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Any home coffee roasters out there?

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Zippylip
Zippylip Posts: 4,768
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have managed to secure an agreement with the better half that a counter-top coffee roaster really isn't an appliance, therefore it would be a good Christmas gift for her :laugh: . Any recommendations on a brand? I have already consulted the guru of all things coffee, bill, & he uses the Behmor Drum Roaster with good results. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance, by the way all of the roasted beans will find a home here:

IMG_2074.jpg
happy in the hut
West Chester Pennsylvania
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Comments

  • mkc
    mkc Posts: 544
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    Zippy,

    Hey, I have a Silvia in the RV! (with a Maestro Plus grinder. At home it's a La Spaziale S1 and a Macap M4)

    I have an iRoast and like it, but it only does 150 g at a time, unlike the Behmor (doesn't that one do 1/2 lb?)

    Have you looked at the discussions and reviews on www.coffeegeek.com?

    BTW, I found excellent prices on green beans at www.morecoffee.com (DH buys from their sister site, MoreBeer). www.sweetmarias.com is also a good source.

    I'll bet a latte would go great with those apple cider funnel cakes you promised to make ;)

    Michelle
    Egging in Crossville, TN
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  • kjed
    kjed Posts: 55
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    I use the Hearthware I-Roast 2. I can get a great Full City + roast, and occasionaly, a decent Vienna. I can't get a good French roast without lots of smoke, and usually over-roasting the beans. The biggest drawback is the small capacity - about a half pound of beans per roast.

    I was trying to justify buying the Gene Cafe, but since the Behmor has come out, that will definitely be my upgrade purchase. Make sure you get the new, smaller-mesh roasting drum, as the original had a mesh that was too open for smaller beans, like Tanzanian Peaberry.

    Check out www.sweetmarias.com for a full review.

    Make sure you let us all know how it works if you purchase one.
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    behmor does a pound although i use a max of 13 oz as a cheat so i can get darker roasts
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    i agree on the small mesh drum it is all i use
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    th_misssilvia.jpg

    click for slide show of my coffee stuff
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  • speedbump
    speedbump Posts: 1
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    mkc wrote:
    Zippy,

    I have an iRoast and like it, but it only does 150 g at a time, unlike the Behmor (doesn't that one do 1/2 lb?)

    Michelle

    I have an iRoast2 and am somewhat disappointed in it. I have had good coffee from it but not GREAT coffee as I expected.
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
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    Save your money. Make bill roast it for you!! :P
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  • Charleston Dave
    Charleston Dave Posts: 571
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    I'm hooked on the Gene Café roaster.

    418NSA02TNL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

    There are several videos of it on Youtube and reviews on Amazon.

    It avoids many of the problems of other home roasters by using a novel off-axis mounting system that tumbles the beans as air flows through, and also scrapes off chaff and collects it. Computer-controlled, with time and temperature settable by you. First and second crack are audible. Roasting cycle can be stopped and cooldown started if you see things are progressing faster than you wanted. It starts an auto cool-down cycle at the end. Easy to clean.

    If you want, you can twiddle the temp knobs during the roast, and I suppose it's only a matter of time until somebody hacks the device to make it tweakable via PC or bluetooth or something. I've had very satisfactory results just setting it once and letting her rip. My current fave is Bolivian Organic Superior, City Roast (17 minutes @ 482ºF, first crack 11 minutes, 2nd crack 15 minutes, autocool).

    My roast results:
    IMG_4705.jpg

    I got my machine from Invalsa through eBay. They included a generous sampling of good, better and best single-source beans, and upgraded the chaff collector. Their website is here. Home roasting is very addictive; the coffee flavors are every bit as complex as good wine. Capacity is 10 oz green coffee beans, giving 8 oz roasted coffee beans, but I roast in smaller amounts.

    The ease of use, roast quality and roast uniformity are outstanding. Strongly recommended.
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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
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    I'm a Gene Cafe person. Love the thing and I roast a lot. I use the Monkey Blend Espresso from Sweet Maria with a Gaggia Titanium for espresso stuff and use a French Press ONLY for regular. Do a combination Sumatra/Ethiopian Peaberry for a Moka Java and a regular Costa Rica for a change. Restaurant coffee about makes me gag at this point. I'm a horrible snob.

    mShark
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  • fardwarker
    fardwarker Posts: 1
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    I have a GeneCafe. I roast 3lbs a week in it for myself and the office. It's great. I have also roasted a lb in the egg, indirect - heated to 500º in a metal collender. I did a quick open/shake several times, I was surprised how easy it was to hear 1st crack. It worked great, but I haven't done it again. Figured I needed to build a out-the-top-shaker-stick, and haven't done it yet.
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  • kjed
    kjed Posts: 55
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    Molly,

    Are you the type who likes to endlessly tweak roast settings? Although I am like that with *some* things, with coffee roasting, I'd prefer to have just a few reliable programs that I can use for different coffees. That, and the lower price, makes me lean toward a Behmor. However, I'm still not sure what roaster I would like better. I'd love to see a shootout between the two machines...indecision has paralyzed me.

    Keith
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    Have you tried the new McDonald's © coffee? It is surprisingly .... well, awful.

    Thankfully I am not the only coffee snob here.
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  • bobinaz
    bobinaz Posts: 44
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    I have been roasting my coffee for about 6 months now.. and I will never buy roasted coffee again. Don't laugh..but I do all my roasting in hot-air popcorn makers....I'm sure alot of you know about that.... Well for me, it works very well, I am happy with results. I can make enought for 2 weeks or so in about 4 roasts. I buy my beans locally at a place called "the coffee reserve" in north phoenix. I am always buy in small batches, a pound or 2 of my favorite beans, and a pound of different beans for variety. I like a city roast, but every once in awhile make a dark roast batch to blend in with my coffee of the day....
    Let me know if anyone wants to talk more coffee talk.

    BoB
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