Hottop B or P

[mikef]

Re: Hottop B or P

I have a B. Unbelievably good. I dont try to program my roasts. Just control the temp profile during the roast, listen, smell and watch, then eject the beans on to the fan-forced cooling tray; and the roast stops in a few seconds. The Gene cannot stop the roast that quickly.

The extra dollars for the Hottop is well worth it.

[luca]

Re: Hottop B or P

Hi Randy,

Seeing as we have you here ...

With the hottop B and P models, does the controller force you to cool the roaster after each roast as the first two models did? One of the roasters at work has picked up a probat sample roaster and it was great to be able to do back to back roasts at high drop temperatures without having to wait. Is this possible with the hottop B or P, or must you heat the roaster up, roast your first batch, wait for the roaster to cool, heat it up again and then, finally, roast your second batch?

Cheers,

Luca

[Randy_G.]

Re: Hottop B or P

also consider the fact that the hottops are known to catch on fire....

ANY coffee roaster can cause a fire. At the end of a roast the beans at around 400-425 F (204 -218 C.), and there is a build up of very dry and hot chaff to contend with.

The current models of the Hottop have three safety points built into the programming, two of which necessitate operator presence to override and the third will eject the beans automatically.

The manual also states that the roaster should never be left unattended when roasting. if the parameters of the machine are adhered to a fire is difficult to impossible to begin.

I also had one fire, but I had caused that on my own. It was with an older model, and I was roasting about 200 grams (a small batch and was pushing it to a very dark roast. The beans were old and second was not heard as you would expect. When the beans were ejected they ignited.

As I would recommend with any roaster (and as it states in the Hottop manual) never leave the roaster unattended when in operation and always have a spray bottle of water on hand... just in case.

[mr_fox]

Re: Hottop B or P

also consider the fact that the hottops are known to catch on fire...as i found out a week ago...they are robust units, very easy to use, but have limitations what ever the model..

[Ben_S]

Re: Hottop B or P

Hey Sinkcut

Check out the comparison of the Gene vs Hottop on the Pullman Tampers site.

I have a Gene which I bought from TalkCoffee and love it.
I looked at the hottop and decided the price differential was too high for what you were getting

Rgds
Ben

[TC]

Re: Hottop B or P

My opinion is that you should try one against a Gene Cafe before you spend well over $1k...

Id reckon that the difference in price would keep you very nicely stocked in greens for a year or so....

When we have local roasters using them as sample roasters and reporting the absence of tipping, great tweakability and the possibility of perfectly repeatable back to back roasts, its worth thinking about.

There is also a good network of CS sponsors supporting the Gene.

Chris

[Sink_cut]

Re: Hottop B or P

Thanks Randy,

That confirms my initial thoughts. Do you know if there is and Australian Distributor yet?

Thanks David

[Randy_G.]

Re: Hottop B or P

I am quite knowledgeable in this area- I wrote the manual... LITERALLY! Really, I did... I also created the entire Hottop USA website....

I can make some general comments and observations:

P model - good for someone who wants to create a profile and get pretty close most of the time with the least amount of hands-on time spent during the roast. This model also stores 10 profiles so it is good for someone who may roast a lot of different coffees and likes them done in different ways without hassle. It does have an elegant display, but I think it is overly complicated (at least to say, if they would have consulted me I could have simplified the layout for them).

B model - Best for someone who likes a precise roast every time regardless of factors such as ambient temp, line voltage, bean mass and moisture, etc. Allows a much more precise control at the times and temps you desire. Allows for the roast just completed to be saved to one of three memory locations. it also costs less. This model is particularly well suited for espresso when compared to the P because of the Bs ability to provide precise control over the time, temperature, and fan speed.

My personal opinion- I currently own or have owned and used a KN-8828, KN-8828D, KN-8828B, and a KN-8828B.. In other words, every model they have made. I also have a Hearthware Precision, Hearthware Gourmet, and a Gene Cafe. I had a P and a B I used concurrently at one point. I converted the P back to a B and only use the two Bs now and no other roasters.

I would recommend the "B" and later, if you think that the "P" would have been a better choice, you can always do the upgrade and sell the "B" control panel.

DISCLAIMER: I do work as an independant contractor for Hottop USA, but I do not sell them nor do I benefit from your purchase in any real or direct way.

[Dimal]

Re: Hottop B or P

Gday Sc....

JavaB has sussed out the HotTop roaster to almost the nth degree mate so if anyone can help you out with all sorts of info and tips, itll be JB..... 8-)

Cheers,
Mal.

[Sink_cut]

Hi Guys,

I am new to roasting but know once I start I will not stop.... I just want more control over my espresso. I have decided to purchase a Hottop either B or P. At the moment I am leaning towards the B for two reasons:
1. Price
2. More real time control of the roast parameters

I would love to hear from current users of both models. Let me know how much you love or hate your HT Bs and Ps

I did carfully consider the heatgun and breadmaker approach, however I do have limited space and free time, and when I do have free time I have an over inquisitive 2 year old following me around - probably not a good mix.

I drink mainly esspresso and crave full boddied sweet roasts.

Thanks

dAvid