US Roaster vs Diedrich IR
We have owned a Diedrich IR for 9 years. We cannot in good conscience recommend this model to anyone. They have one fatal flaw; there is only one fan in the whole roaster. It will not pull in air properly. Second BIG complaint, you have to clean out the chaff after every single roast. This is gross. It takes away from the pretty paint job if you have to whip out an ugly vacuum to clean up the mess. Third big complaint, on the ones over 8 years old, they have a high limit alarm that was set at French Roast level. We aren't talking alarm clock, we are talking mind- piercing, ear- drum damage loud. Fourth, unless you have a gigantic sink and can soak the cooling bin, you are going to be dealing with a beast. The base gets sticky with coffee oil, and turns black where you have previously scrubbed. It is hard to clean using natural products. You cannot use heavy-duty de-greasers in a commercial food-grade setting. Basically, kiss that shiny new stainless bin goodbye after the first roast. You are going to need to use steel wool, and Dawn. It is going to get scratched.
Then we have the US Roaster. First, their team is absolutely amazing. We bought the machine 7 years ago. When they improved the design of the roaster, they retrofitted ours. That, in and of itself, is reason enough to think they are the best in the business. Diedrich has made improvements but absolutely under no circumstances would make any changes to their flawed design. Quite sad considering Diedrich charges so much for their roasters.
The control pad on the US Roaster is easy to read, and the design of the roaster is brilliant. The coffee tastes far and away better than the Diedrich roasted beans. You have absolute complete control over the entire roasting process. This model burns up the chaff, so clean-up is a breeze. You still get coffee oil, but we use a wire brush, and it seems to work just fine. I am not as concerned about the look of the roaster as I am with the Diedrich. When you have a nice paint job, getting scratches, dings, and oil really stand out. Roasting is a dirty job. You need a roaster that will work every step of the way, and customer service that is willing to help you out, even after the sale is complete.
We love the US Roaster. I can happily say that we have NEVER once regretted our purchase.