Behmor Alternatives?

[TC]

.... - without the tipping and scalding Ive experienced on glass walled varieties

Agreed that the Behmor is a great roaster. We're proud to sell them and we sell plenty per Gene Cafe as the Behmor wins comprehensively on bang for buck. I like the Gene too.

If it's the Gene that you are making comparisons to, I don't know how you manage to get tipping out of one when the heat source is so indirect. Either the tradie is blaming the tools or are you running a hidden thermonuclear mode menu option?

The Sonofresco? Yep. Tipping monster and requires mods to work.

[Andy]

Never heard of anyone cleaning one but it should be easy to inspect.

2 screws hold the cover in place from inside the roasting chamber, you should be able to take the cover off to see if its full of gunk and worth cleaning.... but my bet is it will be fairly clean, the afterburner gets very hot and burns off most of the likely things to soot-up that area.

The other inspection place would be the exhaust at the back. Just a few screws and you can see down the exhaust chamber. If there is some build-up in there it would be worth cleaning it out too... but again, rare to see any amount of build-up unless you roast very dark, very often as the air flow and heat keeps it pretty clean too.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Well, I haven't removed and cleaned the afterburner, but I have removed and replaced one.......simple enough job (though takes a little while as you have to take side and top panels off.....and that's a fair number of screws).

[askthecoffeeguy]

Ive got two behmors and Im never looking back! i alternate between the two to reduce wear and tear, and the great advantage as i see it of these roasters over many other domestic roasters is programability combined with a (compared to other products on the market) fairly robust and industrial heat source, which means you can roast as dark or light as you like and the beans come out incredibly even in terms of colouration - without the tipping and scalding Ive experienced on glass walled varieties

Its possible to remove and clean the afterburner, yes?

i havent done so yet but I'd be keen as mustard to hear from someone who has!

P

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Thanks. I'm really happy with that mod. Next mod will possibly be fan forced exhaust ducting so I can continue to roast in summer without heating up the house.

And I don't mean to come across as a know it all. I've worked in business improvement for over a decade so get paid to challenge paradigms and push boundaries in areas I have no technical expertise, newcomer's perspective so to speak.

Fair 'nuff. Good on you for taking the comment in the spirit it was intended.

[MrFreddofrog]

Thanks. I'm really happy with that mod. Next mod will possibly be fan forced exhaust ducting so I can continue to roast in summer without heating up the house.

And I don't mean to come across as a know it all. I've worked in business improvement for over a decade so get paid to challenge paradigms and push boundaries in areas I have no technical expertise, newcomer's perspective so to speak.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

With respect, in threads like this it is sometimes worth doing a little research before recommending a roaster that is a) approx three times the price of the comparison product and b) doesn't meet the OP's desired specs (i.e. the Hottops are rated at 250-300g roasting capacity). It doesn't really help the OP.

I'm sure you don't mean it, but you can sometimes come across as the new guy who always knows more than the more experienced hands. I do like your Behmor mod, though. Pretty cool.

[MrFreddofrog]

Java you might want to re-read your original reply to my post again before you start calling mine personal attacks.

So Again, it was literally the first link I clicked. I saw the picture, I saw the price, copied the URL and that was it. I didn't investigate further as I wasn't the one buying it. If it ends up being not suitable then so be it. No harm done. You can't make me feel bad for trying to help someone. Not going to happen.

[Javaphile]

My bad, I didn't realise it was out of stock though given it was literally the first link I clicked I'm assuming there are other (US) companies also selling at that price...

...Btw, why all flack when I'm just trying to help out the guy? How about channelling all that energy to helping him rather than attacking me. Not that I can't take it but it really doesn't help the OP which is whole the point right?

Not only is it out of stock it wasn't a new roaster. It was a customer returned used one so it would likely show signs of wear and which per the retailers statements would most likely not include consumables such as its filters as they had been used. As such there is no reasonable assumption that other companies would be also selling the same item at the same price as it was a one of a kind.

People aren't attacking you. They're correcting erroneous/incomplete information that has been posted which is most definitely a help to the OP and others. The only one here who appears to be doing any kind of personal attacks is yourself with your "Take a chill pill" comments.


Java "Totally chill" phile

[MrFreddofrog]

$699 US not including international shipping for a 120v roaster that is out of stock. You won't be landing that for "500-1k" and you'll still have to buy a transformer and pay to have it shipped back to the states if anything goes wrong. That's if they choose to honour the warranty in a machine running through a transformer at a different frequency.

I think the Behmor has this section of the market cornered.

My bad, I didn't realise it was out of stock though given it was literally the first link I clicked I'm assuming there are other (US) companies also selling at that price.

No it won't be landed at < AU$1,000 but the OP can decide if he wants to stretch his budget or not, I was just giving him another option.

And the warranty is toast. OP needs to research Hot Top reliability and the likelihood of needing the warranty verses projected savings. Sometimes the savings isn't justified, sometimes it is but that's a call for the OP to make.

Btw, why all flack when I'm just trying to help out the guy? How about channelling all that energy to helping him rather than attacking me. Not that I can't take it but it really doesn't help the OP which is whole the point right?

[koshari]

by trade i trained as an electrical/electronic engineer and have picked up strong mechanical skills over the years.

Use your expetise to interface a lcd display to the original and bypass the lawyer function. You could sell it as a kit. I will be your first customer :-)

[magnafunk]

$699 US not including international shipping for a 120v roaster that is out of stock. You won't be landing that for "500-1k" and you'll still have to buy a transformer and pay to have it shipped back to the states if anything goes wrong. That's if they choose to honour the warranty in a machine running through a transformer at a different frequency.

I think the Behmor has this section of the market cornered.

[MrFreddofrog]

$700? Who's selling them at that price? The cheapest price I see is $USD1,100. Which at the current exchange rate is over $AUS1,500. Over 3 times the price of the Behmor with almost half the capacity. And FYI there's no need to buy a 110v model and run a transformer as there are 220v models available in AUS, with the cheapest price I see in AUS is over $1,700, plus shipping. $700?!? Better grab all you can of them and on-sell them and make a mint MrFreddoFrog!


Java "Not even close to being in the same market segment" phile

Edit (again); Take a chill pill Javaphile, all I was trying to do was help the OP.

US$699 https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/ho...8b-2k-open-box

[AtomicGrog]

For what it's worth....

I experienced a similar issue with an original Behmor with respect to the unit's display being flooded by ambient light outside. Overcame this with a simple fix, of folded up thin cardboard into the shape of a shroud, similar to that which you see on TV Cameras covering sporting matches. Just stuck it on with Blue-Tac and removed afterwards.

The KISS principle in action...

Mal.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I pretty much roast outside the front of my house, it's under cover (just in case of rain etc...) and partially shaded but regardless of the direction i face it there's not much joy with the display. Even if I shroud it with my hands it's hard to make out. I don't think it's the particular display i had the same with the display before the + model.

I could try roasting in the evenings but in the summer i'll get eaten alive by the mossies... lol dont i paint a harsh picture of sydney life.

I'll ponder a little... i'm tempted to do a build... by trade i trained as an electrical/electronic engineer and have picked up strong mechanical skills over the years. The biggest challenge I face is the burner source - I'd prefer to make it gas but sourcing the burner to match the size is a challenge (and I suspect something i'd want checked over by a gas fitter).

[Dimal]

For what it's worth....

I experienced a similar issue with an original Behmor with respect to the unit's display being flooded by ambient light outside. Overcame this with a simple fix, of folded up thin cardboard into the shape of a shroud, similar to that which you see on TV Cameras covering sporting matches. Just stuck it on with Blue-Tac and removed afterwards.

The KISS principle in action...

Mal.