Been roasting my own beans for a couple of years now, and I have gone thru 3 or 4 air poppers. Plus only being able to roast a few oz at a time is a PITA. Soooo I need some recommendations on a coffee roaster that can roast maybe up to a pound at a time. What say you?
Green Bean Roaster
- Thread starter rabbgp
- Start date
I use a Behmor 1600 (behmor.com). It can roast up to 1 lb. at a time, but I usually go in 1/2 lb. batches; I feel like I have more control over the roast. It is a drum roaster, so there would be a bit of a learning curve transitioning from an air popper, just as there was for me, transitioning from an iRoast2, which is a fluid bed roaster.
thejavaman
BoM December 2012
The Behmor is a decent roaster. At $300 it's the cheapest home roaster on the market that *can (*with some modifications & lots of practice/finagling) roast a full pound of coffee at a time. I bought one when they first came out a few years ago and I liked it, but I didn't like that I couldn't control (profile) the roast very well to obtain the specific results that I was looking for in a particular bean. Also, if you like dark roasts, it can be VERY difficult to achieve any roasts past Full City+ (Medium+) with the Behmor: BEHMOR LINK HERE
If you want my advice, I'd save up for a Hot Top. It can only do 1/2 lb. at a time, but you can completely control the roast profile, roast as light or as dark as you want, it's built like a tank and it's the only home roaster on the market that mimics commercial roasters (including cooling the roasted beans outside of the roast chamber, which can dramatically increase cup character). It ain't cheap, but it's worth every penny and it will probably be the last roaster you ever buy: HOT TOP LINK HERE
If you want my advice, I'd save up for a Hot Top. It can only do 1/2 lb. at a time, but you can completely control the roast profile, roast as light or as dark as you want, it's built like a tank and it's the only home roaster on the market that mimics commercial roasters (including cooling the roasted beans outside of the roast chamber, which can dramatically increase cup character). It ain't cheap, but it's worth every penny and it will probably be the last roaster you ever buy: HOT TOP LINK HERE
thanks, I was looking hard at the Behmor unit but if it has a hard time doing 1lb at a time as well as getting a dark roast I may have to take a pass. The Hot Top looks good, but like you say it is a little pricey. Have you seen or used a SC/TO ?
thejavaman
BoM December 2012
You WILL have trouble roasting a full pound & getting a dark roast out of the Behmor. It's a decent roaster, but those are it's two major downfalls, which can be deal breakers to some people.
The SC/TO method is a good one if you're a DIY type of guy. Since you've been roasting your own for a while, it'll definitely help that you already know the sights/smells/noises of coffee roasting beforehand. Check out www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com for a wealth of information on the SC/TO method. My username is the same over there as it is here. Lots of good people willing to share knowledge & help a fellow roaster out over there as well. Kinda like BOTL for home coffee roasters....
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The SC/TO method is a good one if you're a DIY type of guy. Since you've been roasting your own for a while, it'll definitely help that you already know the sights/smells/noises of coffee roasting beforehand. Check out www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com for a wealth of information on the SC/TO method. My username is the same over there as it is here. Lots of good people willing to share knowledge & help a fellow roaster out over there as well. Kinda like BOTL for home coffee roasters....
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thejavaman
BoM December 2012
Cool. Introduce yourself in the welcome thread. Feel free to PM me over there (or here) anytime as well.
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thejavaman
BoM December 2012
Also, there's a guy over there who's username is Peter, who has a sweet SC/TO set up (actually multiple SC/TO's running in tandem). PM him to pick his brain if you're thinking of going that route. Just tell him Kevin thejavaman recommended you. Check out the dedicated SC/TO thread too. Good luck!
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thejavaman
BoM December 2012
The Gene Cafe is a very nice roaster as well. Kinda combines elements of both drum & air roasting into one unit. I've never used one, but I know several people who really like them. The glass roasting chamber is a nice feature that lets you see how light/dark the beans are very easily too.
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