SC/TO Profiles / Q&A / Tips & Tricks

[Tex]

Okay, this SO-2007 Wok thingy sucks - at least the shape of it does.  The arc of the lid requires you to remove the handles of the stir crazy or else use such a tall riser that the interior volume is excessive.  Also, the arc of the lid causes the thing to slip around on the riser unless you have Silastic tubing on the riser rim (which I really prefer not to use) for some grippage.  I took an old SC and chopped off the handles, used a 3/4" riser with Silastic high-temp silicone tubing around the rim, and was able to roast a batch in a comparable amount of time with an okay ramp.  The new element heats up in no time flat, and the fans seem to work very efficiently, so I am planning to try swapping the glass lid with one from a different TO to see how well the oven works compared to the old school turbo oven heads on my normal system.

Unless the new heater provides a measurable improvement over the 2000/2001 models, I'd say the 2009 oven is more trouble that it's worth. Is there any way to predict the new elements life expectancy compared to the old-style elements?

[ButtWhiskers]

Unless the new heater provides a measurable improvement over the 2000/2001 models, I'd say the 2009 oven is more trouble that it's worth. Is there any way to predict the new elements life expectancy compared to the old-style elements?

I can't imagine that it would be as durable, considering the thin, spirally, carbon filament is enclosed in a glass tube, where the old school ovens have more like a traditional electric oven element. 

The wok itself is really nice!  I have been fantasizing about drilling a hole in it and making my own, more powerful, bean-stirring system to replace the SC.  That way the top would fit perfectly, and even though the volume would be large, with a little heat tape on the wok I could possibly do a 2# batch. 

Another interesting aside - the box the thing came in had no English writing on it at all, it was all in Japanese.

[dmankin]

...I have been fantasizing about drilling a hole in it and making my own, more powerful, bean-stirring system to replace the SC. 

BW - I have a round chafing dish and an electric ice cream maker motor waiting for me to attempt to make a 2 lb. roaster out of them.  The ice cream maker motor has lots of torque, and the chafing dish sits up on its stilts to accommodate the sterno canister.  Some day...

[ButtWhiskers]

...I have been fantasizing about drilling a hole in it and making my own, more powerful, bean-stirring system to replace the SC. 

BW - I have a round chafing dish and an electric ice cream maker motor waiting for me to attempt to make a 2 lb. roaster out of them.  The ice cream maker motor has lots of torque, and the chafing dish sits up on its stilts to accommodate the sterno canister.  Some day...

I've got a couple of those motors, myself!   That's a great idea about the chafing dish...

[Gompas]

Another factor that snuck up on me was that some ovens blow clockwise - others blow counterclockwise.  My backup spins the other way, and I have to reverse the spacer ring so the chaff ejector opening is still effective!

Interesting.  I had no idea there was a direction to the oven blowing.  I thought it was the arms of the popper that determined which way the chaff blew....  Okay, I guess only having been using this thing for under a year you could excuse me for not having picked up on that.....yet....or maybe not....

I'll have to look more closely next time I haul it out for a roast....

Susan

[dmankin]

Susan, If you look up from the underneath the TO, you'll likely see basically 2 things (probably under a safety shroud of some sort) - a heating element and a plate with vanes (fan) that spins to move the air (hence-convection).  Some motors spin CW, others CCW.  I have one of each.

David

[ButtWhiskers]

Susan, If you look up from the underneath the TO, you'll likely see basically 2 things (probably under a safety shroud of some sort) - a heating element and a plate with vanes (fan) that spins to move the air (hence-convection).  Some motors spin CW, others CCW.  I have one of each.

David

To make matters worse, most ovens have fans that pull air up (intake) in the center so they blow down on the sides, but others have fans that blow down in the center so the intake is on the sides.  [I call this the direction of toroidal convection]   You can see this by looking at where chaff collects on the shroud: either in the middle or the sides...  Again, a reminder for all SC/TO users, blow out your oven head with compressed air from time-to-time.  It improves operation and will increase the lifespan of the unit.
 

[JR_Germantown]

My bad, Tex.  He never mentioned aluminum.  Here's the description of his roaster from his photo site:

* Salton UFO popcorn popper (now discontinued, but still available)
* Galloping Gourmet Digital Convection Oven (top only)
* HVAC duct - 12" x 10" transition (cut down)
* High-temp RTV silicone sealant
* High-temp silicone tubing

I am curious of the wattage of his oven. My TO is 20 years old - and would not be able to roast effectively from that height.

David

Sorry to be absent from this thread for so long.  Wish I could insert this reply back into the early parts of this thread, about 16 pages back.

Yes, it's galvanized. I knew about the zinc, but did not expect the beans to come into contact with the spacer ring.  Even so, I think it would be better to use aluminum, and I'll probably do that.

And to your question about the oven's power--I don't recall the wattage, but you're exactly right.  It did not roast well at that height.  I ended up cutting the ring down about another inch, barely above the chaff ejector.  It's still weaker than I'd like.  I typically run it full blast until done.

Jack

[dmankin]

The ORIGINAL UFO/TO (I believe I made the 1st of these) just HAD to come out & roast a fresh batch of Red Sea Blend (thanks Chad!), even though we were recently buried by almost 2 feet of snow.  In spite of the ambient 35 degree temps, 1st crack arrived at about 10.5 minutes, and I was able to coast to 2nd around 16.5 minutes.  The usual 'roasting table' on my back deck is still covered with snow, so my front stoop & 'little' bean cooler was used.

Christmas morning - FRESH coffee!

Happy Holidays, All!

David

[Tex]

The ORIGINAL UFO/TO (I believe I made the 1st of these) just HAD to come out & roast a fresh batch of Red Sea Blend (thanks Chad!), even though we were recently buried by almost 2 feet of snow.  In spite of the ambient 35 degree temps, 1st crack arrived at about 10.5 minutes, and I was able to coast o 2nd around 16.5 minutes.  The usual 'roasting table' on my back deck is still covered with snow, so my front stoop & 'little' bean cooler was used.

Christmas morning - FRESH coffee!

Happy Holidays, All!

David

Since word has by now gotten around the neighborhood that you roasted today, I expect a line at your door that stretches around the block tomorrow. "Hey mister, can you spare a cup of coffee? Starbuck's is closed for Christmas."

[dmankin]

Since word has by now gotten around the neighborhood that you roasted today, I expect a line at your door that stretches around the block tomorrow. "Hey mister, can you spare a cup of coffee? Starbuck's is closed for Christmas."

Not a chance of me answering the door with this Red Sea Blend - might be my best batch of coffee to date.  Tex - I'll PM you the top-secret knock for special access.   :violent1:

Cheers,
David

[sontondaman]

Hi,
Has anyone try Westbend Kettle Krazy? It seems to have metal drive shaft and very sturdy agitator, does it work with a Turbo oven?

[Tex]

Westbend Kettle Krazy looks interesting, but I wonder how high the stirring shaft sticks up? You'd have to figure a way to secure the riser to the sides of the bottom unit - other poppers have a lip for it to rest on.

[sontondaman]

I just got 3 stir-crazies from local thrift store for about $3 each. Looking forward to constructing this roaster.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

I just got 3 stir-crazies from local thrift store for about $3 each. Looking forward to constructing this roaster.

don't be afraid to ask for advice... we are FULL of advice