GeneCafe down, should I buy a Hottop?

[vanboom]

My GeneCafe roaster failed after a year of good service. The heating element failed during my last roast, and now it will not heat. Monday I will pursue getting it fixed, but the real question is...

Has anyone owned a GeneCafe and a Hottop that could give a comparison? If you own one or the other please do not reply to this post. I would like to compare the roasters - so experience with both roasters is what matters.

Today I picked up some beans from a local roaster...yuck! One day I will roast again!

thanks,
Don

[Niko]

I would fix the Gene considering how young it is. I have both those roasters in addition to the Behmor and the iRoar2.

If you had a Hottop, we wouldn't be having this conversation

[Randy G.]

I currently own:
- Hearthware Precision
- Hearthware Gourmet
- Hearthware iRoast2
- GeneCafe
- Hottop KN-8828
- Hottop KN-8828D
- Hottop KN-8828B
- Hottop KN-8828B (converted "back" to a "B" from a "P" Model)

I have been using the Hottop roasters beginning with the KN-8828 around February of 2003. With those roasters on hand, I only use the KN-8828B. The others are either on display or in their boxes and stored.

While the Gene Cafe is a capable roaster, and for the price makes a very nice cup of coffee, the coffee it can produce is comparable to the Hottop. The Hottop does offer (IMO) better user control, real cooling for the beans after roasting, and memory for profiles so you don't have to watch over and manually control every roast in an attempt to duplicate your preferred profile.

Personally, I found having to manually stop the roast in the Gene and have to deal with the hot drum to dump the beans into my homemade cooler was a real PITA. For other methods of roasting the cooling feature of the Gene is sufficient, but for espresso I really like to end the roast NOW without having to predict when and stop it a little early to compensate for the fact that the beans would sit in the hot drum with air blowing over the still-hot heating element. If the GeneCafe had a separate blower to send cool air through the drum and a memory area to save roasts it would make an excellent roaster.

One online supplier sells the heating element for the GeneCafe for $75. It would be definitely be worth fixing, IMO.

Please feel free to read the reviews I have on my website of the Hottop and GeneCafe roasters. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

[DISCLAIMER: I have been doing independent contract work for Hottop for about four or five years.]

[vanboom]

Tim at FreshbeansInc has shipped a new heater element for Gene and it sounds like I can make a simple repair. Apparently my failure is common on older GeneCafe's, so the 2008 models have a new/redesigned heater element.

I am looking forward to making the repair and getting the Gene back in service. Thanks also to Intelligentsia for a quick shipment of Black Cat to tide me over.

best,
Don

[vanboom]

Niko, are you implying that the Hottop would beat the Gene in a side by side comparison? Since you own both roasters, what roaster is your "go to" roaster for espresso? --thanks

[vanboom]

New heater came today, installed and 1st roast complete. No need to let the beans degass - Silvia warming as the beans were roasting, 1st shots pulled 30 min later and AMAZING.

It is good to be roasting again.

So while I was waiting for the roaster repair, I started thinking about creating my first espresso blend. Here is what I did...

65% Brazil Bija Flor
10% Kenya Peaberry
25% Ethiopian Harrar Organic

I didn't roast and cup each variety yet - I was too anxious. But I can taste the blueberry notes from the harrar, lots of dark chocolate, and a pungent body that sits in the middle of your tongue.

Thoughts on this blend anyone??