# Home roasters - Gene Cafe users views sought



## filthynines (May 2, 2016)

I have just taken possession of a Gene Cafe 1200. The question now is where it's going to go. The options are our garage or a summer house at the bottom of the garden.

My wife is - understandably - concerned about the implications of it being in or near to the house. She's concerned about fumes despite the exhausts, and she's concerned about whether smells will permeate into the walls and throughout the house.

I would be grateful to hear some real-life stories of this particular roaster, or the other Gene Cafe, or similar sized roasters, in the household environment. There are a few across this sub-forum anyway so I will find those out, but any input would be appreciated.

Thank you!


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

I have a Gene Cafe 101. I sometimes roast in the conservatory, with an exhaust duct out of the window. IMO, it's not a big deal. Regarding fumes: they are vented outside. What about cars, coal fires? Burning toast in the kitchen? Barbecues?

I might be wrong here, but surely as long as the fumes go outside, the there should be no health risks involved?


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## filthynines (May 2, 2016)

I agree re health risks. We're generally concerning ourselves with all around ventilation, which includes the smells it can give off. My wife in particular is very sensitive to cooking smells. I'm also considering having the roaster in the same room where I do paperwork for my job, which has the potential of transferring smells to paper etc which may be unpleasant (not to mention unprofessional).

When the previous owned kindly demonstrated the roaster there was a clear sickly-sweet roasting smell, and that was with a completely empty chamber.

On a separate note: I think a recent post included discussion of appropriate work-surfaces, and I think DaveC wagered that even a full chamber of hot beans dumped onto a work-surface would do well to set fire to it?


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## filthynines (May 2, 2016)

Posting this here for my own benefit:

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?42568-Turning-my-shed-into-a-mini-roastery [Your thread, Medium]


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

filthynines said:


> Posting this here for my own benefit:
> 
> https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?42568-Turning-my-shed-into-a-mini-roastery [Your thread, Medium]


Yep! That's the plan at some point. At the moment, the conservatory will do. I always use the cool down cycle of the gene and dump them outside on a tray. I also bought a fire extinguisher and that's always near by!


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## filthynines (May 2, 2016)

Thanks MediumRoastSteam

Does anybody else have any observations? By all means chime in with Dalian experiences, or of using it on your kitchen work surface or wherever.


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I roast in the kitchen with gene 101 vented out the window. It can get a bit smelly If the winds blowing the wrong way.


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## Tsangpa (Nov 26, 2017)

filthynines said:


> Thanks MediumRoastSteam
> 
> Does anybody else have any observations? By all means chime in with Dalian experiences, or of using it on your kitchen work surface or wherever.


I've got a Fracino Roastilino modded to vent out of the window which does get rid of a lot of the fumes. but if the wind is going the wrong way some inevitably end up coming back in. In the next few months I'll be moving it into the cellar where it can vent through a one way extractor which should be a bit safer.

The fumes are pretty unpleasant though and I'm fairly sure they're not the best for your health so any improvements that can be made to vent them is definitely worth it.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

Our HotTop is in the utility room, 2 metres from the main house. I put the extractor fan on throughout and once I hit the cooling button I leave the room and shut the door. I can smell coffee outside, and so can the postie if he is around at the time! Once it has cooled the room is clear of smoke and the smell is a pretty pleasant coffee smell. It lasts for a few hours and the next day you wouldn't know I've been roasting in there. The rest of the house doesn't smell whatsoever. The coats hanging in the utility don't smell of smoke, coffee or anything either.

When I did a lot of roasting I noticed a deposit in the wall behind, fine particles, but they washed off and were probably no more than we got round the (oil) boiler anyway over time.

I dislike cooking smells (to the point that in the past if I've made chutneys etc I did them in the playhouse!) and even now if we've had, say, fish I will sometimes roast a batch just to counteract the smell.


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## Greydad (Feb 25, 2018)

Tsangpa said:


> I've got a Fracino Roastilino modded to vent out of the window ...


What do you think of the Roastilino @Tsangpa ?


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## Tsangpa (Nov 26, 2017)

Greydad said:


> What do you think of the Roastilino @Tsangpa ?


 @Greydad I find it fantastic. It's really easy to get to grips with and easy to get good consistent roasts, and quickly. My average roast time is around 5 mins for 200g of greens meaning that with cooling and faffing I can roast 1kg in about 45-50 mins. It'll be faster when it's more automated and I faff less, probably closer to 30mins/kg of greens.


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