Interesting Roaster on eBay

[Ron_L]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hand-Crank-Commercial-Style-Coffee-Roaster-Roasting-/250769159455?pt=BI_Hot_Beverage_Brewers&hash=item3a6301b51f#ht_500wt_1156

I'm not sure that I want to stand there and crack for 15 minutes per batch, but it is an interesting concept. I wonder if it could be adapted to a rotisserie motor instead of a hand crank?

Here is a You Tube video.  The girl's comments are pretty funny.

Commercial Style Hand Crank Coffee Roasting Machine, roaster

[BobTimo]

What I actually do, stand there and crank for 10-15mins, either with the Whirley Pop or the rice pot + eggwhisk.    Since the motor on my rotisserie died months back.

The 220v Behmor is soooo tempting. But I can't find one around here. It seems I can source it from either UK or Down Under. Now, shipping to the Philippines is still an issue. Would have been easier if they have 220v Behmors stateside.

[MGLloyd]

We have seen this before here.  If I lived in an area where I could consistently roast outside, I would think long and hard about this.  I think the concept is great.

[Ron_L]

I keep seeing these roasters listed on eBay. It's been a while since I started this thread.  Has anyone bought one or seen on in person?

[Ascholten]

Wow, bringing them that hard into second crack, im surprised they didn't ignite when the put them in the pan at the end!!   Talk about starbucks special, someone needs to teach that gal how to roast properly.

Aaron

[Ron_L]

I exchanged messages with the seller and he claims that there is someone in Chicago who has one of these and has modified it to use an electric motor instead of an hand crank.  I'm hoping he'll put me in contact with him.  Anyone here have any idea?

[hankua]

Sure, have the builder weld a slotted bracket on the back, and extend the drum shaft out. Then you can attach a motor with a flexible coupling. If you send him the motor before the build, he can line it all up.

[foreRB]

On my DIY drum roaster I at first had the motor in line with the shaft, direct drive. The porblem is I could see the motor failing early due to heat transfer. The final build had a sproket and metal chain so I could move the motor off to the side. I used a 1/20 hp Dayton from flee bay. You can then go to the Grainger site and look at RPM & torque before purchase. What you want is a "gear motor" to slow the rpm's. I have build two drums and the design, size and fin design makes a huge difference. So I would want to know how many prototypes he built to get a sense of it's performance.

[hankua]

Contacted the seller as well to get more details about the roaster. It has a solid drum ventilated in the back, and I think he could build one with a perforated drum as well. The shaft extends far enough in the back for a pulley or coupling. The internal fins in the drum are described as :

 "It has a system that circulates the beans back and forth from the front to the back, provides a cascade of beans to fill the sampler spoon and with a discharge feature that pushes the beans out when you open the door."

Sounds like a much better alternative to a grill roaster.