# Kelvin Home Roaster



## Spookiemurphy

Has anyone else come across this? Looks interesting.

http://kelvinroaster.com/


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## DavecUK

Spookiemurphy said:


> Has anyone else come across this? Looks interesting.
> 
> http://kelvinroaster.com/


I did spend a few minutes watching the video...basically you have a popcorn popper type roaster on a timer which turns beans brown. A super special selected set of beans which they just buy from the normal wholesale routes every body else buys from, packaged in small amounts at high prices. The kids in the Video have limited roasting experience (mainly home roasting) and possibly a cupping course. *The roasts produced by the system cannot be any better than a modified popcorn roaster or a freshroast/I roast*, plus the capacity looks very small. I guess their main input was the phone app for reordering and reading how great the coffee is going to be. That coupled with the fact that there is no information, no specifications and no pricing. I think it was first shown in 2016....and with the lack of any real information at all doesn't really make it interesting to me.

https://gearpatrol.com/2018/03/13/kelvin-home-coffee-bean-roaster/

They are clearly preparing for their upcoming crowd funding campaign and one would hope their product is as good as the marketing...but this is sadly not usually the way things go and with this roaster it looks likely to be a certainty. Would I crowd fund it...no, would I advise anyone to crowd fund it...no!


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## Coffeejon

I agree, but if they can hit the right price point, create some buzz (apart from the coffee) it might be a winner (i.e. not for coffee nerds on this site, but normal humans







who want convenience) Reminds me of the IKAWA, I see they are hiring more staff so maybe their platform is taking off. I still think the IKAWA is a nutty price point (£1270!!!!).


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## DavecUK

Coffeejon said:


> I agree, but if they can hit the right price point, create some buzz (apart from the coffee) it might be a winner (i.e. not for coffee nerds on this site, but normal humans
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> who want convenience) Reminds me of the IKAWA, I see they are hiring more staff so maybe their platform is taking off. I still think the IKAWA is a nutty price point (£1270!!!!).


I think normal humans won't roast their own coffee and I agree the aficionados (nerds) will realise a modified popper will produce just as good a result.


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## Stevie

From what i've seen its $209


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## Coffeejon

Stevie said:


> From what i've seen its $209


Umm, that's not bad at all.


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## NickR

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7524211


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## DavecUK

Or even this, cheaper and better?

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


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## Coffeejon

Sure, but the Kelvin is a better looker for a kitchen top....


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## DavecUK

Coffeejon said:


> Sure, but the Kelvin is a better looker for a kitchen top....


Sadly performance, price and practicality are more important factors for me than how it looks. I wouldn't really leave the kelvin roaster out on the counter top so people can go wooar, that's really nice. It or any other roaster would be in a cupboard somewhere or on a shelf in the utility room. I think if people are worried how a roaster looks....then that's rather sad. Perhaps that's the way people are in today's world, impressed by marketing, by looks, by brand, by what other people think etc......I remember those phone shame adverts years ago and I used to watch them and think really, surely not, but they did seem to work to sell phones. I guess it's the "hipster" culture at work, lots of marketing, no substance?


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## Coffeejon

DavecUK said:


> Sadly performance, price and practicality are more important factors for me than how it looks. I wouldn't really leave the kelvin roaster out on the counter top so people can go wooar, that's really nice. It or any other roaster would be in a cupboard somewhere or on a shelf in the utility room. I think if people are worried how a roaster looks....then that's rather sad. Perhaps that's the way people are in today's world, impressed by marketing, by looks, by brand, by what other people think etc......I remember those phone shame adverts years ago and I used to watch them and think really, surely not, but they did seem to work to sell phones. I guess it's the "hipster" culture at work, lots of marketing, no substance?


Most mass consumer products are not the best at anything (Nespresso anyone?) but how it looks and functions (KISS) & marketed to are key any consumer devices (as phone cameras are the demise of most other non specialty camera). From a commercial & consumer product perspective, will be interesting to see how they do...


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## Dylan

Having not used a roaster of any description I had thought maybe this had some advantages over a popcorn maker such as chaff collection, visible chamber and a timer - but it does look like the Freshroast SR500 Dave linked to is basically the same thing in slightly uglier clothing. I think if your roaster is out on the countertop then how it looks can be important - for the same reasons someone wants a shiny coffee machine or a flashy car. Whilst I tend to like getting the best bang for my buck, and something practical and useful I also like for things to look good in my home so I could understand if someone wanted to spend the extra money on this just because it looks nice on the countertop.

When it comes to the app however... well I agree with Dave, just looks like a way to 'sell razor blades' and keep the money machine chugging.

They are marketing it well (in most aspects, it stuck me as very odd that they state int heir video that they had to 'immerse themselves in coffee culture' - like they were clueless going in to this) but I wouldn't think of backing it before it lands.


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## Farravi

I've backed them so worse comes to worse I have an expensive but aesthetically pleasing popcorn maker


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## Coffeejon

Dylan said:


> 'immerse themselves in coffee culture'


I wouldn't worry to much, this is 'Designer' research speak, as the product is probably hiring a consultancy to do the design work.


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## Dylan

Coffeejon said:


> I wouldn't worry to much, this is 'Designer' research speak, as the product is probably hiring a consultancy to do the design work.


For sure, the concern is that their marketing speak is not about their long lasting passion for coffee, and wanting to create a product for a gap they saw in the market. The fact they they aren't already immersed in coffee culture strikes me as a negative.


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