Abstract: An apparatus for roasting vegetable bulk material, in particular coffee beam is disclosed, in which essentially all of the cooling waste air of a cooler which cools the bulk material after the roasting operation is heated to roasting-gas temperature in a heat-exchanger stage and fed to the roaster. Essentially all of the roasting waste gases are heated, in a heating stage, to an extent which is necessary for increasing the temperature of the cooling gases to the roasting-gas temperature. Since the roaster operates with a higher roasting-gas throughput than hitherto, it is possible, with comparable roasting capacity, for the roasting-gas temperature to be reduced, this resulting in a more uniform roasting result. The apparatus has reduced harmful-substance emission along with increased thermal efficiency. Also disclosed is a method of roasting and cooling bulk material by utilizing the disclosed apparatus.