I've become jaded. I started out with a FreshRoast Plus 8 and it was (and is) a great machine. I had a stuck thermostat on it a couple months ago and while it was out for repair I decided to get a Hottop and have been roasting almost exclusively with that ever since.
Tonight I did 1/2lb of Ethiopian Harrar in the Hottop. It took 18 min. 45 seconds and then a 5 minute automatic cooldown. This drum roaster is a pleasure to use. It's really hands off. Start the warmup cycle, wait for the beeps to tell you it's time to dump the beans in and then kick back and read, surf the net, spark up a cigar or whatever for the next 15 minutes or so while you wait to hear the first crack. Then there's usually a couple minutes (2-4 depending on the bean) between first and second. When you decide it's reached the right roast level simply hit the eject button and read, smoke, surf some more for 5 minutes while the cooling tray brings them down to room temperature.
I then roasted three batches (a little over 1/4lb) of Yemen Mokha-Bany Matar in the trusty old fluid air bed FR+8. I didn't time it exactly but I reckon it took about 20 minutes total. Each roast only took about 3 1/2 min. but then there's the cool down cycle which still leaves the beans pretty hot. I cool them to room temp. with a fan. Then I clean the chaff collector, go to the second (cool) roasting chamber, measure the beans and start again. I really noticed how small an amount of beans it was compared to the 1/2lb +- batch size of the Hottop. I still love the FR+8 but it's definitely more of an intense experience. You can't get too far away from it due to the speed of the roast cycle. I also find it more difficult to do multiple roasts at exactly the same level compared to the HT. With the HT, the roast is easy to duplicate. The flavor of the roast is mellower, I think, with the HT and you lose some of the brightness that fluid air bed roasting gives you, but IMO that's a plus.
If any of you home roasters are considering a larger machine I'd highly recommend the Hottop.
What are you all roasting with?
Tonight I did 1/2lb of Ethiopian Harrar in the Hottop. It took 18 min. 45 seconds and then a 5 minute automatic cooldown. This drum roaster is a pleasure to use. It's really hands off. Start the warmup cycle, wait for the beeps to tell you it's time to dump the beans in and then kick back and read, surf the net, spark up a cigar or whatever for the next 15 minutes or so while you wait to hear the first crack. Then there's usually a couple minutes (2-4 depending on the bean) between first and second. When you decide it's reached the right roast level simply hit the eject button and read, smoke, surf some more for 5 minutes while the cooling tray brings them down to room temperature.
I then roasted three batches (a little over 1/4lb) of Yemen Mokha-Bany Matar in the trusty old fluid air bed FR+8. I didn't time it exactly but I reckon it took about 20 minutes total. Each roast only took about 3 1/2 min. but then there's the cool down cycle which still leaves the beans pretty hot. I cool them to room temp. with a fan. Then I clean the chaff collector, go to the second (cool) roasting chamber, measure the beans and start again. I really noticed how small an amount of beans it was compared to the 1/2lb +- batch size of the Hottop. I still love the FR+8 but it's definitely more of an intense experience. You can't get too far away from it due to the speed of the roast cycle. I also find it more difficult to do multiple roasts at exactly the same level compared to the HT. With the HT, the roast is easy to duplicate. The flavor of the roast is mellower, I think, with the HT and you lose some of the brightness that fluid air bed roasting gives you, but IMO that's a plus.
If any of you home roasters are considering a larger machine I'd highly recommend the Hottop.
What are you all roasting with?
