All things aside, which home roaster produces better tasting coffee....?

[derrilex]

Hi derrilex, just picking up on your comment how much does it cost from scratch to get up and running with a kkto?

Depends how handy you are really. I sourced ( was gifted) a few bits from the inventor KK but Other bits like the agitator, power window motor, turbo oven etc... I got / made myself. All up I would have spent no more $ 200 and around 5 hours of my time sourcing bits and making it. Mine is a hybrid version and something that KK has been thinking of for quite a while. It has dual heat sources ( TO on top and a fry pan below) for better stability with larger volumes. KK kindly donated the frypan, bean bowl and a few adaptors. If you google KKTO you can go to the site and price everything in a kit form or individual components. There are certain things you can substitute like motor type ( I paid $ 10 for a power window motor from the wreckers) and turbo ovens are just as good from aldi for $ 30.

Picture shows the base and motor, frypan with adaptors. TO sits on top.

[sidewayss]

KKTO for my money. 300 g to 1 kg with ease. Very low tech, very touchy feely on the part of the operator, very consistent results for very little money.

Agreed with Derrilex it is a great roaster and money well spent. Difficult to ruin a roast with this one. Produces a fantastic result, from my own use.

About $390 gets you the basic kit. A number have done their own assembling of the roaster and any issues can be solved by Koffee Kosmo.

I'll say again that I can't recommend any particular roaster. Different roasters in the right hands can produce very good results.

[Primary Shapes]

All things aside, which home roaster produces better tasting coffee....?

KKTO for my money. 300 g to 1 kg with ease. Very low tech, very touchy feely on the part of the operator, very consistent results for very little money.

Hi derrilex, just picking up on your comment how much does it cost from scratch to get up and running with a kkto?

[derrilex]

KKTO for my money. 300 g to 1 kg with ease. Very low tech, very touchy feely on the part of the operator, very consistent results for very little money.

[CafeLotta]

Thanks Barry,
I've read a bit about the Behmor which has most of the features I'd like and seems to have fairly happy customers.
I don't know how long these things are likely to last as I've read about people talking about their 1st & 2nd machines.
The baby roaster has really got my attention though, I like the simplicity and way it heats the beans, not using hot air to do so.
I have some research still to do.

I've recently bought a Behmor from Andy (great service) and can highly recommend it. Our requirements were for a roaster which was able to be used indoors, easy to use, quick set-up, took up very little space and had consistency with roasting. The Behmor ticked all the boxes.

We set-up under the rangehood. I usually turn off the fan around 1st crack and then turn back on after cooling commences. You do get the smell of roasting beans in the house for awhile but leaving the fans on after roasting soon sorts that out if it bothers you.

If you do go this way spend some time searching the forum for roasting tips on the Behmor and the coffee bean varieties you wish to roast. Lots of very useful information here.
Read the manual a couple of times to understand the button functions. Start with P2 and play with roast times and you won't look back. Pay special attention to what happens at 1st crack and 2nd crack. Heed the manual's warning about thinking 15 secs ahead when roasting. The color of the beans and the smell soon indicate where you're at.

The fact that people are buying a 2nd Behmor for whatever reason should indicate how they feel about this roaster. The manual does give warnings about cooling too quickly by opening the door during the cooling cycle and also about cleaning. Both of these things apparently can affect the lifespan of these roasters.

If you want simple, no-fuss roasting with repeatability I can highly recommend the Behmor. Its early days for us but I already wish I had bought one much sooner. Great coffee for a great price.

[fg1972]

Thanks Barry,
I've read a bit about the Behmor which has most of the features I'd like and seems to have fairly happy customers.
I don't know how long these things are likely to last as I've read about people talking about their 1st & 2nd machines.
The baby roaster has really got my attention though, I like the simplicity and way it heats the beans, not using hot air to do so.
I have some research still to do.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

One option is the i-coffee, which is as simple as it gets and produces pretty fair results. Temperature control is limited though (basically a question of whether you reset the machine during roasting, but you can also manually initiate the cooling cycle). I enjoy mine, but will eventually upgrade. Available from Sorrentina Coffee. Also creates basically zero smoke so works well inside, and is smaller than a standard pressure cooker. Behmor is the obvious other option in this price range, and others highly rate the Baby Roaster.

[fg1972]

I'm considering a home roaster to fit my budget of $300 - $400.
What are people's recommendations, opinions & experiences with roasters in this price range?
Ideally I'd like something quick & easy to get out, use and put away that doesn't require a thousand accessories, stands, cupboards, switchboards.
The ability to control the temperature would be a plus.

[rgrosz]

So I need to decide whether its worth getting my GeneCafe fixed, or buy something else. I was considering either a HotTop or Behmor. I just want something that is easy to use and will give great results. I know if I had the time, I could really get into the whole roasting process, but at the moment, I don't have the time and am not so much of an roasting enthusiast - even though I enjoy the quality of a fresh roast. The GeneCafe is easy to use and gives good even roasts, but I don't feel the taste is as bold and full-bodied as as the commercial roasts I buy. Maybe I'm suffering from "the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence"

I started off with the Behmor, and it is definitely simpler to use than the HotTop. Part of that is the result of how little control you have. You are limited to opening the door to release heat, and not much else.

I used the Behmor for two years, and felt like I had hit a plateau in my learning. There were a few beans for which I could NOT get great results, so I succumbed to the "grass is greener" temptation.

I recently moved to a HotTop B-2K, and roasting is much more involved (hands-on). This is due to the high level of control you have. You can change the fan settings and the heat settings during the roast. Over the last three months, I have developed some complicated roast profiles (see atatched).

[DesigningByCoffee]

I know if I had the time, I could really get into the whole roasting process, but at the moment, I don't have the time and am not so much of an roasting enthusiast - even though I enjoy the quality of a fresh roast. The GeneCafe is easy to use and gives good even roasts, but I don't feel the taste is as bold and full-bodied as as the commercial roasts I buy. Maybe I'm suffering from "the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence"

Hi JB
While I haven't used any of the commercially bought options (I have a pretty modded Corretto, which gives great results now I know how to drive it!), what I've noticed is that most of the users on this site have all adjusted their technique (on any setup) to get their great results.

Sometimes this requires crazy electrical mods - sometimes just opening a door here & there. Most also require the Data Logger and probe too for repeatability. More than likely, if you're not happy with the results from the Gene - maybe reading up on this site how others have polished their Gene technique could improve the results you are getting? (if you decide to fix your machine). Read widely enough, I've seen that even no-expense setups need to be driven by a passionate user to get good results - otherwise its the old "which guitar do I have to buy so I can play like Slash!"

Having said that, my corretto is great for tweaking technique & profiles - every little input adjustment changes the flavour - allowing me to aim for what I like. And doesn't cost that much to setup. Also, time is not really an issue - they all take about the same. I can knock off a 350g batch in about 25 minutes…

But in the end - only a passionate roaster will end up get the best results, because its a long term learning process - like any other specialised skill. I suppose if you're not that enthusiastic & haven't got the time to invest in the learning process, then you'll either need to put up with a manufacturers 'ballpark best' taste, or buy browns from a passionate commercial roaster ;-)

My suggestion FWIW - turn this into a hobby - it is great fun!

Matt

[jazzy_boy]

To be honest, I been using a Genecafe for about 4 years and it blew up - my fault! I left it on the back verandah and we had an unexpected heavy rain storm... some water droplets got inside the machine! It was plugged in but not switched on. Anyhow, the water caused some sort of electrical short and it started smoking and literally blew up. Smelt bad too!

So I need to decide whether its worth getting my GeneCafe fixed, or buy something else. I was considering either a HotTop or Behmor. I just want something that is easy to use and will give great results. I know if I had the time, I could really get into the whole roasting process, but at the moment, I don't have the time and am not so much of an roasting enthusiast - even though I enjoy the quality of a fresh roast. The GeneCafe is easy to use and gives good even roasts, but I don't feel the taste is as bold and full-bodied as as the commercial roasts I buy. Maybe I'm suffering from "the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence"

[Steve82]

If you're asking for our opinion and judging from your post i can presume you are only just starting out on your coffee roasting journey, I have my own favourite, but my suggestion is still this. Get a popcorn maker, assemble a coretto or roast some beans in a dog bowl, whisk and heat gun to start off.

You need to understand how and why about roasting. If you get something that requires you to press a button and let it do it's thing and don't understand why, you are missing out on the fundamentals and enjoyment of knowing how beans react to heat or why this does that and so on.

Start with those, get a sample pack and get to know your roasting basics. Roast, taste and see how you can improve.

Sure, this post may sound like a cop out but i'd prefer you turn into a coffee roasting enthusiast rather than a robotic machine operator.

Great advice i totally agree with.

Example: My father has tasted the results and seen me roast on corretto setup, he wants to be able to roast his own and drink fresh coffee everyday. However when push came to shove he said he just wanted a machine where he could push a button and it would do it all for him...without having to bother to read up and experiment and understand how and why things are happening.

[sidewayss]

If you're asking for our opinion and judging from your post i can presume you are only just starting out on your coffee roasting journey, I have my own favourite, but my suggestion is still this. Get a popcorn maker, assemble a coretto or roast some beans in a dog bowl, whisk and heat gun to start off.

You need to understand how and why about roasting. If you get something that requires you to press a button and let it do it's thing and don't understand why, you are missing out on the fundamentals and enjoyment of knowing how beans react to heat or why this does that and so on.

Start with those, get a sample pack and get to know your roasting basics. Roast, taste and see how you can improve.

Sure, this post may sound like a cop out but i'd prefer you turn into a coffee roasting enthusiast rather than a robotic machine operator.

[greenman]

I personally don't believe there is any such thing as a so-called Best Roaster, when discussing machinery.

When talking about the person driving the Roaster, well, plenty of room for discussion there. It doesn't really matter which roaster you own, so long as it is capable of meeting the minimum criteria for roasting your preferred batch size within an acceptable time window. After that, it's all about learning to drive your roaster in order to get the best out of it.

Mal.

I agree with Mal, each home roasting method has it's pros and cons but the main deciding factor is the person operating the roaster and his acquired knowledge which is gained from roasting, logging the results, cupping and sharing knowledge with like-minded fellow coffee lovers/geeks/enthusiasts!
The Behmor, Hottop, Genecafe, KKTO, Corretto, modified popper and small drum roasters all produce great roasts for their owners--budget is always a consideration, go for what you are willing to outlay and then get the most out of that roaster--Happy Roasting
cheers gman

[John_Leddy]

Dimal is right in large measure.....much depends on the individual using the roasting machine.

I've roasted on three of the five previously mentioned roasters,probably with varying levels of proficiency. A key issue however is the ability to control temperatures throughout the roast and in this regard, the HottopB serves me well with delightful roasts time and again...Mostly.

Cheers

Juliet lima