Wanted: Hottop

[NottmSteve]

Anyone out there got one that is now gathering dust?
As readers of my recent post will know, I am between a coffee subscription, and a hottop.
Surely someone has one they just do not need?! Most of you coffee nuts have too much kit...

Cheers
Steve

[nickr]

What is your mains voltage? if its low don't get a basic Hotop or you'll have to variac to get reasonable roast times.

[GeorgeW]

Not if you live up here you won't. All is perfection over the border.

[nickr]

Just realised - Location - Nottingham - M1 Jnc 24 - A453 - Ratcliff on Soar power station, if you haven't got 240volts go and knock on the door

[Cookie]

I'm fine with mine, just outside london, as long as I dont roast when the oven/dishwasher/washing ,machine is on.

having said that, have looked and you'll be hard pushed to find a UK, let alone EU one second hand in good nick.

[NottmSteve]

"If its low.. don't get a basic hottop"...
£640 rather than £330...

Does it pay to spend £300 just cos you have wandering mains! There is no way I would pay £640 for a coffee roaster. Just what does that £300 buy?!

Beside some electrics, I'm lost. Surely the main cost is in the production. What can be on the £640 version that makes it almost double!

[fred25]

well I'm pretty sure you can find a variac for less than £300, so even if you buy a basic and want a variac you'll end paying 'only' £450. I haven't had my mains tested (some of them voltmeters - is that the right word? - at the cheap end of the scale are so unreliable, you'll end up paying a lot of money for having them tested as well by a proper voltmeter, before you test your mains in order to buy a variac cheap eh? ) - but have a feeling my mains are quite low in voltage, so I simply 'downdose' ( ) the roasting amount - typically 210-220g - problem solved!

(as for the more advanced hottop: it is a programmable model, so you can create your own temp curves etc. - though £640 is a pretty hefty price tag. You might want to wait for the behmor to arrive to europe, if you can be patient enough - not as programmable but looking promising nonetheless, and should be a lot cheaper!)

[bruceb]

This discussion is a bit misleading, I believe. All roasters that use electric heaters are sensitive to line voltage fluctuations. Hot-air roasters (like the Gene) react differently than radiant heater roasters (like the HT). A hot-air or fluid-bed roaster will roast darker if you put more beans in it, a radiant heat roaster requires a reduced bean load to do the same. However, both will need longer to achieve a certain roast level if the mains voltage is low. The programmable HT is just as sensitive to low voltage as the standard HT.

The mains voltage may be low because the electric company is providing too low a value (old lines, long distances). If it is below a certain value (forgot what that is in the UK) you can complain and they will have to do something about it.

The voltage may also be too low because the wiring in your house is inadequate or you have too many high-wattage devices running on one-and-the-same feed. Also, in older installations corrosion builds up at the various connexions within the house causing resistance to increase and voltage to drop. The ideal solution here would be to run a heavy duty new cable directly from the electric distribution cabinet (meter box) to the roaster. Unfortunately, not everyone is such a dedicated coffee roaster that he or she will make this effort. Alternatively, one can make sure that no other high-wattage machines (dryer, washer, dish washer, space heater, etc.) are running when roasting.

Alternatively, a variac (special type of transformer) can be used to increase and stabilise the voltage. These can be had from e-bay for a reasonable price, but they are quite heavy and cumbersome. It's important to get one that will handle the 1.5kw or more required by the roaster! This is undoubtedly the best solution for most people who are having trouble with low voltage.

A relatively accurate voltmeter can be had for a few quid from a reliable electric parts supplier. A small analog meter may actually be more accurate than a cheap digital.

[Slimboyfat]

Have you got a gas hob? Why not get a whirly, to see if you are going to roast long term and then move on to a Hottop or a gene if you feel the need?

[Cookie]

I found a Whirely a great starting point, got hooked and also got lazy.

the Hottop is great for reliable repeatable results in the brief time i've had it, still think fondly of the whirley but its unlikely i'll use it again

[fred25]

checking on sweetmarias website, it seems that the new basic hottop has a built-in line voltage control thingy which eliminates the need for a variac, as well as some in-roast controls (target time, target temp etc.) plus a shiny digital control panel - might want to check with steve when these will arrive in the UK!

[NottmSteve]

Over to you Steve...

and no one has yet explained what the extra £300 does beyond a bit of tweaking. I still can't work out what is worth £300 if the whole thing is only that to start with!

[CakeBoy]

I think it relates to the wholesale proce that Hottop chose to charge Steve for the newer model rather than something of his choice.

[NottmSteve]

Of course it relates to what they charge!
I was asking more what the cash bought you, not why he wanted the £300 extra! Market value should correspond somewhat to parts etc. Just wondered what the huge extra was related to in terms of hardware/software/gizmo stuff.
I ca\n't figure £300 for a simple electronic panel upgrade!

[GeorgeW]

I suppose the point is that it's an upgrade and is priced as it is because buyers will see the new model as desirable and would be willing to pay the extra. What is in fact what has happened as I understand. I don't think the price is directly related to the extra software and any other additions but is about what the market will stand.