Advise Please: Should I Upgrade to an Artisan 3-e Roaster ??

[Jihrie]

I’m eyeballing an upgrade in the near future and am really on the fence about going to a fluid bed roaster. Currently I roast about 40lbs a month on a behmor and it’s getting hard to keep up with demand, and I want to move in to a couple local farmers markets. I know almost nothing about fluid bed roasting but the capacity, size, and cost of the 3-e are really appealing. In this forums opinion would it be a waste of $4500 to upgrade to this?

 

[topher]

Yes. Personally I would look for a used drum roaster.
http://www.coffeeforums.com/forum/buy-sell-trade/19479-sale-1997-diedrich-ir-3-table-top.html

 

[Jihrie]

I would prefer a drum roaster but I’m not sure when I would have that much money pooled together. I could swing a fluid bed roaster by the fall. Is there a concrete reason you are anti-fluid bed?

 

[topher]

Personally I feel it doesn't develop the body. I have played with air roasters and wasn't happy with the results. The coffee just fell flat.