I am looking for a good/inexpensive at home coffee roaster?

I am looking for a good/inexpensive at home coffee roaster?

Q : Any one have a recommendation or on line referance? I understand popcorn poppers (hot air) will work and best to use one with side vents. any suggestion on brand or where to obtain. I would love to have the name of a good/inexpensive grinder as well. Thanks!
A : The gOdiva people make a good machine and all you have to do uis subscribe to their coffee and then cancel it

Does anyone have a suggestion on what model and brand of home coffee roaster I should purchase?

Q : I want to buy a coffee roaster for my husband for his birthday. The problem is that I have no idea what one to get. He is REALLY into his coffee being freshly roasted and has a friend who roasts his own and just loves it. If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it. My husband is a wonderful, hardworking man who deserves a special gift.
A : I've been roasting for years.

I started with the Fresh Roast 8
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.freshroast.php

It is great for a first-time roaster, but it can't do large nough amounts for someone who drinks a lot of coffee. Mine lasted for about 4 years with plenty of use.

For larger amounts try the Gene Cafe
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.genecafe.php

It will let him do plenty of roasting and gives plenty of control.

My current method is actually the cheapest, but I actually enjoy the hands-on of it. I now use a heat gun.
http://www.homeroaster.com/heatgun.html
http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/heatgun/
http://www.instructables.com/id/SZ2TY3EF3GAG1LS/

This you have to do outside as there is a lot of smoke & chaf gets everywhere, but I love it. My method is a little different than what's described. I bought a strainer that fits the rim of a steel bowl perfectly. It allows the hot air to circulate better. I can roast a weeks worth of coffee in about 20-30 minutes.

Update: Yeah, VC, I get almost all my green from them.

What is the best home coffee bean roaster for the money?

Q : I can't afford a huge price but I do want to make sure that there are enough roasting settings to make it worth the money.

Thank you.
A : I bought a popcorn popper. One with the vents on the sides instead of the mesh on the bottom. I then bought a long BBQ thermometer from Lowes, drilled a hole in the butter dish so the probe reached into the coffee. I then roast a half cup until the second crack begins which is almost at 450â ( it sounds like a sizzling ). I have a bowl under the outlet to catch the chafe and I do it outside. I dump the roasted beans into strainers and colanders, transferring them between them to cool them quickly. The popcorn popper has to be at least 1,000 watts, the higher, the better. The approach is called a fluid bed roaster and most of the coffee roasters on the market are the same thing but they automatically turn off the heat while keeping the fan on to cool. The difference is price and the ability to say you made your own coffee roaster.

Roaster settings aren't as important as experience with identifying the cracks and the temperatures. I find that the weather affects the roasting, a cold day results in a long roast.

Some people cut open their poppers, put the fan on a separate switch and the heater on a rheostat so they can control the roast profile and cool the coffee in the popper.

Where can I buy a home coffee roaster in Chicago, not online. Target only sells them online.?

Q : I want to buy a home coffee roaster as a birthday gift but it's kind of last minute and don't have time to wait for it to be shipped. I already looked at Walmart, Target and Home Depot but they dont have anything.
A : kmart, bed bath and beyond, linens & things, crate and barrel, carson's, fields, jcpenney, sears, khols

I am looking for a good/inexpensive at home coffee roaster? » home coffee roaster » home coffee roaster

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