New to the forum, and new to roasting. I'm looking to buy my first "real" roaster and have been looking at the Kaldi Wide 400. I've been searching the forums here and elsewhere but am having some trouble understanding a couple of things.

Do I need the Center 306 Datalogger thermometer to hook up to Artisan? Somewhere I read to go with some other setup with Phidgets instead of the 306. What is the best/simplest setup to hook up to artisan (note, running a Macbook pro)?

How much does burner matter? I have been looking at the GasOne 15000 BTU model, but would a setup such as the one outlined in this thread be better?

Are there any other gotchas to be aware of with this machine?

I've been using Gas One dual fuel burner for over 3 years on my Kaldi New Wide (a.k.a Wide 400) and it works fine. It has max output of 8367 btu/h with propane gas.

I bought my Kaldi with Center 306 logger option and it works with Artisan.

mattmar10 wrote:Are there any other gotchas to be aware of with this machine?

Kind of. It's cheaper than Kaldi Fortis but it lacks the bean hopper and chute gate. If I'm buying again, I would spend little extra and get the Fortis.

mattmar10 wrote:New to the forum, and new to roasting. I'm looking to buy my first "real" roaster and have been looking at the Kaldi Wide 400. I've been searching the forums here and elsewhere but am having some trouble understanding a couple of things.

Do I need the Center 306 Datalogger thermometer to hook up to Artisan? Somewhere I read to go with some other setup with Phidgets instead of the 306. What is the best/simplest setup to hook up to artisan (note, running a Macbook pro)?

How much does burner matter? I have been looking at the GasOne 15000 BTU model, but would a setup such as the one outlined in this thread be better?

Are there any other gotchas to be aware of with this machine?

Hi Matt;

Lemme change gears a little bit and offer the suggestions I would make to a friend that told me he/she would like to buy a roaster and wants my input.

I would start with the old line about opinions are like butt holes....everyone has one and they all smell a lil... Then I would mention that buying the first coffee roaster definitely conforms to "Act in haste, repent in leisure"... Research, read, take notes

I would tell him/her that the first roaster they purchase likely won't be the one they're using in a year or 2. That they'll either lose interest and stop roasting or they'll really enjoy it and upgrade their roaster. So unless they're willing to initially spend ~6+k$ to prevent any possible buyer remorse, they should think about a Fresh Roast SR800 and cruise over to "Razzo Roasting" on ETSY for the extension tube and the screens to enhance the chaff collector. I would add that some more items would be needed to hook up to artisan, but to get a few roasts under their belt first. (There are plenty of threads here and a Facebook Group to spend time honing your skills. From there you can get a material list for hooking up to Artisan.) If you're still roasting in a couple of years you may be interested in upgrading....

As for your questions in the OP, The Kaldi New Wide seems to be a nice roaster. You will want the Center306 initially to talk to Artisan and later upgrade to RTD's/TC's and a Phidget. You will also want the bean cooler that doubles as a chaff collector. IMVHO the bean cooler's air flow is too high for roasting, but still very doable. As for the burner in the article it is what I use. Note that it produces CO and should be used outside or Exhausted outside if used indoors. (Please don't hijack this thread for an indoor vs. outdoor safety discussion, just start a separate thread.) I have no experience w/ the GasOne burner, but if the heat output is adequate I'm sure it will do well. In addition to the Kaldi New Wide, I would also look at the Huky500 and the Aillio Bullet both with associated extras.

Also, you'll need to address winter roasting. IF your roaster is only suitable for outdoor roasting and weather/climate doesn't permit roasting year-round you'll have a problem to address.

HTH,
LN

Thanks for all of the replies. I should have mentioned, I do plan on roasting outside (ish) on a covered patio so ventilation shouldn't be an issue.

littlenut wrote:Hi Matt;

Lemme change gears a little bit and offer the suggestions I would make to a friend that told me he/she would like to buy a roaster and wants my input.

I would start with the old line about opinions are like butt holes....everyone has one and they all smell a lil... Then I would mention that buying the first coffee roaster definitely conforms to "Act in haste, repent in leisure"... Research, read, take notes

I would tell him/her that the first roaster they purchase likely won't be the one they're using in a year or 2. That they'll either lose interest and stop roasting or they'll really enjoy it and upgrade their roaster. So unless they're willing to initially spend ~6+k$ to prevent any possible buyer remorse, they should think about a Fresh Roast SR800 and cruise over to "Razzo Roasting" on ETSY for the extension tube and the screens to enhance the chaff collector. I would add that some more items would be needed to hook up to artisan, but to get a few roasts under their belt first. (There are plenty of threads here and a Facebook Group to spend time honing your skills. From there you can get a material list for hooking up to Artisan.) If you're still roasting in a couple of years you may be interested in upgrading....

As for your questions in the OP, The Kaldi New Wide seems to be a nice roaster. You will want the Center306 initially to talk to Artisan and later upgrade to RTD's/TC's and a Phidget. You will also want the bean cooler that doubles as a chaff collector. IMVHO the bean cooler's air flow is too high for roasting, but still very doable. As for the burner in the article it is what I use. Note that it produces CO and should be used outside or Exhausted outside if used indoors. (Please don't hijack this thread for an indoor vs. outdoor safety discussion, just start a separate thread.) I have no experience w/ the GasOne burner, but if the heat output is adequate I'm sure it will do well. In addition to the Kaldi New Wide, I would also look at the Huky500 and the Aillio Bullet both with associated extras.

Also, you'll need to address winter roasting. IF your roaster is only suitable for outdoor roasting and weather/climate doesn't permit roasting year-round you'll have a problem to address.

HTH,
LN

Could you maybe elaborate for a rookie on this - "the bean cooler's air flow is too high for roasting, but still very doable" Is this a gotcha that should make me avoid this setup altogether.

By the way, your point is well made regarding the buyers remorse. That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid, and I have been trying to sort it all out by reading forums online. It seems that there isn't a lot of options once you get past the fresh roast price point until you get into the deep end of the pool.

Thank you for your input!

- Matt

mattmar10 wrote:Could you maybe elaborate for a rookie on this - "the bean cooler's air flow is too high for roasting, but still very doable" Is this a gotcha that should make me avoid this setup altogether.

It can be controlled by varying the coverage of the dome that goes on top of fan box. Half cover for +- half suction, full cover for full suction...etc.

As for the price jump and the grade of roasters, from what I've seen, Kaldi Fortis is the top of low price flame heat drum roasters. It has the features like the pro grade roasters but not as heavy duty. I've seen other "low" price flame heat drum roasters on alibaba but the overall price jumps when the shipping cost is factored in.

mattmar10 wrote:Could you maybe elaborate for a rookie on this - "the bean cooler's air flow is too high for roasting, but still very doable" Is this a gotcha that should make me avoid this setup altogether.

Not a gotcha. I used it for 1-1/2 years before getting a cyclone separator. For a bean cooler the more flow the better. For inducing a draft through the roaster while roasting it needs to be very low and steady, but enough to exhaust the chaff. So every time you switch from cooling to roasting you have to spend time adjusting and confirming (fiddling). Again, very doable, but a bit of a PITA.

mattmar10 wrote:By the way, your point is well made regarding the buyers remorse. That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid, and I have been trying to sort it all out by reading forums online. It seems that there isn't a lot of options once you get past the fresh roast price point until you get into the deep end of the pool.

Spending 50-60 hours researching, reading, studying beforehand is about right IMVHO. Keep in mind the deeper-end of the pool is a 6-10K$ roaster + the cost of setting up an area to roast in. The in-between step after the freshroast is ~2-3K$ (Aillio bullet, Huky, Kaldi Fortis...). Note that we're talking about selecting a roaster so that you can begin to learn about homeroasting. To keep in perspective every home roaster started out this way, even the very knowledgeable/capable/helpful people on this forum that I would call experts. (I DO NOT COUNT MYSELF IN THIS GROUP)

HTH,
-LN