This is my second season selling coffee on weekends at farmers markets. They are small markets, averaging about 350 visitors per day, and I sell 15-20 bags of coffee each day along with a couple of gallons of hot-brewed coffee and the same amount of iced-coffee. That's 30-40 bags per weekend plus the coffee needed for brewing.

I use the Artisan 6 which can roast 6# of greens and produce 5# of roasted coffee per roast. Between roasting, bagging and labeling, it takes me 2-3 hours on Thursday nights to get ready. If you are roasting 1# of coffee at a time, it will take you 10-15 hours to produce that much coffee. And you need a roaster that can handle multiple back to back roasts without over heating.

I work for Hottop, and I can honestly say, do not buy any of our current roaster models for commercial production purposes. They are designed and warranted for home use and are not designed for the purpose you intend. And the programmable model (KN-8828P-2K) is the worst choice for your use as well if you want control over the roast. Even if you sell just 5 pounds a week (which likely would barely pay for your stall fee and transportation costs, let alone your time), that's about twelve batches a week which is two batches a day. Our roasters make great sample roasters, but you absolutely need a larger roaster for production use. Least expensive way is likely a BBQ and coffee roasting drum.

Randy G. wrote:Our roasters make great sample roasters, but you absolutely need a larger roaster for production use. Least expensive way is likely a BBQ and coffee roasting drum.

The roasting setup at Compass Coffee is a modified old Hottop for sample roasting and a USRC 3Kg roaster for production.

Has anyone here done barbecue drum roasting? Is that setup as controllable for airflow and profiling as a more conventional drum roaster?

drgary wrote:...

Has anyone here done barbecue drum roasting? Is that setup as controllable for airflow and profiling as a more conventional drum roaster?

Yes, used RK durm.
No, using it is like riding a covered wagon to the Wild West. No profiling can be done. Airflow? No control. Controls are mushy at best. All of a sudden you are into a rapid first. Turn down the burners a bit late. Brown the beans OK but profiling? No. And no repeatabillity that I experienced.

Wild west roasting. Shove the coffee in and grab it before it erupts in flames. Yummm.... good coffee.... sometimes....

Get a small "real" production roaster. Other wise just stay home.

I like my Santoker 500 but that would still be small IMHO for your application. I do 700 gram (pound and a half) in it all the time with no issue but you would spend a day doing back to back roasts to get enough to sell at a market. You need a 2+ pound if not 5 pound roaster.

That Diedrich uses infrared burners which is pretty unique as far as I know. Being able to share your roast profiles in the HomeBarista community might be limited. They are superb roasters but just unique and expensive.

Boldjava wrote:2 / 2.5k.

$5/lb profit (average) from cost of greens + energy usage x150lbs = $750/ year? Buy a 1k or less and you could definitely swing your time 5-10 hours and make that money back in about a year in some cases.

That would be a big mistake to buy a 2k unit. How are you figuring the numbers Dave?

I know someone who actually roasted commercially in an Rk drum and seeing as how his customers like dark roasts it was very difficult for him to switch to even a $800 used sonofresco given the profits he was shoveling in from using an Rk Drum. Eventually not having to hover roast and repeatability allowed for him to see the value...but still, several years out until that investment is realized sounds like bad advice.

Not Dave, but thinking along with you all, that size roaster would get your feet wet producing that much coffee in the allotted time. If you're not liking doing it you can re-sell the roaster. If you do like it and want to up your hours you've got a good piece of gear for building your small business.

So Bold Java's, Dr. Gary, and Turtle advice is to buy a production roaster, lose your shirt in the process and then get in so deep into the mud that you have to live with your decision? (I know at least two of them own a certain production roaster...;D )....A couple of real pals you are here.

Do yourself a favor and start small build as is needed and reverse Dr. Gary's advice buy small, sell small, let demand and your inability to keep up determine your need for even a 1k roaster. When that time comes don't look past the Artisan 6 and Sonofresco roasters on your way up to a Drum roaster.

Pretending we aren't on a "Home" roasting forum again:
I know most small businesses that became successful started out renting their equipment, this gave them access to all the latest and best tools of their trade and absolutely no risk should the job or business fail. When they went shopping for the big jobs they knew exactly what they wanted and needed and it saved countless hours of "buy big and sell small" bad advice. (this particular story comes from my time as a Fiber-optic technician)