where I can find a roaster like this? I will by in
NYC this weekend so if there is someplace physical where I can look
for such an item, I'd love to know.

2) Is this a completely stupid, impractical idea? We don't have much
ventilation in our place so if it causes clouds and clouds of smoke
this might not be a great idea after all. However in his woodworking
shop... we have a woodfire stove and I thought that perhaps he could
try roasting his own beans in there if it is something that causes too
much smoke indoors.

Any advice would be great and I apologize if this topic has already
been dealt with.

Best,
Johanna