What’s on your coffee bench?

[Exonerv]

Originally Posted by Jef58

True... I heard that roasting doesn't have the same pleasant aroma as grinding and brewing does. Is this a myth or not that bad ?

I have never found roasting to produce unpleasant aromas. You get different smells as you move through the roasting process as the moisture in the bean is reduced. If anything, I think it neutralizes other odors.

It's more about having a means to deal with the smoke and chaff inherit in the process. Some folks install an exhaust fan, others roast outdoors. Having a garage or at least a covered porch simplifies things.

As far as how many batches to dial things in and which machine is best for you is all part of the fun. There is a wealth of info available on Sweet Maria's about nearly every machine & method. On the upside, you can start out very inexpensively and progress as you go.

I stuck with the popcorn roaster for nearly a year before spending $500 on the Unimax (no longer made) Ultimately I rationalized, "Well, I'm probably going to always drink coffee."

I find home roasting to be far more convenient than going out and buying professionally roasted beans, only to have them begin to lose flavor after a few days.

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[scoobydrew]

Originally Posted by echappist

what roaster is on the Rancilio Silvia PID level? Also, how many pounds should I expect to go through before getting things dialed in?

I'd recommend starting with a popcorn popper (Poppery II or newer) and a few 1 lb bags of green (unroasted) beans from Sweet Maria's. This is a relatively cheap way to see if you like the roasting process or not. As Exonerv had mentioned, there is a ton of information out there on the process, what each of the roast levels may yield in terms of a general flavor profile, and more. There are pros and cons with using a popper as you will find.

For reference, I've had my Silvia for ~5 years in addition to other brew methods. Within those 5 years, I've been using a Poppery II and roast outside to deal with the smoke and chaff. To reduce the effects of wind/breeze gusts and general colder weather, I stick the entire Poppery into an open cardboard box (top is removed). Not only does this "insulate" the unit to enable it to get to the proper temp, but it also helps collect some of the chaff so I can dump it out after.

[flydhest]

20 ish year roaster here as well. Sadly, have not roasted since moving to NY. In DC I had very convenient outdoor space. Roasting coffee does not, in my view, smell as good as roasted coffee. Smoke is produced, hence the issue. Other smells of roasting are pleasant and part of how to monitor the progress of the roast.

Roasting is pretty easy to learn but infinitely improvable. You keep learning and keep getting better, but you can roast something really good almost out of the gate.

[KonaSS]

Gotten into roasting in the last year using the Poppery II. Looking to take the next step in roasting machines, primarily so that I can roast larger batches than the popcorn maker allows. What is the next step up (remaining under $500) in roasting machines? Any recommendations?

[stackie]

When coffee is roasted, there is a skin on the beans that flakes off as the bean dries called chaff. This flaky skin then burns (overcooks not flaming) and smells less than pleasurable. I have had the neighbor next to my garage comment on it, but as long as I keep my roasting to once a week for an hour or so they're ok with it. I also try to roast early in the morning before they are up and opening their windows. A few nicely roasted bags of coffee on occasion helps immensely as well.

I upgraded from Poppery II to iRoast (which sucked as only lasted a year) and a GeneCafe which was also prone to breakage. I got quite skilled at fixing the GeneCafe. From there I upgraded to a Diedrich IR 2.5, which is literally insane. I sell coffee on a word of mouth basis and barter for some cool things too. But, I broke even on the roaster in about 3.5 years and so now I'm working on covering the expense of the espresso machine. Nonetheless, it borderline like another job vs hobby at this point.

If I were to decide to sell the Diedrich and halt the hobby business, I would consider a Hot Top or Behmor. Perhaps a Bullet roaster. Would not recommend iRoast or GeneCafe.

Jon

[windsurfer]

Wow. That is a big step up from my stainless steel dog dish, heat gun, and wooden spoon.

[Jef58]

Thanks... This came from a local women who roasts her own beans for her shop and a couple local places in the area. She probably was referring comparing the roasting area to her shop, which always had that nice coffee smell. She did have a larger output than what a typical person would do at home though.

[andrew+]

I've roasted with a Gene Cafe for years. It's vented outside, and smells delicious. My neighbors have commented that they love the smell!

Maybe different roasting methods produce different results. All my roasts are light->medium, and the Gene Cafe does a good job of isolating the chaff.

[flydhest]

My Hottop has lasted and lasted and lasted.

Have far more than recouped the cost if you consider my labor free (as it is a hobby)

[arazate]

Originally Posted by flydhest

My Hottop has lasted and lasted and lasted.

Have far more than recouped the cost if you consider my labor free (as it is a hobby)

I have the Behmor, but I’ve been eyeing Hottop, how many roasts a year are you doing? Indoors or outdoors? -AJ


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[echappist]

so how does one properly vent this machine, and is it even recommended for use in an apartment setting?

I currently live in an apartment and may move into a rental townhouse next year. As such, i doubt I can have someone come in and install vapor hoods (like the ones made by Bora ) in the kitchen. When we cook Indian food, which requires frying a blend of spices for a few minutes, the entire kitchen (if not the whole first floor of the apartment complex) would smell if we didn't use a measly window fan.

Would such a fan suffice for the purpose of roasting?

[Exonerv]

The HotTop is capable of roasting 250gms (8.8oz) of green coffee beans per roast. A truism in roasting is that larger batches produce more smoke.

Smoke rises and an open window would likely prove to be inadequate. Without an efficient means of venting, I wouldn't recommend trying to use this machine in an apartment.

The HotTop is solidly built and would be awkward to move around. A dedicated space would really be preferable.

Some machines are better at filtering smoke than others.

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[arazate]

Originally Posted by echappist

so how does one properly vent this machine, and is it even recommended for use in an apartment setting?



I currently live in an apartment and may move into a rental townhouse next year. As such, i doubt I can have someone come in and install vapor hoods (like the ones made by Bora ) in the kitchen. When we cook Indian food, which requires frying a blend of spices for a few minutes, the entire kitchen (if not the whole first floor of the apartment complex) would smell if we didn't use a measly window fan.



Would such a fan suffice for the purpose of roasting?

On the Behmor, once I get into the 2nd crack, smoke starts to become an issue. But, if you don’t go too far into the 2nd crack, smoke and smell is not a big deal, at least on the Behmor. Every machine has a different filtering system.

In the winter, I’ll roast inside. Warmer months outside.


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[windsurfer]

Obviously the fancy machines do a much better job of controlling chaff compared to my dog bowl, but there is no way I would roast inside. The grassy smell is different and unappetizing, not something we want lingering in the kitchen.

[oldguy00]

I had a Behmor for about a year. I just could not get consistent roasts out of it. No matter which beans I used, or the profiles, etc etc, and it seemed to get worse with age. Maybe user error, but tried many profiles and manual timings based on forum advice. I finally sold it and went back to buying from my local roaster, and now have good coffee again..lol.

Oh - we live in a town house, and I just kept the behmor in the garage, and would open the garage door about half way into the roast to let smoke out.