New tool for stovetop roasting

[MGLloyd]

http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/27348-chefs-stainless-steel-stovetop-popcorn-kettle.aspx

I just bought one of these for my stovetop roasting technique.  I had in years past used one of the cheap aluminum models, and it was destroyed in fairly short order by the heat and stress of coffee roasting.  From the reviews I have read online, this seems like a far more durable unit made entirely out of stainless. I could find no reviews speaking about coffee roasting, so perhaps I will be able to add something to the knowledge base after a few roasts.

[peter]

Not sure I'd want to crank for 15min. (esp. multiple batches), let alone crank with my arm/hand directly over the hot beans, but it does look durable.

[MMW]

I started with the whirlypop...

Looks like you can sneak a thermometer in there somewhere which is good but there doesn't appear to be an easy way to upgrade the stirring motor?  I took the gear off of my whirly pop, replaced it with a nut, and cranked with a cheap harbor freight drill.

For $80 you'd be close to SCTO territory...

[MGLloyd]

Not sure I'd want to crank for 15min. (esp. multiple batches), let alone crank with my arm/hand directly over the hot beans, but it does look durable.

My current stovetop technique involves a small (three quart) stockpot and a balloon whisk.  I can crank out a one-pound batch to full City + in about 12-14 minutes, whisking all the while so the beans don't scorch.  And I generally do 2-4 batches back to back.  It is much faster this way then using the Behmor, and my wife prefers the coffee roasted this way over the Behmor.

[mp]

I did consider something like that once.

Then I thought all that manual turning ... that turned me off of it.

Like MMW says at $80 you're getting close to SC/TO.

 

[EricBNC]

But this one from Chefs lets you add butter to your roast...

[MGLloyd]

I posted this to Amazon:

Stovetop coffee roasting

As far as I could tell with a search, no one has posted a review of this unit for stovetop coffee roasting. Using a stovetop popcorn popper is a common technique for coffee roasting. I have used the cheaper WhirlyPop aluminum models for this purpose, and they were destroyed in fairly short order by the high heat and stress of coffee roasting. So when I saw this unit in the Chef's Catalog, I decided to try it for roasting.

I have been roasting coffee at home since the late 90's. I have used just about all the devices and machines available for this, from a hot air popper, to a Hearthware, to stovetop stockpot, to heatgun/dogbowl to a Behmor. My most common method these days is my Behmor or a stovetop stockpot. I roast 4-5 pounds per month. I use a three quart heavy clad stockpot on an electric stove and a balloon whisk to roast a pound of green coffee in about 13-15 minutes. The Behmor, part of the first shipment back in 2007, is on its last legs and needs the elements replaced, if I decide to do that. It is now taking more than 20 minutes to roast a pound.

This popper is made of heavy-gauge stainless steel, including the stirring paddle. The paddle goes all the way down to the inner surface of the stockpot, so no green coffee beans are trapped underneath the paddle. I preheated the popper for five minutes on medium heat and dumped in a pound (3 cups by volume) of green coffee beans. The paddle does not go to the edge of the pot, but the beans are nonetheless adequately stirred. I stirred pretty much constantly. It was easy to stir with the crank in the lid. I removed the silicone butter melter so I could watch the beans through the hole in the glass. I achieved an even full City plus roast in about 16 minutes, so I will need to increase the heat a little bit for subsequent roasts. The lid kept the roasting chaff well contained. The stirring components did not seem unduly stressed by the weight and expansion of the coffee beans. It seems to give me a more even roast than the stockpot and whisk and the beans are not scorched.

So after two roasts with this method, it seems this will work well for stovetop coffee roasting.

[MGLloyd]

Just this week, I discovered that this stovetop popper can be used for a two pound batch.  I am getting a full city plus roast at 18 minutes.  This is going to come in handy as I am entering the coffee gifting season. 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I take it that stovetop roasting requires a ventilator hood becasue of the smoke? I don't have a hood.

[MGLloyd]

It very much needs a hood.  I have to crack the windows and also have the downstairs vent fans in the bathroom and laundry room going to help clear the smoke.

[donn]

(Reviving an old thread, here - less than 6 months though, so hopefully putrefaction has not set in!)

Without a hood, it would need to go outdoors.  Has anyone tried, or researched anyway, an outdoor stove top, for something like this?  What has enough BTUs?

My hot air popper may be dying, not sure.  The last of like half a dozen, mostly elements burned out, this one lasted an unusually long time, but I'm thinking this is the point where I give up on hot air poppers.  I've been mostly drum roasting on a gas grill, but not at night or in the rain, and that's where the popper was getting used.  There's room on the front porch, out of the rain, marginally illuminated, and I can get electricity.

I had been thinking heat gun and bowl, but people who were doing that 5 or 10 years ago seem to have moved on, which makes me wonder if there were some drawbacks that eventually outweighed the initial thrills.

[peter]

In general, I'd guess this doo-hickey has the same drawbacks as the HG/DB; you're stuck stirring for a long time over the heat and smoke.  At least w/ the HG/DB you can see the beans more easily.

[Burner0000]

This is a lot like the Stainless Steel Whirley Pop I used to use

Click


It was nice and not hard to turn at all. Even for 1 lb.  I was able to turn with only 2 fingers slowly and get a good consistent roast.  The plus to it was the build.  Thick durable stainless steel.  Retained heat well even outside, only needed 700W of heat and the heat transfer was perfect. The only reason I stopped using it was a fatal attempt to chop off the handle and add a motor to it. 

[MMW]

Has anyone tried, or researched anyway, an outdoor stove top, for something like this?  What has enough BTUs?

[daddiocatman]

Has anyone tried, or researched anyway, an outdoor stove top, for something like this?  What has enough BTUs?

Ummmm...... That's got enough BTUs!!!