Sonofresco

[Ghoti]

Have  a chance to purchase a Sonofresco 1lb gas roaster (used) for $1000 apparently they also have one brand new in box as well. Not sure what price they want for that. Would love the hear any wisdom and thoughts on the price and what problems I should look for in a used Sonofresco. Thanks

[Tex]

I definitely like mine. I've only put about two dozen 1.4# batches through it so far and am convinced it was the best $225 I've ever spent. BTW: You were robbed!

Seriously, $1000 seems like a great price if it's complete &  in tip-top shape.

[milowebailey]

My only advise it to ask if it's Natural Gas or Propane.  Depending on what you plan to use if it's the wrong type that will add another $100 or so to the price.  But $1k is not a bad price at all for one... that is what I paid for mine.

[mattquist]

I just bought a refurbished one directly from Sonofresco for 2K in stainless.  Looks like new, and has a 1year warranty.  Just an option. 

[Tex]

I just bought a refurbished one directly from Sonofresco for 2K in stainless.  Looks like new, and has a 1year warranty.  Just an option. 

Oh, but that fire engine red looks so spiffy!

[Ghoti]

My only advise it to ask if it's Natural Gas or Propane.  Depending on what you plan to use if it's the wrong type that will add another $100 or so to the price.  But $1k is not a bad price at all for one... that is what I paid for mine.

It is natural gas and I want to use Propane. Are you saying a retrofit kit for propane will run me about $100? I inquired  about the cost of a kit to go from natural gas to propane at the Sonofresco's site over a week ago but they never responded back.

[mattquist]

I just bought a refurbished one directly from Sonofresco for 2K in stainless.  Looks like new, and has a 1year warranty.  Just an option. 

Oh, but that fire engine red looks so spiffy!

Until it scratches, though!  The stainless looks sharper in person- the website pics don't do it justice.  Besides, its fun to polish, and my old roaster was red and wanted something different

Also, where did you get that cart?

[Tex]

Also, where did you get that cart?

Sam's Club - ~$60, and very convenient. Lets me wheel the roaster to the garage porcherie so I can roast without the smoke permeating everything in the garage. A couple of weeks ago I wheeled it over to my neighbors and roasted for the church ladies' gathering.

[mattquist]

I'm still trying to decide how I want to vent it.  One option is the "cart to the front of the garage" method.  This worries me a bit with the ambient temperature fluctuations & how it will effect consistency. 
Next thought is to re-use the 8" double wall vertical vent that I used for my toper.  Problem with that is my roaster's location has changed, and will have to run some seriously ugly exposed venting to get it to work.
Third option is to horizontally vent it through the wall (CBS construction).  However that means another hole in my house for coffee roasting, trying to find a suitable vent opening that will handle the heat, and then the likely issue of brown stains on the stucco. 
Of course, there is the pretty matching sonofresco hood system that is WAY overpriced, but would look really cool.  Plus, I think the forced ventilation (installed fan) will give the exhaust enough "oomph" to allow horizontal venting without staining.  But man is it expensive for what it is.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

milowbailey could probably tell it best but I think several different roasters have found the Sonofresco does better with direct venting, the hood is great in a coffee shop environment (looks more pro than a piece of flexible duct) If you don't live too far north the garage porch would be pretty consistent for coffee roasting I think but I live north of Chicago and I am ready to roast out side...

[mattquist]

I"m down in SW FLorida, where the humidity is so high the beans get sticky.  Just kidding. 
However, My roast shop is A/C, and it would be nice to keep everything under air. , and I could roast during the summer's hurricanes!

[Tex]

I don't like the looks of the Sonofresco hood. And to be effective it'd probably need a very powerful/noisy vent fan to suck up the smoke. If I was using this in a shop I'd opt for 4" aluminum hard-ducting, insulated with aluminum-backed fiberglass

[milowebailey]

My only advise it to ask if it's Natural Gas or Propane.  Depending on what you plan to use if it's the wrong type that will add another $100 or so to the price.  But $1k is not a bad price at all for one... that is what I paid for mine.

It is natural gas and I want to use Propane. Are you saying a retrofit kit for propane will run me about $100? I inquired  about the cost of a kit to go from natural gas to propane at the Sonofresco's site over a week ago but they never responded back.

I'd call them.  That's what I did and converted mine from NG to LP.

[milowebailey]

I direct vent mine with 6" double wall pipe.  I've had it installed for over 3 years without any problems

[mattquist]

Here's a link with the instructions to do the change to NG.
http://www.sonofresco.com/images/doc/21.pdf