Which roaster?

[Jonny782]

I have used a popcorn maker but want to buy a roaster. I'm thinking of buying th Hearthware I Roast Home Roaster which is about £125 (185 euros) and seems to be the only one around that price.

Is this a reasonable idea, or should i go for a second hand better model around the same price?

I live in London but happen to be cycling in the Netherlands (don't know where abouts yet) in a couple of weeks and gather that is the place for second hand gear.

[bruceb]

You will need to tell us how much coffee you use per week or something similar. The iRoast has a small capacity, however is perfectly usable if the batch size fits your needs. Finding used Genes or HotTops is not easy, but they do turn up (sometimes even here on TMC). You might find a used Alpenröst, which does a fine job of roasting 200+ g batches if you treat it as a completely manual machine and learn to judge results without being able to see the beans. To my knowledge these are the only 3 roasters with a new price of less than about 1000 GBP.

[technojock]

Is that a Prima popcorn maker, or a Whirley Pop? What don't you like about it?

[Jonny782]

I make about 20 cappuccinos a week.

i was using the Prima popcorn maker, which worked OK, but i found it irksome having to switch it off and on every half a minute and stir it when switched off, for 12 minutes or so and just haven't been getting around to roasting a pack of green beans I bought ages ago.

sounds as tho' the I-Roast does as good a job as the Genes or Hottops or Alpenroast but smaller quantities and takes up less space?

[psychomansam]

If you get the i-roast make sure it's the i-roast2, not its predecessor. It's a fairly decent roaster, but personally when faced with the same dilemma, i waited round for a while and then bought a used hottop(from a tmc member's clubroom advert). I think that route will probably be more rewarding for you as well as it allows for more reasonable sized batches.

20 cappucinos a week easily justifies the larger roast batch on a hottop. If you had an i-roast, you'd have to roast multiple batches each week, and i suspect would get bored/frustrated with it as you have with the popper. Sams advice - hold out for a hottop if possible or else gene/alpenrost etc.
good luck!

[Jonny782]

If you get the i-roast make sure it's the i-roast2, not its predecessor. It's a fairly decent roaster, but personally when faced with the same dilemma, i waited round for a while and then bought a used hottop(from a tmc member's clubroom advert). I think that route will probably be more rewarding for you as well as it allows for more reasonable sized batches.

20 cappucinos a week easily justifies the larger roast batch on a hottop. If you had an i-roast, you'd have to roast multiple batches each week, and i suspect would get bored/frustrated with it as you have with the popper. Sams advice - hold out for a hottop if possible or else gene/alpenrost etc.
good luck!

Thank you that sounds sensible advice, i shall keep an eye out. i had not noticed the members clubroom. what sort of price wd we be talking and wd it be any Hottop?

[psychomansam]

Hey Jonny, a hottop original(or alpentrost etc) on here is likely to go for around £150, depending on age of the unit and the price the seller wants. Would be more on ebay. You could always try a wanted ad in the members clubroom - tho saying that i have no idea what the etiquette code on that is!

[Jonny782]

Hey Jonny, a hottop original(or alpentrost etc) on here is likely to go for around £150, depending on age of the unit and the price the seller wants. Would be more on ebay. You could always try a wanted ad in the members clubroom - tho saying that i have no idea what the etiquette code on that is!

Oke, i'll try that in a couple of weeks. thanks Sam (psycho?)

[Rafiffi]

Hi Jonny,

why do you exclude the Gene CBR101 from your considerations . If you start roasting especially the Gene offers a very nice controll to get even roasts. You can watch the roasting process through the pyrex glass drum at any time and have direct controll about time and temperatur with 2 knobs. On the Hottop you have a fixed profile and filters that need care and cleaning access is not gorgeous.

Reinhold

[bluevalentine]

Cleaning is not much of a problem with a Hotty. Empty the tray, then out with the vacuum cleaner hose and vac out the drum, bean chute and back of the tray. Takes about 2 minutes. Clean the inside of the sight glass with a J-cloth and a spot of detergent cream every 3rd or 4th roast. Filters are easy to change.
Personally if you can at all afford it I'd pass up the I-Roast2 stage and go straight to Gene or HotTop. You'll do that eventually anyway.

[Jonny782]

Oke - Gene CBR101 or Hotty it will be. if i can locate a seller. i'll look into putting a wanted notice up in a couple of weeks after i'm back from Holland (cycling) thanks Guys.

[bruceb]

There's a Gene for sale here.

[lukas]

Now that's coincidence

[zapty]

Go for it...

[Jonny782]

Got this too late... still looking. One on fleabay starting £200 but seller reticent about age of machine ridiculouslylongebayurltruncatedbythemodstostopthepageformatgoingmad!
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