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Roasters - 2006/12/12 16:30Newby looking to buy a home roaster - preference is for dark french roast. Stovetop ventilation is fairly weak. Would Frech Roast Plus 8 be OK, or should I look at the Nesco? Any other recommendations?
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colin
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/12 22:23I can only suggest the Hearthware or a homebrew Cornpopper roaster.
there is nothing else I can suggest.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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Zazenmaster
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/13 12:41The FreshRoast Plus 8 works OK, especially if you're roasting dark, making precise control less important.
I'd encourage you to experiment with roasting lighter, by the way. Don't judge lighter roasts by supermarket coffees. Once you get your hands on some good green beans you'll find a lot of nuances in a lighter roast.
If you're ventilation is poor, I think you'll be roasting outdoors (or in the garage if you have one) no matter what sort of roaster you buy.
Robb
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caffiend
User Senior Barista
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/13 13:19I'm currently using a 14" perforated pizza pan and my good ol' electric oven. As long as I preheat the thing to 400 F (pan included) and be careful to keep the beans only 1 layer high and leave a tiny bit of space around each, I can get surprisingly even roasting results for up to about 250g. I start off at about 400 F and then turn on the element until 1st crack (which occurs at about 8 to 10 min). Then I turn off the element and open the door for about 1/2 a minute to slow the roast. After about a couple of minutes I resume heating, with 2nd crack starting at about 13 to 14 min.
The little variation in roast I do get with this method adds a bit to the range of the complexity in the cup - which is a good thing for certain beans.
I do have my eye on one of those new Gene Caffes though...
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Blues
Visitor
Re:Roasters - 2006/12/17 09:17Having a bit of trouble with the authenticaiotn on this site... Anyhow - would love to afford a Gene, but at 560 its more than I want to spend for a 1st try.Has anyone tried the Nesco Roaster (formerly Zach and Dani's) ?
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colin
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/17 11:27This link pretty much sums up what is out there.
I would strongly suggest starting on the cheap and buying Kenneth Davids book on home coffee roasting - it is worth every penny.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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BP101
User Junior Barista
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/18 06:34After years of roasting with a popcorn popper in the garage, I purchased an iRoast at a good price. It's OK, but it doesn't do much that I can't do with my poppers, and in the cold weather (I roast in the garage) the poppers are better. I would scrape together the $4 a good popper will cost you at the Salvation Army store. The Poppery I is the gold standard, but the Poppery II is quite acceptable, as is the Popcorn Pumper.
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colin
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/18 11:20This is what I tell everyone that is itching to shell out hundreds of dollars for largely untested and unreliable mini-coffee roasters.
Most people are not aware of the hazards nor are they told about the hazards of home roasting by the manufacturers.
Coffee, when being roasted, quickly approaches its flash point - that is, it is moments from bursting into flames... putting life, limb and home in danger.
As a result, home roasting should never be done in apartment buildings and within homes -- this is why the garage or outbuilding was invented.
Again, as a trusted poster to the coffeecrew site, our previous guest has made a good point: Why spend hundreds of dollars when you can do the very same thing (sometimes better) for $15?
Think about it.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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Blues
Visitor
Re:Roasters - 2006/12/18 16:35Thanks for the advice - will try out the popper solution first!
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taming
User Junior Barista
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Re:Roasters - 2006/12/23 06:04colin wrote: As a result, home roasting should never be done in apartment buildings and within homes -- this is why the garage or outbuilding was invented.
Colin, you've been a figure in the wonderful world of coffee for far longer than I've been around, and I'd be very interested to hear something more substantive about the dangers of in-home roasting--especially with one of the roasting appliances designed to be used indoors.
I roast outside using a bread machine/heat gun combination, weather permitting, but when it is Central-Alberta-in-winter cold, I sure am glad to have my little IR2 with the handy dandy venting attachment. I'd never leave it alone, just as I'd never leave a number of other kitchen appliances unattended; I follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter; and, I have a kitchen fire extinguisher (as should we all); but, with those simple precautions, it seems safe. I know that in my journeys around the on-line world of coffee roasting, I haven't seen any reports to the contrary.
You'd be doing the roasting community a great service by documenting the dangers of in-home roasting with the examples you know about.**************************************** http://coffecrone.com http://taming.motime.com
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For espresso I'd even say an hour is WAY too long. It should go from the grinder to the pf. After 30 seconds I consider my espresso old and dump it. There's just too many chemical changes happening...
GROUND coffee is fresh for about an hour.
Ditch the pre-ground coffee and grind it yourself.
Your espresso is never going to be right if you use pre-ground.
Sad reality....
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Really?
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Looking fwd to this newbie....
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I have a Proteo Grande right here o...
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Would I rave about it?,...
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