Wonder if you have made a decision yet?

I have no experience on the Hottop so I can't speak to its capabilities. I can speak to the Behmor which I just let go.

I am strictly a plug and play kind of homeroaster. All the wizardry and mod's remind me of my high school physics projects that always ended up graded "I." My roasting evolution includes FreshRoast8, the IRoast2, the Nesco, the Gene Cafe, and the Behmor. I use the Gene Cafe and am very satisfied with the roast quality. I would buy another tomorrow or let Tim walk me thru a repair via phone/parts. Excellent service with the Gene.

Why let the Behmor go? I found the lack of control over roast profiling frustrating. Guys do all kinds of subtracting/adding pre- and inter-roasting but that is a crap shoot at best. As well, for me, and most critically, larger beans never developed their potential. Their compelling characteristics (cupped side-by-side with the Gene) just didn't shine. Excellent beans became average beans.

I stuck with the Gene as I can control the profiles based on growing elevation (my starting point) as well as tweaking successive roasts based on prior results. I am now able to vent the Gene out the window using the large chaff collector with little residual smoke or roasting aroma. This is critically important when roasting inside during these long Wisconsin winters. Additionally, while the Behmor is relatively smokeless, it is anything but 'aroma-less.' Very lingering aroma.

If you are an espresso drinker who takes the beans to FC+ or Vienna roast, you would have smoke associated with the Behmor. Let us know how and what you decided. Good roasting!

B|Java

Hi Dave - Thanks for your input on different roasters.

I've decided that I will be getting a HotTop B model within the next week or so after Christmas and all the associated factors (shopping, visiting friends and BILLS and BILLS). In the long run I have taken to heart all the comments and the HotTop will allow me to take the roasting hobby to a level where I think I will satisfy my tastes and not regret having regular professional roasts. I want great espresso and regular coffee AND my hobby so this should prevent upgrade fever and roast envy too

Randy G. wrote:ANY roasting appliance has the potential for fire. The reports of fire that I have been privy to have involved earlier models, inattentive owners, unattended roasts in progress, or combinations of those factors. The current models (KN-8828P and KN-8828B) both feature safety programming that requires the roaster to be attended as well as necessitating the removal of the chaff tray for each roast before the next roast can be started.

If you have one of the early HotTops as I do, you need to remember to empty the chaff tray after each roast. The early model chaff trays are much smaller and don't have a warning buzzer or a shut down when you forget to empty them. An overflowing chaff collector, on any machine, is a roaster fire waiting to happen. The occasional removal of the drum for drum and chamber cleaning is also essential for fire prevention. See the manual for details.

Roasting too dark can also cause roaster fires.

Fullsack wrote:If you have one of the early HotTops as I do, you need to remember to empty the chaff tray after each roast. ............. See the manual for details.

Me!? See the manual for details!? ME???

Not you Randy! You wrote the book on the HotTop.
See: http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
It was a general statement, an elaboration on your post.