# Bullett or????



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

Hi all looking for opinions!

I'm building a speciality tea and coffee trailer will be serving Espresso based drinks with a daily blend and a changing speciality blend and will also be selling beans and ground packed and labeled to order in the trailer. I'm looking for a 1kg roaster preferably electric that I can roast the speciality on and also add some theatre to the Trailer  Iv thought about running 2x HotTops as I have an original one already but I'd like to be able to roast 1.2kg batch's so Iv been looking at the Dongyi on alibaba they seem to have the best rep out of the 100s on there and now looking at the Bullet R1 opinions guys??


----------



## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Dalian Amazon.


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

Thanks yes I have been looking at this one also just missed a used one on eBay.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## CJV8 (Apr 8, 2019)

I think it depends what your overall plan is. Will you be roasting while serving, or is the roaster just to be on display with roasting done out of hours? The Dalian is a very hands on roaster and needs 100% attention when running, whereas I believe the Bullet has a degree of automation and can follow a pre-loaded roast profile, so in theory you could be roasting while serving.

Also space could be an issue, the Dalian needs quite a bit more space than the Bullet, but would also need to be permanently set up. It's moveable, but definitely not portable! At least with the Bullet it could be put away in a cupboard or somewhere lower down while the trailer's on the move for safety.

Both roasters are well regarded and can produce superb roasts so you wouldn't go wrong with either.

Best of luck with the venture, it certainly sounds interesting, I've yet to see a coffee trailer with a roaster!


----------



## Beeroclock (Aug 10, 2015)

I think CJV8 is spot on for your specific needs, the Bullet makes far more sense. The Dalian is more of a production roaster and would be a PITA to move around.

cheers Phil


----------



## filthynines (May 2, 2016)

Good luck with your venture - I can't really add more than @CJV8 did above.

One thing to consider, which I'm sure you will have already: to what extent will this significant additional burden of having a live and powered-up roaster in your trailer add to your sales? A similar question: to what extent will your customers buy from you just because they want a coffee, any coffee and irrespective of you roasting beans right in front of them?

My instinct is that unless there are good operational reasons for you combining the two (ie your dead time in serving coffee is filled by roasting it), then your marketing stunt (I don't mean that pejoratively) may not give you much additional return.

Is it feasible to start off without a roaster and see how you get on?


----------



## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

filthynines said:


> Good luck with your venture - I can't really add more than @CJV8 did above.
> 
> One thing to consider, which I'm sure you will have already: to what extent will this significant additional burden of having a live and powered-up roaster in your trailer add to your sales? A similar question: to what extent will your customers buy from you just because they want a coffee, any coffee and irrespective of you roasting beans right in front of them?
> 
> ...


 I have to agree with @filthynines What is the point ? It may add theatre ??. Can you serve coffee/ answer questions/ take money and watch the roaster carefully/ empty out cool , store , bag the coffee 

In addition how much power will you require to drive all this equipment ? Will you plug in somewhere or use a generator ?

In addition, being effectively outside with very varying temperatures, how will this affect roasting / programs ?

What vehicle are you thinking of using ?


----------



## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

You may also want to consider that the smoke generated from roasting (and any unfortunate bean /chaff fire...) may not "fit" / breach any regs for discharge where you are planning on setting up.

Roasting in the middle of a field for a one off event is viewed completely differently than on a (semi) permanent pitch so you may need to start discussions with your local councils Environmental Health team before you spend out on a roaster as this may also guide your choice (there may be other production hygiene requirements to take into account also)

It is always better to ask before you go ahead and even in theses troubled times are able to steer you in the right direction (one complaint of you smoking out the flat above the high street location will cause you unnecessary grief when starting out if they not already aware of you).

Other thing to consider with "roast to order" (if you planning this also) is how are you going to maintain their interest / keep them there whilst you are roasting / cooling / weighing (on a calibrated retail scale with in date certificate) / labelling and bagging? Unless you can find a way the general public is happy to pay in advance for something that most likely will have no opportunity for quality control on, you could run the risk of 1 sale and no return sales if turns out to be sub par for whatever reason.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do, like the idea and all the responses above, the success will be in making sure above covered off 

John


----------



## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I fully agree with everybody else and the points they have made. Not just that the Bullet is likely the best option due to the automation software but also its size and portability. Much more expensive is a Solar roaster which again would be huge and not portable. You can buy a small electrostatic filter for less than 1k suitable for use with a small batch roaster if you're worried about emissions, though depending on the number of customers you get requesting 1 kilo of roasted coffee that might not be an issue. If you expect to be roasting throughout the day then it might be. Power considerations are an issue, I don't know what the Bullet requires but I'd think if you're roasting in a trailer you'll want a gas roaster if going for a traditional style drum roaster.

Roasting to order is going to be a pain. What kind of quality control will be in place for people buying roasted to order (and standing there waiting for it for 15-20 minutes), will you be cupping and refracting in front of them or will you just bag it up without sampling, or will you only sample a couple of batches a day? Where will you be storing the green coffee? If you want to sell roasted samples of the coffee you're serving why not go really small and only offer 200g bags? You'd get your theatre you're after without paying for a proper commercial roaster that comes with a whole set of complications. Depending on where you are it might do well with tourists. Of course you could still get a proper roaster to supply your cafe and also to have bags available for retail, you just wouldn't be using it in front of customers, instead you'd be using the hottop to make the 200g bags on request (if it's worthwhile).


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

CJV8 said:


> I think it depends what your overall plan is. Will you be roasting while serving, or is the roaster just to be on display with roasting done out of hours? The Dalian is a very hands on roaster and needs 100% attention when running, whereas I believe the Bullet has a degree of automation and can follow a pre-loaded roast profile, so in theory you could be roasting while serving.
> 
> Also space could be an issue, the Dalian needs quite a bit more space than the Bullet, but would also need to be permanently set up. It's moveable, but definitely not portable! At least with the Bullet it could be put away in a cupboard or somewhere lower down while the trailer's on the move for safety.
> 
> ...


 Well atm I'm planning on only roasting out of serving hours. But in the future I plan to possibly Roast to to order as a come back in 40min to collect your 1Kg idea. I have an old HotTop and I was planning on doing roast to order 250g bags while serving but that is pretty automated. However I do not like the lack of control on the HotTop I'm used to roasting manually on a 76kg Whitmee with the only control being flame size 

space is not really an issue my trailer is pretty big


----------



## CJV8 (Apr 8, 2019)

GoldenB19 said:


> I'm used to roasting manually on a 76kg Whitmee with the only control being flame size


 No need to ask the usual "do you have any prior roasting experience?" then...😁

The trailer looks great, I love the tiles.

Despite being a Dalian owner I'd still suggest the Bullet, even if based purely on size. Your back bar are looks like there's not enough room for a Dalian, and it wouldn't be a good idea to have it on the front bar as the surfaces get pretty hot. The Bullet would probably fit in the area to the left of the grinders no problem.

Keep us posted on progress though!


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

filthynines said:


> Good luck with your venture - I can't really add more than @CJV8 did above.
> 
> One thing to consider, which I'm sure you will have already: to what extent will this significant additional burden of having a live and powered-up roaster in your trailer add to your sales? A similar question: to what extent will your customers buy from you just because they want a coffee, any coffee and irrespective of you roasting beans right in front of them?
> 
> ...


 I will also be selling beans online and on amazon as well. So the roaster will be used at base to roast and pack these. And then when attending street food events and other events the cafe side will be the primary focus with beans pre roasted but ready to pack or grind at request.


----------



## Beeroclock (Aug 10, 2015)

Do the maths - work backwards - how many kg's do you envisage selling a week? Sounds like a 1kg may leave you with very little time to fulfil your primary objective, though the Bullet will always be useful as a backup/sample roaster should you need it later...


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

El carajillo said:


> I have to agree with @filthynines What is the point ? It may add theatre ??. Can you serve coffee/ answer questions/ take money and watch the roaster carefully/ empty out cool , store , bag the coffee
> 
> In addition how much power will you require to drive all this equipment ? Will you plug in somewhere or use a generator ?
> 
> ...


 All good questions bud that Iv been working on for over a year  the wife will be with me at events so there will be 2x of us. As Iv just mentioned to someone else i plan on doing all the roasting at base and have beans ready to go for any retail sales.

power wise 😑 this has been my biggest headache but I'm sorted atm with a 10KV Pramac S12000 which is as compact and manageable as 10KV gets! Iv had to make equipment changes but Iv managed to get everything needed within 10kv.

we have a Q7 more than capable she tows upto 3ton


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

johnealey said:


> You may also want to consider that the smoke generated from roasting (and any unfortunate bean /chaff fire...) may not "fit" / breach any regs for discharge where you are planning on setting up.
> 
> Roasting in the middle of a field for a one off event is viewed completely differently than on a (semi) permanent pitch so you may need to start discussions with your local councils Environmental Health team before you spend out on a roaster as this may also guide your choice (there may be other production hygiene requirements to take into account also)
> 
> ...


 Smoke is an issue I'm yet to look into 😕 but only really applies if I go ahead and try to roast to order


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

Rob1 said:


> I fully agree with everybody else and the points they have made. Not just that the Bullet is likely the best option due to the automation software but also its size and portability. Much more expensive is a Solar roaster which again would be huge and not portable. You can buy a small electrostatic filter for less than 1k suitable for use with a small batch roaster if you're worried about emissions, though depending on the number of customers you get requesting 1 kilo of roasted coffee that might not be an issue. If you expect to be roasting throughout the day then it might be. Power considerations are an issue, I don't know what the Bullet requires but I'd think if you're roasting in a trailer you'll want a gas roaster if going for a traditional style drum roaster.
> 
> Roasting to order is going to be a pain. What kind of quality control will be in place for people buying roasted to order (and standing there waiting for it for 15-20 minutes), will you be cupping and refracting in front of them or will you just bag it up without sampling, or will you only sample a couple of batches a day? Where will you be storing the green coffee? If you want to sell roasted samples of the coffee you're serving why not go really small and only offer 200g bags? You'd get your theatre you're after without paying for a proper commercial roaster that comes with a whole set of complications. Depending on where you are it might do well with tourists. Of course you could still get a proper roaster to supply your cafe and also to have bags available for retail, you just wouldn't be using it in front of customers, instead you'd be using the hottop to make the 200g bags on request (if it's worthwhile).


 Thanks I'll look into the electro static filter!!

So i think pre roasting before the event is sounding best and scrub any roast to order. Had I roasted to order. I would be holding a house blend pre roasted anyway and a rotating speciality so you would be able to order a speciality beverage then if you liked it I would roast 1kg from the same batch of raw and to the same profile as being served. Pre roasted is making much more sense now. I can offer 250g, 500g, 1kg sizes in the bags I plan to use


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

CJV8 said:


> No need to ask the usual "do you have any prior roasting experience?" then...😁
> 
> The trailer looks great, I love the tiles.
> 
> ...


 Thanks 👌

the front right is where I was planning on placing any roaster with a glass shield around it. The front pod section is separate and I can route any vents and ducting into there and out the top.

left of the grinders is penned in for the Santos retail grinder but I'm still playing with layouts until I firmly decide what roaster to go for.


----------



## GoldenB19 (May 11, 2020)

Beeroclock said:


> Do the maths - work backwards - how many kg's do you envisage selling a week? Sounds like a 1kg may leave you with very little time to fulfil your primary objective, though the Bullet will always be useful as a backup/sample roaster should you need it later...


 I have no idea until I get out and start!


----------



## Batian (Oct 23, 2017)

Just a germ of an idea.. If the budget allows, the Francino would be compact and give the full theatricals to attract attention.

https://www.logicvending.co.uk/fracino-roastilino-coffee-bean-roaster

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fracino-Roastilino-Countertop-Coffee-Roaster/154016107058?hash=item23dc134a32:g:LkYAAOSwxvFfF34S


----------



## Coffeejon (Oct 10, 2014)

1 problem (another) is the uk ambient temp is quite allot 35+ to -5 . The Bullet is quite sensitive to varying ambent temps, so remember, you have to preheat for 20-30mins and then roast (12-15mins for 950g) Having an enclosed space makes the ambient reasonably manageable, as you can control the internal temp. Roasting consistantly outside (in the uk) would be very difficult. 1 more + though for the Bullet, for the hobbiest, roasting different beans is fun. For a commercial set up, you'll be roasting the same coffee again and again, which is not so fun and why having it automated like the bullet, makes it ok.


----------

