Back to basics stove top popper

[chino]

Anybody else use one of these for espresso roasting? I happened to pick one up at target, the big model with stainless steel base and all metal gears. And after finally finding a source of green beans last week, I've been roasting pluma Oaxaca with pretty decent results so far (Although I am only in my third batch).

Most home roasters here seem to use either a specific home roaster product (like the hottop) or DIY grill drum type roasters. The B2B stove top seemed like a pretty thrifty option for my limited budget. I don't mind cranking, and I don't mind riding the burner on my stove either. The smoke is pretty annoying, but I can live with it for 20 USD, if you know what I mean...

So what about you guys? anybody else have experiences they would want to share about using this method to roast for espresso?

[Wescott]

Chino, the method works for me. Since I live where can't buy a purpose-built machine unless I pay a lot in shipping and duty or use my whole baggage allowance to carry one back from Europe (must use 220V), I've stuck with the similar, all-aluminum, plastic-geared Whirly-Pop that I bought from Sweet Maria, oh, some five years ago. Its plastic gears have failed so that it is now a direct drive, and it's bottom is rippled, but it does serve and give me better coffee than I can buy where I live, even for a lot of money.

It's not ideal, but it handles the basic job of giving me freshness. I don't get much control or consistency, but I find that the result is a lot like home brewing beer. The bigger concerns can do anything they want and repeat with precision, while I'm lucky to approximate their results and can almost never duplicate even what I just did the last time. But the constant variation keeps me interested and focused on what I'm tasting.

If I could, I would buy from a local roaster. If I had unlimited funds, I would experiment with many of the more convenient machines. But I've stuck with this for years. Your broader alternatives will probably lead you to try some of the things that I've not. But you don't have to be in a hurry.

[another_jim]

If you have a gas range, there's no reason why it shouldn't make excellent coffee. The amount of elbow grease required is another story.

You may want to add a thermometer as shown on the SM website. After that, it's a question of experimenting. If the beans get over 300F in less than 4 minutes or so, use a lower flame. Also make sure they get to 300F in at most 6 to 7 minutes. Use preheating if it runs too slow. Then go flat out to the start of the first crack. And then you might want to back off the flame again to get around 5 to 6 minutes from the start of the first to the end of the roast. You may need to experiment with how much coffee to use to get a roast with this profile. This should produce a very tasty roast.

[gardoni]

I should say that Chino and I meet every weekend to drink espresso. However, I have left the roasting to him. I think that his precision when it comes to an endeavour as demanding as roasting will, in time, produce the best possible alternative for us( living in Mexico City it is tough to get green beans or find a good roasting house). So the third batch was good, a little earthy. I guess the question we had was whether or not the beans were "baked" in the process.

At any rate, I trust Chino.

sincerely,
Gardoni

[CoffeeBeau]

I have used a B2B stainless roaster for about the last year or so. I rigged it to run off a cordless drill, on a slow speed, taping the trigger to slow speed.

The better roasts were slow taking about 16 mins to FC or FC+. So keep the heat lower medium. It will help a more even roast.

I have since upgraded to an RK drum, but I have enjoyed lots of good coffee with this roaster.

Good luck and enjoy. Remember to get a good cooling system.

Bob

[jormun]

I have used a B2B stainless roaster for about the last year or so. I rigged it to run off a cordless drill, on a slow speed, taping the trigger to slow speed.

The better roasts were slow taking about 16 mins to FC or FC+. So keep the heat lower medium. It will help a more even roast.

I have since upgraded to an RK drum, but I have enjoyed lots of good coffee with this roaster.

Good luck and enjoy. Remember to get a good cooling system.

Bob

From that picture, you're using yours on an electric stove. Has that caused any issues for you? I'm planning to pick up this roaster momentarily, but I have an electric stove and I've heard a few people say it works best over a flame.

[CoffeeBeau]

I have only roasted this way on an electric stove. My stove is easy to control with heat. When I first started I would over heat the bean, and finish 1# in less than 10 min to past the second crack. This led to an uneven roast. Upon suggestion from TimEggers, I slowed it down to about 16 minutes, stretching the time between first and second crack by lowering the heat. Tony at Metropolis was the first to cue me on to this.

All told I takes 16 mins to second crack or so (30 seconds into it) and requires 2 charged batteries to complete (1 full charge, and the other partial) to do a full pound. A half of a pound is about 12 mins. The longer the roast, the easier it is to get an even profile.

Best of luck.

Bob

[DigMe]

When I used to do this now and then between popper roasts I used a little plug-in single burner stove thing that I got from Wal-Mart for 9 dollars. It worked fine and I had some good roasts...I just got tired of the cranking sometimes. Now I use an SC/CO.

bc

[TimEggers]

The longer the roast, the easier it is to get an even profile.



Bob

Hello Bob!

This statement is true, but as in everything there may be some exceptions. Uneven roasts can be caused by many factors, too rapid of a heating during a roast can be one. However I have produced some very even quick roasts too (one pound batches in 10 minutes, light roast mind you). In my (limited) experience the heating pre-first crack has an important affect on finished roast color. Namely I have found that a slow ramp up to first crack helps greatly (more so when going for a light roast).

Then again remember that some beans simply will not roast evenly and that's perfectly ok! Other factors may be preheating too high (cold beans and super hot metal don't mix well together) or insufficient bean mixing during a roast etc. One shouldn't automatically have to lengthen a roast to assure evenness. Evenness with care can be had even on quicker roasts.

[grong]

I have been using the Back to Basics for over two years, and I like it a lot. I have a thermometer stuck into the top, and the plastic window fell out some time ago, to be replaced with aluminum foil. Gear-wise and otherwise, a very durable machine. I think mine is just starting to break in. Before this machine I wore out the gears on a Whirly Pop twice. Before that I had a Fresh Roast plus with a variac, which was great except that the roasts were small and the aluminum bases of the roasting chamber evaporated rather quickly.

As for my Back to Basics, I roast on a gas stove with a venting hood overhead. I pre-heat the pan to 325 degrees air temperature, dump in 9 or 13 ounces of beans, and start spinning. I lift and tilt with the handle as I go for better distribution. The temp drops to about 250, and at 5-1-2 minutes I want to be at 325 air temp, which indicates first crack for most of my beans. First crack is over at about 350. I like a fairly bright roast for my espresso beans, so I keep my flame adjusted to finish my roast about 3 to 4 minutes after initiation of first crack.

13 ounces of greens fits into two pint-size canning jars; 9 ounces into a pint and a half pint.

The machine will roast a pound, but it is taxing on the gears and the stirring mechanism. 13 ounce roasts are just fine, and 9 ounce roasts are easy.

I made a mark on the dial that controls my burner for a starting point to get my flame close to right--a mark for each size roast.

I like this machine for roasting. I think it does a great job, and cost-wise it is a bargain to me.