3-6 lbs Roaster... Cost is an issue

[Roasterwannabe]

Hi all,

I am with a small performing arts center and we are looking into purchasing a roaster for fundraising on a regular basis. Our budget is limited. What roaster would you suggest that will handle 3-6 lbs at a time. Our estimates show that we will handle 100 to 200 lbs per month.

Thanks for any help!

 

[PinkRose]

Hi all,

I am with a small performing arts center and we are looking into purchasing a roaster for fundraising on a regular basis. Our budget is limited. What roaster would you suggest that will handle 3-6 lbs at a time. Our estimates show that we will handle 100 to 200 lbs per month.

Thanks for any help!

Who is going to do the roasting? Do you actually think you be roasting 100 to 200 lbs. per month, or is that just a hopeful overestimate.

 

[Roasterwannabe]

I will be doing the roasting. Yes, we will actually handle that much per month.

 

[slurp]

100 - 200 pounds is a lot of work on a 6 pound roaster. You will be roasting I roast 100 pounds on a 33 pound machine and 200 pounds is a lot of work.

Have you considered buying your coffee from a roaster wholesale and having then brand it for you? You do not have to buy the roaster, spend the time roasting and then package. Do not forget that roasting that much coffee you may need some food licensing for that.

Just some food for thought.

 

[expat]

To me roasting 200 pounds of coffee a month is not anywhere near enough to do yourself. The costs (and other factors) are way out of line. I think, if that's all you're ever planning to roast in a month, that you'd soon find it a burden.

Look at all you'll have to do -- buy a roaster, grinder, scale, bags, labels, storage bins, sealing machine (possibly), etc., etc. Then the space rental for the roaster and storage of all the above plus your beans. And remember you'll need some work space as well. Then, depending on where you are located you'll probably have to get the city/county code boys involved which can open a huge can of worms and cost you even more money. Possibly the health department too will want to stick their nose in. You can see, there's a lot involved. Oh, and what about insurance -- because you could easily have a fire. If not using an electric roaster do you have access to natural gas that's already piped to your building or will you have to use bottled propane? If the latter do you have outside storage for that available?

Then there's the amount -- 200 pounds/month. That's not a lot of coffee to roast in general, but it is a lot on a 3-6 lb. machine. Unless you're already an experienced roaster, it is going to take some period of time to develop your skills to be putting out really good coffee. At the beginning I'd think your roasts wouldn't be quite up to the caliber of choosy coffee drinkers. More and more people, especially in the U.S., have come to expect really good coffee in their cup. Yes, some portion of your buyers will be happy with Folgers but some won't and I'd think you'd need to roast to the level of those higher expectations. Of course, you could just be a natural at it and be a champ roaster from day one but it is something to think about. And if someone else is doing the roasting will you be paying them to do so?

That said I'd encourage you to think seriously about Slurp's suggestion and partner with a local roaster whose coffee you love and have them private label the coffee for you. You place your order and a few days later it's roasted and bagged to your specifications. All the while you're going right on with your work without all the above worries. And economically you'll be way ahead because with just 200 lbs it is going to be a long, l-o-n-g time before you recoup all of your start-up costs and considering ongoing costs you may never be ahead. If you're selling 1/2 lb bags and your space rental is $400 a month (and remember to add in electricity, gas, insurance) you'll have more than $1 extra a bag you can spend on buying private label. That $1 plus the cost for the coffee you'd be roasting and everything else involved could buy you some nice coffee. You'll be supporting small business and all of your work/hassle goes out the door.

 

[chast]

wait a minute here...a 6 lb roaster is basically a 3KG without the decimal. 200 lbs a month is no burden on that machine. Roasting only an hour a day can produce that without breathing hard. Slurp and Expat are correct as far as financial logic is concerned where purchasing fresh roast would be cost effective in the long run vs setting up a small roastery...but what if they just want to do it to say we roast our own and get the satisfaction of creating a product. There is a 3kg roaster about 2 hours form me and he just roasts his own coffee for friends and neighbors. Nice little setup in the barn. He roasts for the enjoyment of his own creation. Having the roaster on hand you can roast per order and it is fresher than purchasing and more convenient for the customer. There are people who have purchased 1 lb sample roasters who roast and their sell coffee at fairs and farmers markets and make a killing. I even thought of doing that at one time. JMO

 

[Roasterwannabe]

We did consider that. We have been unable to find a decent price per 1 pound bag. Our profits for the Centre was not a lot at all.

100 - 200 pounds is a lot of work on a 6 pound roaster. You will be roasting I roast 100 pounds on a 33 pound machine and 200 pounds is a lot of work.

Have you considered buying your coffee from a roaster wholesale and having then brand it for you? You do not have to buy the roaster, spend the time roasting and then package. Do not forget that roasting that much coffee you may need some food licensing for that.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Roasterwannabe]

We have the space already within the Centre. So there is no added rent.