Going to buy a Roaster

Mr Magnolia

I've decided to start roasting my own. It was only a matter of time I suppose.

I'm hoping for recommendations on a roaster and some green beans. Should I look past the iroast2? All tips and tricks will be very welcome too.

Has anyone else considered roasting their own?

Gran Hermano

Mr. M, you are positively evil!

I am but one click away from completing an order for an i-roast 2 from
hasbean.co.uk. (Price is 229 euro including VAT and shipping).

Like yourself I've toyed with the idea of purchasing my own roaster
for almost a year now.

My only concerns are:
- the amount of smoke/smell that the process produces
- how easy is it to turn the green beans into a decent espresso
- how does one know which settings on the iroast to use for
a particular bean/roast.

(I suppose it's trial and error at first but I don't want to end up
not using the roaster because the quality of my home roasted
beans is below what I can purchase pre-roasted).

Hopefully Reactor can provide us with an update and let us know
how he's getting on with his.

I've a horrid suspicion my next post here will be confirming my order !

Mr Magnolia

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Hopefully Reactor can provide us with an update and let us know
how he's getting on with his.

He was around this morning. I'll drop him a mail seeking his knowledge on this thread. Hopefully he'll oblige

I'm looking forward to the aroma of raosting beans in the house.

I've a horrid suspicion my next post here will be confirming my order !

kencleary

Given how cheap you can buy green beans it makes economic sense to invest in a roaster. You'd be crazy not to!

Seriously though I'd also be very interested to hear how people are getting on with roasters. If it is easy to do good roasts on a piece of kit worth just over €200 then i'd also be very interested......

RE*AC*TOR

Should I look past the iroast2?

In that price range - no. A hot top, or genecafe drum roaster are superior roasters, but will also cost you a lot more. They also take up a lot more space. But if you have the money, the space, a higher tolerance for smoke (bigger batches = more smoke), then go for it.

- the amount of smoke/smell that the process produces

Enough smoke to set of my smoke alarm, opening the kitchen window and closing the kitchen door is sufficient. It doesn't leave a lingering smell though, its certainly less invasive than frying a steak.

- how easy is it to turn the green beans into a decent espresso

Put beans in iroast, press 3 buttons, keep an eye on roast, kill roast when desired roast is achieved. Very easy.

- how does one know which settings on the iroast to use for a particular bean/roast.

There are a few pre-sets, but I don't use them. They're kind of all a bit on the light side for me. I have one roast setting I saved on the machine, and I generally kill it at various stages depending on the bean. Hasbean gives roasting tips for each bean, I generally follow that. There is plenty of room for experiment with it though, different profiles etc.


Other concerns: the fan that blows the beans and keeps them moving has on occasion stopped working mid roast, I think this was due to me overloading the unit. It hasn't happened recently, but you need to keep an eye on it, could potentially end in a fire.

Small amounts of chaff do escape from the unit when roasting, and tend to get dispersed around my kitchen.

Also bear in mind that the capacity of the unit is relatively small. Two 1 cup measures of beans. This is fine for me, as generally speaking two roasts a week keeps me going, and means my beans are alway fresh. But if your turnover is greater than mine, this could be a concern.

Any other question... feel free to ask.

PS: A stovetop roaster would be a cheaper introduction to home roasting if cost is an issue.

Gran Hermano

Many thanks for the reply Reactor.



All I have to say is:

Your Order Has Been Processed!

Your order has been successfully processed! Your products will arrive at their destination within 2-5 working days.

Please notify me of updates to the products I have selected below:
2 kg of Green Cuba Turquino Lavardo (ref: cub2)
2 kg of Green Guatemala Finca San Francisco Tecuamburro(reftech2
Hearthware I Roast 2 (ref IROAST2)
Pair of Bodum Pavina Glasses 9oz (ref bpav2)

Mr M, take the plunge - it feels therapeutic almost

Mr Magnolia

Yes, thanks RE*ACT*OR.

Gran Hermano wrote:

Mr M, take the plunge - it feels therapeutic almost

I will. Have a bit of reading to do first though.

RE*AC*TOR

2 kg of Green Cuba Turquino Lavardo (ref: cub2)

In stock ? No Good for espresso? Yes Good for filter? Yes

I don't know if that could be problematic or not, but perhaps email Stephen Leighton at orders@hasbean.co.uk
He's very helpful and usually responds to emails within the hour.

Also I assume you correctly ordered the 9oz Bodum Pavina glasses - these are not the espresso sized ones (don't seem to do them anymore).

Gran Hermano

Thanks again Reactor, I just noticed it only shows the stock status on the
cupping page. I took your advice and mailed Stephen.

Based on your experience with hasbean, is there an alternative you would
suggest ? (I'm looking for something similar to most Cuban coffee - sweet,
strong and full bodied with chocolate undertones - mainly for espresso).

I ordered the larger Pavina as I want them for latte/cappuccinos.

RE*AC*TOR

I don't know enough of the range to give a decent recommendation, and even if I did, some of the beans I have they no longer stock.

billyblanks

Gran Hermano...


Maybe look at ordering some of their cheaper beans, Its going to be a while before you get the hang of roasting and it would be a shame to learn on good quality beans.

If you are based in dublin I could sort you out with some green which would be perfect for learning on...

Gran Hermano

billyblanks wrote: »

Gran Hermano...


Maybe look at ordering some of their cheaper beans, Its going to be a while before you get the hang of roasting and it would be a shame to learn on good quality beans.

If you are based in dublin I could sort you out with some green which would be perfect for learning on...

Billyblanks,

Many thanks for your kind offer. I have however ordered 5kg of green
beans. I spoke to Stephen in hasbean.co.uk regarding the stock of Cuban
beans (it turns out the has them in stock but hadn't updated the status
on the website) and I also added 1kg of cheap espresso blend to use
whilst getting used to the roasting process.

Can you provide details of anyone in Dublin/Ireland who sells green beans as
an alternative to shipping in from hasbean.co.uk? I've a feeling the 5kg
will keep me going for a while but a list of alternatives for future orders
would be useful.

Mr Magnolia

Green bean providers in Ireland would be great. Stick a link or an address in one of the stickies for future reference if ye do find any

billyblanks

6Kg of beans will keep you going for a while anyway....

I dont't think there is anybody in Ireland selling green, well not for a good price anyway. I contacted a few roasters before but they were looking for silly money....

There is a site in England running a greens club, they buy bulk green a couple tims a year for trade prices €2-€3 pe KG plus shipping. you will end up with a couple of KG of 7/8 ddifferent coffees for very little money... but it is not available to Ireland...yet. could be something to look into in the future.

Best of luck with the roasting....It really is great fun.

kencleary

Well if enough of us get roasters maybe starting our own green bean club might be something worth considering!

billyblanks

get the roaster yet?

Gran Hermano

Mine arrived Monday afternoon - only ordered it on the previous Thursday.
I'm very happy with service from hasbean.co.uk

Iroast2 is smaller than I had pictured it - it's smaller than my grinder or
Gaggia and fits no problem on the counter top.


I've roasted two batches of Cuban and a batch of Guatemalan so far.
As Reactor mentioned smell is not that bad - the worst was a dark roast of
Cuban but once the extractor fan is on it's fine and it's no worse than
cooking a steak as mentioned. I've noticed that you do really need to let the beans sit for a day or more to de-gas, but even with my first steps in
roasting I must say the results are great and the crema and espresso
is to die for!

I'm looking forward to swapping notes with any fellow roasters on here
about beans and roasting profiles/temp curves as I'm sure I've a lot to
learn.

Take the plunge Mr M

Mr Magnolia

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Take the plunge Mr M

fcukers

Date Ordered: Thursday 25 October, 2007

Products

---

1 x 2 kg of Green Colombian Quebradon Relationship
1 x Hearthware I Roast 2 (ref IROAST2)

Thanks again all! My collection of equipment is getting bigger..


Looking forward to sharing some advice and tips with you all.

Mr Magnolia

The Iroast2 arrived today

Couple of questions...

OK, so I've roasted a batch of Colombian and the beans are now cooling. Do you let them rest in the machine for the 24hrs or do you generally transfer them to an airtight container?

RE*ACT*OR wrote:

There are a few pre-sets, but I don't use them. They're kind of all a bit on the light side for me. I have one roast setting I saved on the machine, and I generally kill it at various stages depending on the bean. Hasbean gives roasting tips for each bean, I generally follow that. There is plenty of room for experiment with it though, different profiles etc.

Have you found any settings that you'd recommend? I used the Preset1 to try it out, but am going to experiment as you pointed out it is on the light side. I'll have a look at the has bean recommendations.

Gran Hermano

Congrats on the new arrival.

I've roasted about a half dozen batches over the last week and
have either used preset 2 as I believe it's darker than preset 1.

Sweet Maria's seems to have a wealth of info on the Iroast2
and I'm using it as a starting point for trying to figure out my
own profiles for the beans I have.

Another page on Sweet Maria's I found useful.

I tend to dump the freshly roasted beans into a metal colander for
an hour after the cool-down cycle finishes before I transfer them to
an airtight glass jar (similar to these).

Like yourself I'm interested in how others who've more experience
roasting operate.


PS: Couple more pages with suggested profiles here and here.
Just select the beans and then view the notes on the profile suggested.

PPS: I know I found this handy for converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Mr Magnolia

Thanks Gran Hermano. I'll have a good read. Need to purchase a couple of those jars too, the tupperware just doesn't do it for me

Mr Magnolia

Had to peg the first lot of home-roasted into the bin due to a technical over-sight during roasting (I hadn't read the instructions properly )

The second lot was roasted at Preset2, beans were dark roasted as described. Superb coffee, really enjoyed it. I must actually stick a clip in the 'coffee porn' thread this evening.

banaco73

that's it you lot are driving me mad:mad:

you all have me so Jealous

I think i will be placing an order for an i roast as soon as the funds allow

Mr Magnolia

Look after the pennies and you'll be there in no time banaco. It's worth it, I should have listened to RE*ACT*OR sooner really. I'll be starting to play with the settings next week.

Gran Hermano

"[SIZE=-1]The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
Oscar Wilde
[/SIZE]

Gran Hermano

Some more suggested profiles here. Seems settings/results vary from one
iroast2 to another, but I'm going to try a couple of these tonight.

Gran Hermano

Well I've tried a couple of the roasting profiles from the thread I linked to
in my previous post and my initial impression is that the profile below matches
what I'm used to better than either of the two presets or any I've tried so
far.

3 minutes -> 160 degrees
2 minutes -> 186 degrees
2 minutes -> 198 degrees
3 minutes -> 210 degrees
5 minutes -> 218 degrees

With my iRoast2 I felt that the presets were only roasting the beans
about half as dark as the roasted beans I'd purchased in the past -
but I do have a tendency to like a dark roast, almost French Roast.
The profile above has given the beans a nice dark colour (not quiet
as dark as M&D's Cuban roast to those familar with it). There was also
a nice clean break between first and second cracks as it's a more gradual
roast over the full 15 minutes.

As always the truth of the pudding is in the tasting, so it'll be tomorrow
eve before I give them a grind and brew. I'd recommend giving the above
profile a shot, at worst you'll waste 140g of beans.

Mr Magnolia

Look forward to the report Gran Hermano. I'll probably those settings a run at the weekend. Let me know what you think.

Gran Hermano

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Look forward to the report Gran Hermano. I'll probably those settings a run at the weekend. Let me know what you think.

I let the beans sit for a day and I’m delighted with my results.

Taste and crema is much better than either the included presets or the other
profiles I’d found online. I’ll mention again that opinions and results will differ
according to the bean type, your particular roast and individual taste/roast
preferences. The Cuban beans I tried seem to have benefited from the
longer/more gradual roast. I was tempted to hit the cool-down button whilst I
still had 1-2 minutes remaining but I’m now glad I didn’t.

I’ll be using this profile as a basis for future roasts and am interested to hear
what others think of it if they try it.

Mr Magnolia

Gran Hermano wrote: »

I was tempted to hit the cool-down button whilst I still had 1-2 minutes remaining but I’m now glad I didn’t.

I was actually thinking I may do that if they start to get very dark while roasting when I read you time-lines. I'll resist the urge so.

I’ll be using this profile as a basis for future roasts and am interested to hear
what others think of it if they try it.

I'll put a batch on Friday or Saturday and let you know. It's a Columbian bean I'm on at the moment, I'm really enjoying it roasted at preset2 so I'm looking forward to trying your settings.

I'm not generally into the French Roast taste, so I'll only roast 150g, I usually put 2 loads on consecutively.

Gran Hermano

I roasted 140g for the trial batches, so 150g should result in a lighter roast.
For your first trial I'd resist ending the cycle too early, it's not as dark as a
French Roast - I'd say it's between Full City+ and Light French.
(Nowhere near as dark as M&D's Cuban roast). Whilst the duration is longer
than any of the presets the temperatures are lower, it gives the beans a
more gradual ramp-up to first crack.

Mr Magnolia

I have 150g on now. I'll have a report back tomorrow or sunday :-)

Gran Hermano

Just roasted 145g of Guatemala Finca San Francisco Tecuamburro.
Noticed with these beans I had to hit the cool-down before the full 15
minutes were up. Reckon I ended the cycle with about 90 seconds left.

Mr Magnolia

I'm enjoying that roast Gran Hermano. I'd a double earlier after lunch, going to try another now. Probably put another 150g's tomorrow to last me the week.

Mr Magnolia

Just looking to make a purchase of my next batch of green beans. Some of the prices vary considerably on hasbean. Have any of you tried some of the more expensive beans yet?

Any recommendations for my next purchase, I'm jsut finished a Colombian bean? You had good results with a Cuban bean Gran Hermano? I may try that one.

Gran Hermano

I'm also in the process of putting an order in today, want to make sure
I've enough to keep me going over the Christmas period and with the
slow post at this time of year I'm afraid of running out!
(I'm down to less than a kilo in total from the beans I ordered last time).

From my last order I liked the following Cuban and the Guatemalan beans:
- Green Guatemala Finca San Franciso
- Green Cuba Turquino Lavardo

I'll be stocking up on these again as even when I was buying
roasted beans in the past I've found Cuban/Guatamalan have the taste
and body I like in a coffee. I'll probably pick up a couple of kilos of espresso
blends and maybe a few 250g bags of other beans to try out alternatives.

As you know I'm a fan of the Cuban coffees; the Guatemalan blends
provide a 'lighter' alternative. I find the Guatemalan needs a lighter roast
than the Cuban (on the profile I'm using I tend to end it 2-3 minutes
before the full 15 minutes are up whereas I'll let the Cuban beans run for
14-15 minutes).

Postage on Hasbean comes in at a minimum of GBP16 for up to 9-10kg and
then GBP20 for next parcel size up - so it makes sense to buy in bulk to
spread the postage costs per kilo.

Mr Magnolia

I'm on the Green Cuba Turquino Lavardo at the moment, purchased a 2kg bag. I'm roasting it to your guidelines Gran Hermano. It is possibly the best coffee I've had. Cubans do seem to be my favourite.

I also purchased 250g of the Green Nicaraguan El Limoncillo, I wasn't pushed at all. I may have over-roasted them for my preferences which didn't help either.

I purchased a couple of others too but it'll be the cuban over christmas I'd say.

Gran Hermano

Glad you're enjoying it Mr M, be warned though it'll be hard to drink
and enjoy anything else as they'll taste bland in comparison !

I roasted a batch of the premium espresso blend and it should have rested
and degassed by the time I get home this eve. I'll let you know my thoughts.

I haven't tried that particular Nicaraguan bean, but it gets great reviews and
won Cup of Excellence awards.
Some cupping notes on hasbean and here:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.central.nicaragua.html

Seems it prefers a lighter roast.

Mr Magnolia

Yeah, the dark roast didn't suit it at all. The reviews were what led me to try it.

I've the premium blend in the press myself, I may try a batch over christmas. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Mr Magnolia

I'm on the Guatemala Finca San Francisco now. The cupping notes recommend roasting just beyond the second crack. I tried the iroast's preset2 and it seems to work well with it. I've a 2kg bag of it so I'll be searching for a good roast. Definitely wouldn't like to roast it for much longer than I am though.

Khannie

Sorry to bump this one, but I'm interested in the economics of it......

Do you think your home roaster has paid for itself? I go through about 500-750g of coffee a week at home. I'd be interested to hear how much you lot go through, and if it has increased since you bought your home roasters.

RE*AC*TOR

I go through about 450g-600g a week. About 3 batches on the iRoast.

It doesn't matter whether it has paid for itself or not (it has), moreso:

1. I have constant access to freshly roasted coffee.
2. I have access to varieties of coffee I would never have had otherwise.

Gran Hermano

RE*AC*TOR, has beaten me to it!
I agree 100% with his points, whilst there are savings in roasting your
own it's the non-monetary benefits that justify roasting your own beans.

I believe there is an old post on here from RE*AC*TOR outlining the
savings but again it's the fact I can keep a supply of various green
beans at home and roast them as and when I need them to ensure
I have the roasted beans I want as fresh as possible.

Khannie

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

1. I have constant access to freshly roasted coffee.

This is becoming an issue for me. I don't get to go to M&D's as often as I'd like and find myself running out of beans. Last weekend I had to buy ground stuff in the local supermarket. First time in ages I've used stuff from the supermarket. Rank. I think I'm becoming a coffee snob.

Still though....funds are limited and my wife has an aversion to "extra gadgets" entering the house, so I'd need to sell it to her too.

edit: Didn't see your post before replying GH. Hmmmmm.

RE*AC*TOR

Khannie wrote: »

Still though....funds are limited and my wife has an aversion to "extra gadgets" entering the house, so I'd need to sell it to her too.

Tell your wife to shut up :pac:

Khannie

ROFL. :D:D










lowercase letters.

RE*AC*TOR

If you want to dazzle her with some numbers this is from an old post of mine:

Bear in mind sterling is cheaper now so the savings are even greater.

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

Just for a comparison on prices for a moment on buying green beans from Hasbean vs roasted from M&D

1. Cuban €8 per 250g. Hasbean Cuba Turquino Lavardo £15 for 2kg
2. Java €8 per 250. Hasbean Old Brown Java £11.95 for 2kg
3. Guatamalan €7 per 250g. Hasbean Green Guatemala Finca Entre Rios Organic £14.99 for 2kg
4. Colombian €6 per 250g. Hasbean Colombian Cup of Excellence Mirador-Jesus Lizcano £25 per 2kg
5. Jamaica Blue Mountain €52 per 250g Hasbean Jamaican Blue mountain Mavis Bank £88 per 2kg


Taking into account £1 = €1.47, and that the roasted weight of coffee is about 20% less -

1. €32/kg Vs €13/kg
2. €32/kg Vs €11/kg
3. €28/kg Vs €14/kg
4. €24/kg Vs €23/kg
5. €208/kg Vs €80/kg

In all cases where more than one type of coffee from the same region was available I chose the most expensive (eg the Colombian from Hasbean is an award winning coffee).

Shipping for 8kgs worked out at about €24 for me the last time (2 day delivery). Shipping gets less expensive (relative to the overall price) the more you buy.

And obviously you need something to roast the beans in.

Worth bearing in mind in the overall scheme of your coffee budget.

liamoross

Does anybody know of a company that will ship a hottop roaster to ireland??

donnacha

liamoross wrote: »

Does anybody know of a company that will ship a hottop roaster to ireland??

Have a read of this thread - they mention a contact at Hoptop direct that you can send an email - sounds like they keep some stock locally in UK:

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?9923-Wanted-Hottop-roaster-B

Zagato

Is it just me or has the cost of green beans shot up dramatically relative to roasted beans over the last number of years, just from looking at this thread and current prices on Has Bean.

liamoross

donnacha wrote: »

Have a read of this thread - they mention a contact at Hoptop direct that you can send an email - sounds like they keep some stock locally in UK:


Thanks Donnacha.
Shelly got back to me and I'm going to go ahead and purchase the roaster.
Can you give me advice on the best sites to buy green beans??

Thanks!