# Getting started with Roasting - Suppliers needed



## VagabondMalta (Apr 19, 2020)

Hi all. Let's start at the beginning.

I currently run a coffee business in the middle of the Med. I am selling beans under my own label and currently have a few smaller independent shops stocking it (obviously the orders have dried up due to the lock down and no tourists). Now as well as supplying a few shops, I am also building a coffee truck. This is a converted Maruti Gypsy (Suzuki Samurai but longer) and it will be fitted to supply a cup of coffee as well as selling beans/grounds for home use.

I currently but my beans locally and my supplier does the roasting and I put together the blend. What I am also looking to do is roast small batches (500g/1kg) for a subscription service. I have done a lot of skillet roasting and now I am looking at spending some money on a machine. The biggest issue I have is that I live in Malta, a tiny island in the middle of the Med and even Amazon sometimes won't deliver here.

So my questions are, when can I buy a small roaster?

Which one should I buy?

My budget is around 2k (pounds or euros). I have been having a look at a lot already and I really like the look of the Quest M6 (though there are no reviews. It's just a bigger version of the M3) and the Cormorant and they are around the same price. The difference is the M6 is ready to ship and while I messaged Johan at Cormarant on Friday to see what the lead time would be, I am still awaiting a reply.

I welcome and appreciate and suggestions.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I wouldn't buy less than a 1kg roaster, otherwise it will be too small to make it worthwhile.


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

Agree with Dave. I started on a 1kg and I outgrew that pretty quick. Trying to do it on anything smaller would be a total non starter in my opinion.


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## VagabondMalta (Apr 19, 2020)

> DavecUK said:
> 
> 
> > I wouldn't buy less than a 1kg roaster, otherwise it will be too small to make it worthwhile.
> ...


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Good luck with your venture.


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## RDC8 (Dec 6, 2016)

So why do you now want to roast your own? Is your local roaster no longer operating? Why not continue to build your brand, promote the subscription side of your business, and continue to purchase from your supplier?

Just a thought


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## VagabondMalta (Apr 19, 2020)

> RDC8 said:
> 
> 
> > So why do you now want to roast your own? Is your local roaster no longer operating?
> ...


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## RDC8 (Dec 6, 2016)

Charity shops in Egham are great - especially the bookshop!

For a portable roaster you might want to also consider a Behmor (I had one for a few years) or a Aelio Bullet (this has mixed reviews as a commercial roaster but might suit your situation). I dont think either of these are CE certified but you can probably import one directly.

If the longer term plan is to roast for subscription + sell from your truck + sell through shops + sell coffee beverages then I think you will need at least a 1kg roaster. May not be overly portable, but I have seen a few projects converting a van to a mobile roastery.

Good luck with the project


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## VagabondMalta (Apr 19, 2020)

Thanks RDC8. The Behmor I think will definitely not suit my needs. I like the look of the bullet. I am just thinking from a practical standpoint it wouldn't work on the truck due to the heavy electrical usage. I will have the coffee machine (1500w) and the grinder (500x) running on a generator (3kw max /2800w recomended) and wanted to leave it at that as the generator will only pull power when needed (when the boiler needs heating/grinder is being used). Everything else will run on solar/batteries (fridge 100w, 12v lights, 12v cooler, gas/12v water geyser). I think a gas roaster is defo the way to go and I think I will have to save up a few more pennies in order to acquire one. I was offered a 2kg gas roaster last month but only if I could go across to Italy to collect it but that's just not possible at the moment so hopefully they will still have it available afterwards and I can find something a bit smaller for the truck.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

This may sound obvious but just in case..

If your intention is to roast at each site and sell then you will need more than 1 person as leaving any roaster unattended (possibly bullet excepted) to attend to customers is not only a potentially bad idea for quality / consistency but also one of potential for fire!

I may have missed how you going to make this work in practice so apologies if have, but the thought of a roaster (especially gas powered) operating in a van whilst you attention elsewhere made me shudder and if you ignoring your potential customers to keep an eye on the roast then won't take long to wander off. Roasting literally to order sounds ideal in principle but too small a roaster then can't see how you going to make a living out of it, too big and you have taken away the individuality for every other bag from that roast batch (hope that makes sense) in which case you would be better served roasting remotely away from the van and taking stock with you.

Wishing you all the best.

John


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## VagabondMalta (Apr 19, 2020)

johnealey said:


> This may sound obvious but just in case..
> 
> If your intention is to roast at each site and sell then you will need more than 1 person as leaving any roaster unattended (possibly bullet excepted) to attend to customers is not only a potentially bad idea for quality / consistency but also one of potential for fire!
> 
> I may have missed how you going to make this work in practice so apologies if have, but the thought of a roaster (especially gas powered) operating in a van whilst you attention elsewhere made me shudder and if you ignoring your potential customers to keep an eye on the roast then won't take long to wander off. Roasting literally to order sounds ideal in principle but too small a roaster then can't see how you going to make a living out of it, too big and you have taken away the individuality for every other bag from that roast batch (hope that makes sense) in which case you would be better served roasting remotely away from the van and taking stock with you.


 Hey John. Let me clarify 

This is an evening and weekends thing to start off with so the truck will only be working SAS, the evening will be for deliveries and roasting.

There will always be me plus one other on the truck. The main reason being the licencing. To run a street hawkers licence, you have to be with the vehicle at all times otherwise you can be classed as blocking a carriage way/foot path (even if you are parked perfectly within a marked parking space). It also makes sense to have an extra person just in case one of us needs the toilet or we have to stock up on something (the island is small and my unit is right in the middle so no more than 30 minutes each way).

The idea of having the roaster there is not so much roasting for a demand but as something to pull people in. How many of use outside of roasting/coffee business have ever been up close and personal with coffee roasting? My idea is to not only use it for roasting but as a USP. You can walk right up to the truck and see the roaster doing it's think, all nice and shiny. Also, it could run cold, i.e. just have some roasted beans in the drum with them swirling around to give the impression they are freshly roasted (and so people don't burn themselves).

Finally, when I say truck I think most people are thinking of a catering unit, a 3x2m box of sorts. In reality, the truck is a Maruti Gypsy King that I am modifying. This makes it a lot easier for me to travel to different areas of the island given the lack of parking in some places to get a trailer in or the fact the roasts are not the best.

I really appreciate you picking up on these things though. I have learnt so much these last couple of weeks from different forums and no doubt there will be something that I have overlooked somewhere. If having the roaster on the truck turns out to be just not feasible then it won't happen but if I don't try I will never know


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