If you could design a commercial coffee roaster what would you do?

[wwcove]

"How does somebody know what they want if they haven’t even seen it?" - So said a man that went on to make things that most everyone now wants. But to make things yet unseen by human eyes requires someone or many persons with a vision. If you too share such vision or passion to create things that can improve a product or even recreate a product then turn your dreams into reality.

My question for discussion is what I feel to be an important one:

:idea:IF YOU COULD BUILD OR DESIGN A COMMERCIAL COFFEE ROASTER WHAT WOULD YOU EITHER IMPROVE ON THE CURRENT MODELS OR HOW WOULD YOU REDEFINE IT?:idea:
What if a designer or manufacturer came to you and asked you what you would do different to make your commercial roaster better what would you say?
Have you ever been using your machine and wish it had something different added to it or a different design?
A better way to operate it? ​Perhaps something as simple as an extra handle for carrying it or better wheels for moving it. A cup holder for that morning cup of coffee. A different way to roast beans. A way to add both fluid & drum roasting to bring out both bright and bold flavors. Now I'm not asking for jokes here such as adding a built in TV or espresso machine. But real thoughts.
Why bother to put the imagination through such a journey with no real reason?
HERE'S WHY:
A current manufacturer of coffee roasters oversees is investing in new & fresh ideas to create a roaster designed by the Master-Roaster for the Master-Roaster. They want to make a roaster designed by you for you. They know you are the experts and deserve a voice in the equipment you use every day. So what would you say would make a good roaster great or improve the current line of roasters?:idea:
One suggestion so far is to replace the standard panels with touch screen ones. What do you think about that idea?

​

 

[DirtyDave]

By the looks of the roaster in the picture........
It's the same 150 year old tired design that you guys won't let die.

 

[wwcove]

Dave;
You are too funny! That photo is just my personal photo... they want to be on the next cutting edge and want ideas from the forum how to make a roaster you want.

 

[millerv00]

"How does somebody know what they want if they haven’t even seen it?" - So said a man that went on to make things that most everyone now wants. But to make things yet unseen by human eyes requires someone or many persons with a vision. If you too share such vision or passion to create things that can improve a product or even recreate a product then turn your dreams into reality.

My question for discussion is what I feel to be an important one:

:idea:IF YOU COULD BUILD OR DESIGN A COMMERCIAL COFFEE ROASTER WHAT WOULD YOU EITHER IMPROVE ON THE CURRENT MODELS OR HOW WOULD YOU REDEFINE IT?:idea:
What if a designer or manufacturer came to you and asked you what you would do different to make your commercial roaster better what would you say?
Have you ever been using your machine and wish it had something different added to it or a different design?
A better way to operate it? ​Perhaps something as simple as an extra handle for carrying it or better wheels for moving it. A cup holder for that morning cup of coffee. A different way to roast beans. A way to add both fluid & drum roasting to bring out both bright and bold flavors. Now I'm not asking for jokes here such as adding a built in TV or espresso machine. But real thoughts.
Why bother to put the imagination through such a journey with no real reason?
HERE'S WHY:
A current manufacturer of coffee roasters oversees is investing in new & fresh ideas to create a roaster designed by the Master-Roaster for the Master-Roaster. They want to make a roaster designed by you for you. They know you are the experts and deserve a voice in the equipment you use every day. So what would you say would make a good roaster great or improve the current line of roasters?:idea:
One suggestion so far is to replace the standard panels with touch screen ones. What do you think about that idea?

​

Well I don't have a definite idea as of yet but I'm just gonna put this out there since it's on my mind. I'd want a design that is futuristic in terms of sleekness with a lot of whites and glass but would still have that old or vintage feel or vibe that I'm so accustomed to. Sort of a mash up of two distinct designs. I know it'll be hard two accomplish and right now my mind isn't brewed enough to make an image out of that but that's basically what I want. Would it be okay if I'd get back to you on this again if I have a better idea or is this a one time kind of thing?

 

[brewroland]

Definite rearrangement in cooling tray and chaff collector.

 

[wwcove]

Sound like a new design in looks would perhaps promote sales. Maybe a sports car sleek look with racing stripes and a motor we could race. It think that would be an eye catcher. But what about the operation features? I would like to have a drum roaster that allows air flow to change from sucking or pushing through machine to give momentary bursts of hot air like a fluid roaster allowing beans to float giving both body and brightness all in one... And of course a cup holder big enough to also hold a beer mug!

 

[wwcove]

Definite rearrangement in cooling tray and chaff collector.

How would you rearrange cooling tray? Sounds like a "cool" idea... How about beans being carried up a farriswheel then dropping back down into the pan like a waterfall?
i wish more roasters had small chaff units that attached directly to roaster making it all in one!

 

[peterjschmidt]

I would like to have a drum roaster that allows air flow to change from sucking or pushing through machine to give momentary bursts of hot air like a fluid roaster allowing beans to float giving both body and brightness all in one...

And where would this hot air come from?

Where do you imagine the air going into a drum is coming from? Isn't it being sucked through the drum from the heated environment the drum is spinning in?

Sound like a new design in looks would perhaps promote sales. Maybe a sports car sleek look with racing stripes and a motor we could race. It think that would be an eye catcher.

If it takes a sports car sleek looking roaster to promote sales, those are the customers I don't care about; I want my roasts to speak for themselves.

 

[wwcove]

And where would this hot air come from?

Where do you imagine the air going into a drum is coming from? Isn't it being sucked through the drum from the heated environment the drum is spinning in?



If it takes a sports car sleek looking roaster to promote sales, those are the customers I don't care about; I want my roasts to speak for themselves.

Both are logical comments. Thank you. My guess would be to add a blower that would shoot bursts of air into drum while momentarily locking air flow. Somehow or another the Coffee-Tech model does this but only for a few times and a couple seconds during roast. I would like option to have some sort of a manual over-ride to control it your self...

as as far as "looks" are concerned... I think we were just having s bit of fun... Tell me though what would you add to make your roaster even better? Do you think all roasters should come with built in Phidgets or some sort of computer profiling? Or a complete re-haul of cooling system? Any ideas are a good thing, I think...

 

[farmroast]

I don't see an existing drum roaster manufacturer coming out with anything that different that would make their drum roaster line obsolete. Who is the they in this tread?

 

[Unico]

well i am doing my own coffee roaster by taking ideas from probat and Diedrich roaster.
later i will show you guys if it works or not , but at lease i try my best, by the way i am an Mechanical engineer.

 

[wwcove]

I think maybe I have failed to explain myself clearly: I am not talking about some new radical roaster that makes all others obsolete. I am simply asking: What would you like to see added or adjusted or changed to make a commercial drum roaster better? It never hurts to look for ways to improve a product. And the people that use a roaster everyday surely have, at times, wished they could have some sort of improvements made...

 

[chast]

At one time I thought about a removable fan for my roaster to make cleaning it easier, then US Roaster devised one. So maybe on the next roaster. So far I think Loring has come out with everything I would like to see on another brand

 

[topher]

Spot on Charlie! I saw a roaster a few years back at a show..it had a "hinge" on the rear exhaust motor so when you pull it it would sit about eye level. Scrape and swing back no trouble at all! Not sure what you meant by saying you wished more roasters had small chaff units that made it more all in one. I like a separate chaff collector. I am not a fan of the fire box! JohnP was on point as well with what it looks like...proof is in the cup.

 

[chast]

wasn't me on the small chaff units aka "Fire Box" I would like to have an external chaffe collector on the current roaster. Maybe a new project for this fall/winter