Don't have a good link ... but there is a sample roaster made by Paul Ribich of Roaster Dynamics in Palm Beach, Florida ... they make software for roasting and help hook up roasters for profiling so they are venturing in to a sample roaster and have a 1.25 pound roaster. You can see it on this facebook link ...
https://www.facebook.com/RoasterDynamics?fref=ts

It is not cheap but for those who want a "full on control" it might be worth a gander. ... Here are some conversations I've had with Paul.

The Tech-tisian RD-1 roaster from Roaster Dynamics LLC is a small batch drum roaster. It is capable of batch sizes from 100g to 1.25 pounds. Roaster times can be varied from 12-16 minutes. All contact points that the coffee will touch are made of stainless steel, the hopper, transition, drum, face plate, and cooler. The roaster utilizes a single blower with independent damper control for air flow to the drum and the cooler.

The roaster is equipped with two pressure gauges; one for incoming supply pressure, the second for pressure to the burner for burner control. All roasters are equipped with a Watlow controller, there are two versions used depending on the roaster configuration. The Manual version of the roaster has a single input, bean temp, while the Logging and Profiling versions have dual inputs, bean and environment temps.

All versions have a piezo spark ignite system built into the manual control gas valve. The manual control gas valve will allow you to light the pilot and manually control gas flow to the burner. The Profiling version has a second electronic modulating valve that the profiling system controls. If the bean temp reaches the set point temp on the Watlow controller, the burner will be turned off and require relighting, the Profiling version will turn the burner down to low fire once the set point temp is reached, and then back up if the temp falls below the set point temp.

The Logging version comes with Logging Dynamics software, and communication cables.

The Profiling version comes with Profiling Dynamics LITE system and communication cables.

Both the Logging and Profiling versions of the roaster will require the customer to supply a Windows XP, 7 or 8 computer to utilize the included software.

The roaster will require a 40w x 42l x 30h space.
The roaster weight is approximately 210 pounds
Will require 110V 60 Hz 6 amp power
Requires a 4 inch exhaust duct to the outside
Can be setup with either propane or natural gas.

Manual Version $5,300.00
Logging Version $6,500.00
Profiling Version $8,700.00

Approximately 2-3 weeks to be ready to ship once payment is received and unit can be started on based on work load.

If you have any other questions or would like to discuss the roaster more, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,

Paul Ribich
Roaster Dynamics, LLC
866 Karen St
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Phone 727-493-0190
Cell phone 847-370-8231
Skype: paul.ribich
psribich@roasterdynamics.com

www.roasterdynamics.com

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I then asked him a bit about the picture and if you could get the profiling machine without the software:

The window you see off to the left of the door is for viewing the burner. I have added, not in the facebook pictures, another window in the center of the drum door that you can view the beans with while roasting.

The roaster could be upgraded with the additional hardware later, but will be a bit of a pain. I would be willing to set the machine up with the required hardware and you could purchase the software later. The price of the machine would be $6,200.00 and then the software cost would be $2,500.00 when you decide to purchase it.

Wonder if Artisan software could do the controlling if you wanted to buy just the machine ... I like the idea of roasting ... looking at the temp log and then tweaking the temp line with the software and having the roaster follow the new profile curve ... would be sweet. (but expensive) and for me it would be the "ultimate" home roaster.

Just wanted to add it to the list for consideration ...

Steve Egge

@ Steve: That looks like a fully tricked out entry in this new category. Thanks for contributing it.

@ Rich:

drgary wrote:Having seen the Huky 500 I would think of it as a Pharos versus HG One comparison.

boar_d_laze wrote: Not sure about this. For one thing, as you compare Pharos to HG One, you're comparing the Huky to an implied "anything else in the class," which covers too much territory. It's also a bit misleading in that the Pharos as a grinder is more sophisticated and less kludged than the Huky is as a roaster.

How about: Huky is to Diedrich IR-1 as Ariel Atom is to Bentley Continental Speed? After all, who hasn't had plenty of time behind the wheels of both?

To clarify, I've seen the Huky, the Mini 500 (I would love one of those!), and the Quest M3 and have a Hottop B. The Huky has thick steel plate, an external motor, options for robust gas heating, and roast capacity matching this list that's greater than the Quest and Hottop. The bean cooling tray is quite nice too. Unlike the Hottop it has a trier, although some consider the trier inadequate. Other "kludged" aspects may be modified with some fabrication for far less combined cost than buying most of the other roasters in the list. I don't want to encourage detailed exploration of the Huky 500 here. That's done in other threads, including the one Tom linked above and this one:

Recommended Huky 500 Design Changes?

boar_d_laze wrote:I. USRC Sample Roaster

Whatever Dan Joliff (US Roaster Corp) said to Chris (aka OKC Espresso) in 2007, he sure as hell doesn't mind selling small roasters to home users anymore. Dan told me a couple of weeks ago that 50% of Sample Roaster sales are to amateurs, and did not sound displeased.

Dan made purchasing pleasant and easy. At almost three weeks post-order, the only negative is the 60 day lead time.
________________________________________


II. Dalian Amazon Royal 1000

The 1kg Amazon should be listed -- sorry I don't have a link. Even though it turned out to be the wrong roaster for me -- largely because of our local power supply -- and it's probably not the right roaster for people as interested in micro-managing every aspect of the roast as many H-B members, it's a fine roaster (for the less obsessed) with a lot to recommend it.

BDL

Good points on both ends. I put it in because it serves as commentary, not debate. I just wanted to provide perspective as to the actual costs to build something of it's caliber. It stands to reason that someone investing the significant amount of effort and time into learning how to use a roaster with these capabilities would also want/need one that is robustly and reliably built and consistent.

Tom I really appreciate you starting this thread with your links in the OP (that you've updated!). It's a tremendous help to someone like me who is in the market for a roaster. I wish this could lead to a "sticky" within the roasting index.

To be sure, we all could debate the merits (or demerits) of all these roasters. And we could do that within the comfort of the individual threads that are sprawled out all over the forum. I just hope this thread could remain true to the title, being an index to point to further detailed discussions or directing to the individual roasters webpage, etc. Kind of like a wiki page.

We have a good thing started in this index and hopefully it can be added to.

Agreed.

Post debates, criticisms, first hand experience, etc in the respective threads themselves not here. I've been mum on my criticism of some of them. This should just serve as a sign post.

The Diedrich IR-1 deserves a spot as well.

As well as Diedrich HR-1 and Coffee-tech Engineering.

TomC wrote: The Diedrich IR-1 deserves a spot as well.

Find a readily available HR-1 source and you got a deal.

The source dried up a few years ago, Tom.

They do come up used once in a while.

vberch wrote:The source dried up a few years ago, Tom.

They do come up used once in a while.

I know. That was my point.

Surprised nobody mentioned the Probatino. The second generation Probatino still does not have variable damper/fan speed from my understanding, but has the "Probat" name.