Home Roaster Options Under $1,000

[helderdan]

I am looking to purchase my first "real" home roaster. I have started with a Poppery II in my garage in the dead of MN winter and with a couple modifications have been enjoying delicious fresh coffee. It hasn't taken long to become interested in the next level of roasting.

I'm looking for something that will give me as much control of the roast as possible at this price point. I would like to be able experiment with all types of roasts, city to Italian, and want to begin learning the nuances and science behind it all. I am less worried about the bean capacity for the time being. I just don't want something where I set a timer, hit a button, and come back when it's done.

All suggestions are welcome, and thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.

Dan

[jspain]

First one that come to mind is the Behmor plus. It has the feature on the plus model that allows you to adjust the roast on the fly. It is WELL UNDER your $1000 limit. You can also check with Behmor due to sometimes they have refurbished at a lower cost than retail.

Also look at used options..... Also contact sea330 here on the club site. He built a SUPER SC/TO system that you just missed out on in the "Grounds for Health" fund raising "Garage Sale!" He might build you one??? The one on the auxction went for under $120!! It was well worth over $200+

Have fun looking,  Jim

[ptrmorton]

Jim gives good advice, but I'd be inclined to go the used route as it opens up a lot more possibilities.  I can vouch for sea330's mods, although I haven't actually purchased a unit from him.  I have a HotTop B which I purchased used and I love.  If you are a tinkerer, there are lots of mods for the various HotTops.  Enjoy the hunt!

[whattodo]

If you find an used Quest, it could be under or about $1,000. Quest is fully manual sample roaster.

[helderdan]

Thanks for the ideas!

I like the idea of being patient and waiting for a nice used machine. In the meantime I think I'll take a stab at putting together a SC/TO system. Thanks for mentioning that, Jim, I wasn't aware of that system. Going to pick up a used Stir Crazy tonight for $10 and galloping gourmet off ebay or buy a new replacement SO-2000 from Sunpentown.com.

[ptrmorton]

I like the idea of being patient and waiting for a nice used machine. In the meantime I think I'll take a stab at putting together a SC/TO system.

I learned a TON by roasting on as SC/TO for a year and was able to get consistently good roasts although with a bit more focus and attention than my present system.  Very worthwhile.  Have fun.

[Joe]

Yeah your price range allows for some really nice automated roasters, and some that are very primitive. But it keeps you away from the more popular commercial or approaching commercial drums. An Rk drum for instance might work really well for you. But that is way less than $1000 and a hottop might work as well. When you don't want the option for automation that removed the behmor, sonofresco, genecafe etc..

$1000 isn't enough for the quest, Huky et. Al. Because there isn't enough used ones yet. I bet if you wait a year or so there will be a glut of Chinese/Taiwan commercial drum roasters hitting the used market. Some people either bite off more than they can chew or not enough and there is a lot of these roasters getting bought by both camps which should go for around $1000 or so used.

[peter]

Joe says, "Build an SC/TO."   

[Joe]

Joe says, "Build an SC/TO."   

I did it once....once.

I think actually the best fully manual coffee roaster is probably the HG/DB heat gun Dog bowl. I probably learned the most about roasting through that, I invested about $20 at Habor Freight and I still have a heat gun I'll never use.

[donn]

I think actually the best fully manual coffee roaster is probably the HG/DB heat gun Dog bowl.

Much appreciated but not much used, am I right?  I know a few years ago there were some dedicated users, but it seems to me that not one remains.  I do it in desperation occasionally, when I need coffee and it's raining all day, but I'd rather use my propane grill & drum (also fully manual.)

[Joe]

I think actually the best fully manual coffee roaster is probably the HG/DB heat gun Dog bowl.

Much appreciated but not much used, am I right?  I know a few years ago there were some dedicated users, but it seems to me that not one remains.  I do it in desperation occasionally, when I need coffee and it's raining all day, but I'd rather use my propane grill & drum (also fully manual.)

I think with a lot of things..people get nostalgic about the process of Coffee roasting. They think automation feels less connected, cheating if you will. But after a year of manual roasting I was ready for Automation . I have in the past used, unmodified poppers, Manual switch hot air popper roasting, SC/TO, HG/DB People are on different journeys. But for me aside from maybe a cast iron skillet and spoon the heat gun/ dog bowl must be the most manual roaster there is. You even control how the heat is applied... I don't think it's the best way to roast coffee at all but it is a great learning tool. In as much a bottomless portafilter doesn't make better espresso it makes a better Barista..

[donn]

I'm not sure what happens when I use a heat gun can properly be called "control."  I mean, sure, I'm voluntarily and somewhat deliberately stirring the beans, varying the distance, switching from low to high or vice versa.  But when I go back to the gas grill and drum, I can hold those things constant, better than I can with the bowl, and in general I can apply a more stable sort of control to the system.  And I have a thermometer in there, so I can stabilize the effective roasting temperature, not just the inputs.  To me, that's more control.