Home coffee roasting

[LazyEngineer]

I am thinking about going with this model:Hearthware i-Roast
Anybody have any experience with this or any other coffee roaster? How much smoke am I looking at? Anybody tried roasting in the garage in central texas? Am I going to be smoked out? Is this thing worth the money?

 

[Horn_Spanker]

I worked on the SW corner of the intersection of Lavaca and 4th when Ruta Maya was on the NE corner. Their roasting stunk and formed huge clouds of smoke.

 

[suttree]

You are taking your coffee addiction to the next level, and for that you should be congratulated. Where do you get green beans?

 

[EEE]

i roast about twice a week using a westbend poppery 2 hot-air popcorn popper. been doing it my garage, but as the weather is getting nicer, i think i'll switch to the patio. there is a lot of smoke, especially if you go for a darker roast, and it's not as pleasant as you would think.

i get great coffee from the popcorn popper - something i was gonna throw away before i discovered the green beans. i'd give that a shot before dropping $180 on a roaster.

go for the 4# sampler pack at sweet marias and take notes on which coffees you like and how you roasted them. i think they only let you order that once. also get a bunch of the coffee bags with co2 valves - great for gifts.

 

[goofybevo]

Your house will smell like ***.

 

[LazyEngineer]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[EEE]

using dryer vent - could stink up the dryer if the smoke gets in there. also i think it would put a load on the machine and change the roast parameters some.

a kitchen vent hood should be able to handle it, unless you have one of those that just uses a cheesy filter and recirculates the air.

 

[feelgood]

I had the best advice and recommendations to give you. It was a veritable PHD dissertation I tell you, about 500 words, double spaced! Then I go to hit post and notice the cable light on my modem is off. GONE. So now you can hate Cox Cable like I do.

Here the 5 second version.
Home Roasting--fun, lots of stuff to try (and learn)
iRoast-don't have one, wish I did--noisy, larger batch size means more smoke.
The smoke? Up to first crack I think it smells great--goes down after that, so watch out for dark roasts.

get the variety pack--but get some other stuff too as I went through it pretty quick.

Sweet Marias is a great resource, but keep in mind Tom tends to like the unique flavors of specialty coffees. Don't expect a get a cup of Folgers from his beans.

Invest in a French Press because it maximizes body and air roasting minimizes it.

 

[LazyEngineer]

Thanks for the recommendations. I already have a french press. My grinder sucks though (whirly blade). I'm going to have to get a much better grinder.

All I'm really looking for is the ability to make at least Starbucks quality roasts - just good straight dark coffee - for a cheaper price. I just can't justify $10-12 per pound as quick as I go through the stuff. I think I could make a $180 machine pay itself off in a year.

How does the coffee you guys make compare to what you can get at the supermarket?

 

[EEE]

i'd like to think that my coffee is better than the supermarket's, or even starbucks, but i've never done a blind test, and probably won't ever do one. all i need to know is that its damn good and really fresh. roasting itself is half the fun, plus i save a few bucks.

burr type grinder gives a more even grind than the blade type. i have an old braun that works well.

 

[Anastasis]

I have one of the earlier Hearthware models, the Precision, that I ordered from Sweet Marias. I usually just put the roaster under the kitchen vent over the range, or if its nice outside, plug it in on the front porch.

The smell emitting from a coffee jar full of fresh roasted beans is

Oh, and the coffee you will roast with that machine will make starbucks taste like burnt ***.

 

[LazyEngineer]

mmmmm..... burnt ***....

 

[TennesseeHorn]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[LazyEngineer]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[RiceHorn04]

Can anyone recommend a quality coffee maker? I know there are more flavorful ways to brew, but I need something that doesn't make a mess and is as quick and painless as possible.