Are these cheap home roasting machines worth it?

[trisse]

These have popped up on aliexpress recently and I am incredibly tempted to give one a go. Specs: - Heating power:3300w - Blower power: 200w - Voltage: 220v 50hz - Dimension:250*170*570mm - Package size: 450*430*295mm - Gross weight:12kg I have a Behmor, considering trying one of these for small batch indoor roast. Thoughts?

I'm also very interested in these units! Looks very good and affordable. You can also get a better temperature probe that you can connect to artisan by bluetooth or usb. They sell the probe for an additional 70$ But it would feel a lot better to find a good review before buying

[Covalatt]

I went down the road of trying virtually everything known to mankind for roasting over the last 15 years. If it's to save money it's a long term false economy from ruined batches.
Long story short bought a Behmor off beanbay 3 years ago and never looked back. They work and don't leave chaff all over the place !

Yep I personally went with the Kaffelogic Nano 7 and couldn't be happier. It does small 110g batches but is completely automated and I can set it to roast and go have a shower and come back to find a finished roast.

I shared my unboxing and experiences here: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/equ...-roaster/page4

[raphec]

I wonder - could probably roast longer on a lower heat setting and not blow 10A

[beanthere21]

I went down the road of trying virtually everything known to mankind for roasting over the last 15 years. If it's to save money it's a long term false economy from ruined batches.
Long story short bought a Behmor off beanbay 3 years ago and never looked back. They work and don't leave chaff all over the place !

[roosterben]

That looks pretty cool, fluid air roaster like a bigger CaffeLogic Nano 7 but I imagine without the sophisticated software. What is the batch size? As 338 mentioned it is a shame it is 15 amps (but probably required due to batch size) and the usual wouldn't be covered by insurance caveats would apply.

[338]

A quick comment would be you need a 15A circuit to run 3500w. That is 50% more than the 2400w limit for common 10A circuit, adds a bit to the cost.

[raphec]

These have popped up on aliexpress recently and I am incredibly tempted to give one a go.

Specs:
- Heating power:3300w
- Blower power: 200w
- Voltage: 220v 50hz
- Dimension:250*170*570mm
- Package size: 450*430*295mm
- Gross weight:12kg

I have a Behmor, considering trying one of these for small batch indoor roast. Thoughts?

[DrHenley]

Hi all

Looking to get into home roasting, and while trying to decide if I should spend $850 on a Gene roaster, I came across these:



Has anyone tried these? Do they yield decent results, or should I not bother with these at all?

Would appreciate any tips.

Cheers.

I have the 110v (US) version of the first one, which I use outside. I use a turkey fryer burner for heat and an inverted pot with a slot cut out in the bottom to buffer the heat. The picture below was taken before I added a ThermoPro thermometer, which helped immensely with repeatability.

So far one pound (~450 g) seems about the right amount. I believe 500 g would work fine too. I did three one pound batches this morning back to back of Kenya Kirinyaga, which has in the past been difficult to get just right. I think I nailed all three batches.

Much less than a pound and the beans don't have enough thermal mass, much more than a pound and I don't get enough turnover to keep the roast even. I tried a 24 ounce (~680 g) batch of Tarrazu and messed it up pretty badly. It was drinkable but not nearly as good as it should have been. I have had a few outstanding 12 ounce (~340 g) batches. And some not so good.

When I'm ready to dump, I first cool the beans down in the drum with a powerful blower from the back (so air can go into the drum). When the internal drum temperature gets down below 95F (35C) I dump them into the pan and then put them on a homemade bean cooler to cool the rest of the way.

If you want to dump hot, you'll need to knock the door off with something like a stick. I did that for a while but found that using the blower to cool them down in the drum (with the drum still turning) worked a lot better and I didn't get burned anymore LOL.

OH, and that pan that comes with it is WAY too small! A 500 g batch will overflow and spill all over the place. Fortunately I had a much larger pan.

[hm520]

Having spent the last 3 weeks debating with myself about whether to buy a heat gun and a breadmaker or wait for a Behmor or just grab a Gene, I ultimately went with the last option. You know it's not cheap, you can see how much it'll hurt the wallet, but you also know it's going to be easier and more reliable and will last a good few years. So even at the price it's still a sensible option if you want quality and consistency.

Depends how quickly you go through beans and how you normally get coffee right? If you buy roasted beans normally at ~$40/kg, green at ~$10-12/kg, its between 28-30kg of beans and then you're making savings. I guess if roasting for friends/family and they pay for the green +/- a bit extra for your time, then suddenly improves the cost again. After that ~30kg of beans roasted, its money in your pocket for quality beans

This is how i rationalise htings

[Lovey]

Good one benj2008 , you'll love the Gene, they're quite hypnotic to watch going through their cycle.

[benj2008]

Having spent the last 3 weeks debating with myself about whether to buy a heat gun and a breadmaker or wait for a Behmor or just grab a Gene, I ultimately went with the last option. You know it's not cheap, you can see how much it'll hurt the wallet, but you also know it's going to be easier and more reliable and will last a good few years. So even at the price it's still a sensible option if you want quality and consistency.

[Dimal]

Apart from the nuisance value of the smoke and chaff, have always used the Corretto outside. If the worst should happen, it'll be easy enough to deal with...

[barlo]

while trying to decide if I should spend $850 on a Gene roaster, I came across these:

I missed this part of your post earlier. If you are able to spend $850 then buying the Gene Cafe is a no brainer, buy one 😄

[Andy]

I agree, it's dubious. Insurance adjusters love an excuse but misusing an appliance is different to using something unapproved.

[saeco_user]

It's the reason we have strict electrical rules here, yes it's a pain getting something certified but there is a reason for it.

It does beg the question though; would insurance pay up if a Coretto caused a fire? A Coretto setup is not using the items as they were intended during initial certification.
I'd think insurance unlikely to cover this.
(I use a Coretto weekly)