# would the Eddingtons 1-Piece Traditional Popcorn Maker work for coffee roasting



## MightyRed (Aug 9, 2017)

Hi I recently bought a Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roaster it's good but I have to do a few batches and was wondering if anyone had used something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eddingtons-1-Piece-Traditional-Popcorn-Maker/dp/B008635EUE

I'm not sure if it would be good with it possibly being aluminum.

Regards

Andy


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I've seen those recommended before but from what I've read you'll have to make a modification to the sweeper to tumble rather than stir the beans. The mods are simple though.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Not the same thing but I tried one of these recently. They are popular as coffee roaster but the quantity of beans is limited. I'd say about 75gm. Very very little smoke though.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Severin-117803-Popcorn-Maker-White/dp/B00008WV6Z/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506625245&sr=8-1&keywords=severin+popcorn

I also tried one of these but sent it back

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halogen-Popcorn-Maker-Home-Machine/dp/B018QU19R8/ref=sr_1_30_sspa?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1506625414&sr=1-30-spons&keywords=popcorn+maker&psc=1

It's too easy to burn the beans. The arm that sweeps around just pushes the beans about rather than turning them.

The Severin needs manual stirring initially and some just in case once they start hopping about. After having a few 2nd cracks I turned it of and stirred by hand and had a lot more. Next time I use it I will probably do that on 1st crack and a couple of times while they are roasting. The heat is there and stirring helps distribute it.

I used a Kenco coffee tin as a tube to keep the beans in and prevent the transparent cover from overheating. It's a similar diameter to the metal tin that's in the machine and fits around it fairly nicely. It might also be a suitable item to convert it to a roaster like this one

https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/freshroast-sr500

John

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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Ah the old turbo crazy. I almost did that before getting the gene cafe. You need to replace the halogen part with the lid of an actual halogen oven and space it from the base with a metal collar. I saw some designs with vents cut into the collar at an angle so the opening faces away from the beans as they are turned allowing chaff removal. You still need to modify the sweeper arms with some aluminium off eBay and maybe even replace some additional stuff above the motor that are susceptible to the high heat from coffee roasting.


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## MightyRed (Aug 9, 2017)

I did also look at this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B071ZGFDHF/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506775973 but not sure if it is any good have seen it cheaper on ebay but dispatched from china


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## DaveP (Jul 14, 2017)

MightyRed said:


> I did also look at this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B071ZGFDHF/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506775973 but not sure if it is any good have seen it cheaper on ebay but dispatched from china


No chaff removal..

Much better would be the 'SCTO' method

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SCTO+coffee+roasting


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

This is what I managed with the Severin popcorn maker but only around 75g. I stopped after a number of 2nd cracks.









The whirly popcorn maker didn't turn the beans over so more where just done on one side and burnt. About the same number of 2nd cracks as the Severin. Lots of smoke but hardly any on the Severin. I did in the kitchen and my wife didn't even notice - she returned about 1hr after I had finished.








I usually do manage to take shots that are in focus.

John

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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Hardly any beans; hardly any smoke.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I didn't see any smoke unlike the other type I linked to. I wondered if that was down to a more suitable temperature but true even a tiny amount coming off will get worse as the number of beans increase. The beans look darker in real life with about 10-15% looking lighter.

If I do any more with it I'll get some welders gauntlets to help with the stirring as the air that comes off is pretty hot. A suggestion on youtube suggests loading it up until the beans start turning a bit slower - it looked like he did have some sort of heat resistant glove on. I just filled the scoop that comes with it. There are enough beans to try blending a bit of robusta into something else but only a relatively small amount.








I'm slowly getting bits for a Mk2 that uses a drum. I suspect the only certain way of roasting evenly is to tumble the beans as they are heated. No clues from my rpm question so am going to try 30.

John

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## MightyRed (Aug 9, 2017)

ajohn said:


> I'm slowly getting bits for a Mk2 that uses a drum. I suspect the only certain way of roasting evenly is to tumble the beans as they are heated. No clues from my rpm question so am going to try 30.
> 
> John
> 
> -


Hi John. This Roasting machine on amazon suggests 25 rpm as an ideal speed for even roasting.

Do you have any pictures of ur project be interesting to see.

Andy


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

DaveP said:


> No chaff removal..
> 
> Much better would be the 'SCTO' method
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SCTO+coffee+roasting


You could add a spacer collar with chaff removal slits and a bean mass probe. Even add a fan to suck smoke out and vary airflow.


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## DaveP (Jul 14, 2017)

Rob1 said:


> You could add a spacer collar with chaff removal slits and a bean mass probe. Even add a fan to suck smoke out and vary airflow.


Indeed you could, but then its sorta kinda just turning it into a modified SCTO... maybe


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

That's all it is, but with the plate being warmed directly rather than with a halogen oven lid (the latter probably being better). The upside is the innards and paddles should be able to withstand the heat from a halogen lid without modification. They should also work to tumble rather than stir the beans but I wouldn't hold my breath. I wouldn't recommend getting it simply because it's an unknown product and you can easily make something yourself which is known and documented like the SCTO.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

The ovens used with the SCTO types seem to be called halogen ovens in the UK. Lots on amazon. People do seem to use rings to space the heater away from the beans also one video seems to show the user switching the oven off periodically. A search for air fryer brings up an attachment for these ovens that consists of a ring with holes in it. One looks like the hole size is adjustable. Pass on how well this would all fit on a popcorn maker. The advantage is the stirrer in them doesn't have to do so much any more as some heat is probably coming up from the metal work as well as from the oven. As they come I found this type of popcorn maker hopeless just used on there own and mods I have seen to the stirrer don't really move the beans about all over the heated surface or turn the beans over reliably really.

My idea is loosely based on a picture I saw on the web of what was I suspect a pro small batch roaster. Gas heated a metal plate and the drum - solid, not mesh - sat above that. So I am going to try an electric PID version of something like that as the controllers are cheap. I could have all sorts of problems. A cheap motor for instance is only 14w so may not be powerful enough. I may find I need to contain the radiated heat from the heating arrangement.. Have to wait and see. The other problem is I have lots to do that aren't being done so it will take a while to try it.

John

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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

ajohn said:


> This is what I managed with the Severin popcorn maker but only around 75g. I stopped after a number of 2nd cracks.
> 
> View attachment 29438
> 
> ...


Looking around I saw a comment that the way to check roasted beans is to split one open. I did and suspect it's NVG. I split a commercially roasted been and it was an even dark brown colour all through also some what porous. The ones above aren't like that and even have some small white patches.

So will have to try a MkII mod. Adding a regulator to the heater for one and a bit more thought about the cannister for the beans. I watched a video of a Fresh Roast by some one who did use a popcorn maker before and also another by some one who had more experience using them. Looks to me like an initial lower temperature is essential. The regulator cost £3.99 so why not. I may have found something off the shelf from a shop that might make a much better bean container too. Have to try it and see.

John

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