Re: Diedrich Home Sample Roaster; reflections on larger home roasters

Can some one please provide me with a list of home based business roasters. I've read and read and consider this purchase to be one of the greatest assets to the success of my intended business. I will be working in a dedicated home shop with Gas and venting available. Price range 2000 to 5000. Planned production level is 100 lbs per month. (I want to pay for the roaster in a year). The quandary of sales people is the hype for the commission. Anyone with experience and wisdom please lead.

Some research I've done. But I'd like to here pros and cons from owners of each if possible.

http://www.usroastercorp.com/sample.html

http://www.behmor.com/

http://www.diedrichroasters.com/homeroast.html

http://www.coffeeper.com/SF-1LB.html

http://www.coffee-tech.com/produc...ers_maggiolino.htm

http://www.sivetzcoffee.com/online%20catalog.htm#1.25

Perhaps you might want to try Home Roasters
This is Home Barista

Uhmm seems there were a few with a mouth full stoking the wonders of some manufacturers yet either they've been bound and gagged or they're not quite so passionate. Leaves me to wonder if the love relationship has faded.

Assuming you're looking to sell around 100 pounds per week, i.e. a business that can actually contribute something to your income, a 1/2 to 1 pound sample roaster is not going to hack it. You need a 5 pound roaster.

What do you roast with now and/or in the past? How many different coffees will be offered? What post roast selling size or sizes packaging? Will each order be custom finish level roasted or offer set roast levels for each SO/blend? How many hours each day/week/month do you plan to spend roasting for anticipated 100# per month production level? Personally I'd likely not be looking at 1# max capacity (green) roasters for even 25# per week sales but rather 3kg max batch size range roasters. Home roasting for personal use seems a different ball game than roasting at home for a business. With a few exceptions you'll not find many people spending thousands on their personal consumption home roaster so wouldn't expect a lot of experienced based feedback on the multi-thousand dollar 1# roasters. OTOH I know a number of people running home based roasting enterprises using sub $1k 3 to 5# batch capacity RK Drum(or similar)/gas grill setups.

That said, if it's your dream go for it

I just completed my 5# grill roaster about a week ago. Done about 20#'s in it now (sold a bit under 19 of them, the rest was for my personal usage). Total spent to build it was about $750. Bean cooling system to go with it was about $100.
I had my drum custom made by a local welding shop. I supplied the materials and design and they put it together to my specs. I could have bought a premade drum online for less than it cost me to make, but I wanted the drum to be functional for me, not what someone else had designed. (Drum itself totaled $350)

Building this was really fairly simple and there are lots of others online who can give advice if you get stuck on it.
Jim S. is right about needing a five pound drum for that level of output. Just think about trying to roast 100# at a half pound per roast. If you don't have a higher capacity you will be roasting endlessly, and making very little for the time you spend.

A bit of advice I can give you though aside from the roaster is look for bean sources online that DO NOT charge for shipping once a certain level of money or #'s of coffee has been reached. Paying for shipping will cut a good deal out of your profits (especially if you are getting multiple 50# shipments a week.)

It is also a good idea to check out http://www.homeroasters.org. There are more than a few people on that board that are running these micro coffee roasteries that can help you increase your options.

Soapbox wrote:Can some one please provide me with a list of home based business roasters.

There's no way you could use it inside, but we're debuting a production model of a roaster prototype I've used at a farmer's market for a bit over 8 months now (1.3 seasons). It'd probably work year-round where you're at, but roasting outside would be a dramatic accommodation to the roaster (usually you want to have the roaster accommodate to your needs

Just thought I'd mention it. Batches of 10 lbs should run under 18 minutes easily -- unless results prove I was stoned out of my gourd during design sessions.

Poke around for feedback on-line after the event. I guess the thing could have its seasonal acid test here in Chicago in January, though. LOL

Thank you for the replies. I currently am working with several churches and can easily beat their current suppliers. There are at least 10 churches with full coffee espresso bars. Typical consumption of the smallest one is 20lbs per week. The plan isn't to make a lot of cash just provide good coffee at my convenience. I'll most likely use it as a business learning tool for my kids 13-16-18. As long as I can pay for the roaster within a year I'm happy as apple pie. That said I have an open door at the 1/4 mile race track for free... I'd just have to supply the workers with drinks and pay my help with the trailer / kiosk. I've also up'd to a 2.5 k roaster. The wholesale importer is 300 miles from the door and the first purchase will be 1000 dollars of greens. Start up cost should run 8k. Around here most of the kids parents pay more than that for their first car.
Soapbox.