# Home roasting



## Sgwyn (Jul 3, 2019)

Hello,

I'm a coffee enthusiast who is eager to start roasting at home. Can anyone suggest a good starter roaster that will allow me start on my roasting journey?

Thank you in advance.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Welcome aboard!
Most importantly, what's your budget?
You can get means of roasting for 10-20 quid as well as for a couple grand 

What are you interested in, specifically?
Is it taste, or faffing about, or technology (like modding, DIY or so)...

Or maybe, what are your expectations?
Better coffee, learning curve, a new hobby, bigger plans...


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## Sgwyn (Jul 3, 2019)

Thanks for the reply.

it will start as a new hobby. Interested in the process and want to experiment a bit. Enjoy a good cup of pour over in independent coffee shops rather than extremely dark roasted coffee in chains.

Budget would be between 500 - 1,000? Don't mind new or 2nd hand?


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

many start with a Gene Cafe CBR-101, others with a popcorn machine (1200W+, solid chamber bottom, e. g. Westbend Poppery II, LeCaf PCP-707, Trisa Popcorn Classic to name a few) . Good thing with both (otherwise pretty different) is limited variables to take care of and plenty options for modifications at a later stage... if you buy used you could always sell for a similar price.

Hope this helps you to kick off some research, looking forward to reading bout your next steps


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## Sgwyn (Jul 3, 2019)

Great, thanks.

Also looking at a hottop B? More control over variables? Some reviews complain about the amount of smoke it releases. Have you come accross at smoke extraction system for the Hottop?


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Roasting coffee produces smoke, bigger batch sizes even more so - especially noticeable the darker you roast. Anyways, you'll need to look into proper ventilation or go outside for the job 

The hottop surely is a great piece of kit, although I wouldn't recommend it to kickstart your adventure. Less control also means more focus on available variables and possible troubleshooting. But others on here might take a different approach.

My personal experience stems from starting with a popcorn machine, then switching to the Quest M3 which is fully manual. It took me a long time to accomodate - suddenly I had so many options to get it wrong!

In the end of the day, roasting is a brilliant way to burn money  I'd say, if a popcorn machine doesn't convince you, look out for a used Gene and spend the rest on greens.


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

Gene Cafe 101 is a good choice to start with.


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## Sgwyn (Jul 3, 2019)

Thank you


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## Stevebee (Jul 21, 2015)

For your budget I'd go for the one @hasi mentioned, the Quest M3 (second hand).

I use it as a sample roaster and its great for that. Easy to link to Artisan and a proper drum roaster, albeit smaller, with control over temperature and airflow. You can also easily hear first and second crack which can be a problem on the Gene.

Roasts are very repeatable and once you get a profile that works for you is the same time after time.

Batch sizes can be from 100g to 275g, (I've tried 300g ) but find 200g to 250g to be the sweet spot re even roast.

Whatever your final choice enjoy the journey!


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