Another "Which Coffee Roaster" question - but each one is different :-)

Recommendations for buyers and upgraders from the site's members.
pbleic
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#1: Post by pbleic »

Really appreciate any guidance the group can provide.

20+ years of espresso making experience (and vac pot, etc.), most recently with a Quick Mill Vetrano 2b/Compak K3 grinder. Have been interested in creating my own customized espresso blend recipes - to learn more, and to get just what I like - for my wife and myself. Maybe 12 oz/1-2 weeks. I am a pretty resourceful guy, but I really don't feel like doing a lot of customization of equipment, etc. I am not particularly interested in going through years of popcorn maker/hot guns/inferior air and drum poppers with likely unrepeatable and mixed results when I would be drinking the results every week. I certainly understand that there will be a learning curve with any roaster, but I would prefer learning where I had a record of what had gone wrong. I appreciate that manual is good and gets you close to the process, but would like to follow a record of the roast too. So, I have narrowed my search to:

Hottop 2K+ - the logging is very attractive without modifications. Concerns are the issues with doing back to back roasts and cleaning.

Quest M3 plus ET/logging: I really like the manual simplicity. However, a comment on The Coffee Shrub has me concerned. Specifically, they suggest it is bad for the drum to heat it up, do one or two batches and shut it down.

Bullet R1 - looks really cool, but I am worried about buying a pig in a poke, the delays, and the more automated appearance of the process.

North TJ-066 - looks awesome, but too big to put under my stove hood and too heavy. Also, out of my price range.

Huky 500 - not interested for some of the same reasons as the North.

Thoughts?

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SAS
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#2: Post by SAS »

The Coffee Shrub has me concerned. Specifically, they suggest it is bad for the drum to heat it up, do one or two batches and shut it down.
Why would this be any problem?

I owned a Quest and usually roasted one or two batches, week after week. Maybe this was a concern regarding earlier heating elements which has been solved in later versions.

I don't think a steel cylinder cares how many times it is heated or cooled. They are well made and I don't think this should be a concern.

Good luck with your search.
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Running on fumes.

pbleic (original poster)
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#3: Post by pbleic (original poster) »

Thanks. This is what I thought. But this is what they say:
http://www.coffeeshrub.com/shrub/content/quest

The Quest is designed for continuous roasting, once it is properly warmed up you can roast for hours. In fact, this is the way to use the machine, as heating it up to do one batch and cooling it back down right away could cause wear and tear on the drum. So, in this sense it is much more like professional sample roaster.

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FotonDrv
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#4: Post by FotonDrv »

SAS wrote:Why would this be any problem?

I owned a Quest and usually roasted one or two batches, week after week. Maybe this was a concern regarding earlier heating elements which has been solved in later versions.

I don't think a steel cylinder cares how many times it is heated or cooled. They are well made and I don't think this should be a concern.

Good luck with your search.
+1. I roast about 1-1/2 pounds (3 roasts) a week with my 2012 November built Quest M3. Blackened drum and insulated shell and it gets hot very evenly as the roasts show. No Software plotting of roast curves but I do have Thermocouple probes and an Amprobe TMD 56.

My only complaint about the roaster is getting to the fan to clean it. Once you figure it out it is pretty easy.

If I were to upgrade the Quest I would consider a TJ-067.
That Light at the End of the Tunnel is actually a train

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jeffb
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#5: Post by jeffb »

Started with a Freshroast and modded. Went to Hottop for many years (added a new control board), tried Behmor for larger batch. (Was not satisfied). Have had Quest M3 for several years (no logging or software). I believe, easy to use and control....happy with choice.

thepilgrimsdream
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#6: Post by thepilgrimsdream »

I did 8 roasts in a row last week on my quest....woops

pbleic (original poster)
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#7: Post by pbleic (original poster) »

So, it seems like the Quest is the best choice to grow and learn with. I know that Coffee Shrub also says that it is a "Professional Roaster" that shouldn't be used by novices, but I am a photographer and believe that the best way to learn photography is fully manual. Not in program mode, although that will get you acceptable photos.

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FotonDrv
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#8: Post by FotonDrv »

I have been using the sight, smell and sound method of judging the roasts of my Quest. The BT and MET probes that I added were obtained from EricS here on HB and they allow me to more closely track the temperatures.



That Light at the End of the Tunnel is actually a train

TheoBro
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#9: Post by TheoBro »

Photos are always helpful in really understanding roasters and uses. Thanks for posting.

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FotonDrv
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#10: Post by FotonDrv »

The probe placement on my Quest is debatable in regards to the MET but since it is all relative and I do not log onto a computer to share graphs then it works for me.

I took off the cage that protects the operator from being burned on the exposed shell. Since I have insulated the shell burning the operator on tha shell is not an issue. The top air tube still gets plenty hot for burns :D

I have the roaster sitting in front of an open window with a fan in the window to force the air out that window. The Quest fan is not powerful enough to force air out very far.
That Light at the End of the Tunnel is actually a train

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