Looking to move to a larger roaster and need some advice.

[JonMcK]

Greetings!

I have been roasting as a hobby for a few years now. Started on the bbq, used a popcorn maker, bought a Behmor, then another and finally took the plunge and bought a Toper 1kg Electric Cafemino.

I turned my hobby into a business and initially sold at a couple of farmer's markets. This year I opened up a coffee shop and things have gone well.

My roasting requirements have increased at the same time as my Cafemino has started to fail me. My first 600 roasts on it were great but, I started to see an increase in roasting times, gradual at first but now unacceptable.

I had hoped for help from the distributer, Robust Roasters in Toronto. Peter said that the element had burnt out and wasn't functioning properly. So, I ordered a new one. He came out and installed it and it has been terrible since. Peter has not been any help saying that my roasting times are normal. Well, I must have had a super element to begin with. A roast that once took 15 minutes now takes almost 30 minutes.

My situation is critical. I can't keep up with my roaster the way it is, the distributer is of no help and I am exhausted.

I need a new roaster. Do I stick with Toper and get a 3kg Gas model or do I leave them behind and get something else. Used? New? Cost and timelines are obviously major factors. I need something asap and have a tiny budget.

I could really use this group's advice...

Thank you,
Jon

 

[kifucoffeeroaster]

Jon,

Sucks to hear! I started much in the same way as you and have just bought a used (2004) Ambex YM-15 for my home roasting setup. So, I don't speak from a breadth of experiential knowledge with commercial roasters. However, I put a lot of hours in on the forums, the various manufacturers' sites, in email correspondance, etc. From what I gather, for ppl in situations like ours, used is the way to go. A well-built roaster should last many years. I paid just over half the original price for the roaster and digital roasting system. Buying used will give you a better resale difference in the end, as well, just like the guy who buys a brand new car and sells it in six years loses way more than the guy who buys a three year old car and sells it in three.

Ambex has a pretty crappy recent history, owing largely to a change in ownership (I hope!). But there are a lot of roasters who are very pleased with their product. Ambex seems to me the best roaster for the price (again, based totally on the sense I get analyzing the cumulative feedback on the forums...I stand to be corrected!). Everyone wants a Probat, but hardly anyone (like us) can afford them. Some people swear by Diedrichs, but others claim the infrared can have a baking effect with slower roasting times (as well as non-continuous roasting?)...not to mention the price. US Roaster Corps get great reviews but I haven't found many used ones (may be a testament the quality of their product!). New, they are a bit higher priced than Ambex. Ozturk has some good deals on ebay and Dwane, their East Coast rep., is super helpful, but I just couldn't get a roaster with no physical presence in the States. As far as Toper goes, I read a lot of mixed reviews, but I assume you would have a much better experience with their gas roaster. You may even be able to see about getting some trade-in credit with your Cafemino. Just a thought. One caveat about Toper: their TKM-X (vs. TKM-SX) series gives a 25-30 minute roasting time (TKM-SX 10-12). I assume this has to do w/ the heat transfer (only the TKM-SX uses thermal transfer). To me, the fact that they would even design a roaster that roasts beans for 25-30 minutes does not say much about their understanding of beans themselves. They may know how to make a big tumbling grill, but do they know much about what goes in it? When would you ever want to roast for 30 minutes?!

If you are interested, I do know of a few roasters for sale and even have some extra info/pics from my own inquiries. If you are interested, I can send you some info. Just send me a personal message.

Anyway, good luck to you. Let us know what you end up doing.

Best,

KCR

 

[JonMcK]

Thank you, KCR, for your comment and advice. Very much appreciated.

Jon

 

[chast]

As an owner of 2 US Roaster roasters, Dan has been great as far as customer service and reasonable on delivery times. He usually has some used and refurbished roasters from other manufacturers. Give him a call to find out what he has used/refurbished.

 

[PeterCoffee]

Hi,
How much coffee do you want to roast and what do you wnat to use to fire it up?

 

[doogs]

Any used 2-3 kilo drum roaster out there???