My i-Roast has just died

[sabre2]

Mid roast, just died - fan off, display off. Dead. Fuse is OK in the plug.

It's had quite a few kilos of beans through it in the time I've had it, so it's merely annoying rather than wrath-inducing.

Does anyone know whether this is a case of 'They all do that, sir'? Is there a possibility of a fix? I'm reasonably handy with a screwdriver and multimeter, but that's not going to help if the 'brain' has gone.

Failing that, what's the - ahhmm - entry level roaster of choice these days? Judging from the number of mentions, the HotTop seems well regarded.

Cheers
John

[CakeBoy]

Sorry to hear that John. I don't know if you can fix it, but if you do have to buy a replacement the Hottop is indeed imo an excellent roaster. Good luck

[nickr]

You should check out the Gene Cafe before spending all that money. I won't say anything else - we cant have that discussion again.

[leecb]

we cant have that discussion again.

[CakeBoy]

Yes, it is worth searching on Gene Cafe as well. It is capable of excellent roasting but do read up well before buying any machine.

[sabre2]

Oh let's have the discussion! Actually, judging from what I've found in my 'researches' on t'interweb so far I see what you mean about the Gene Cafe/Hottop strife. Both have their supporters, but neither seems without their flaws (the machines that is, not the supporters!)

The base model of the Hottop is similar in price to the Gene Cafe. I certainly can't justify anything like the fancier variants of the Hottop. Realistically, even the base model is, for me, a bit of a sticking point. Equally, I can't go back to the iRoast. Six minutes to 2nd crack doesn't seem quite right - nor did the unholy row.

So right now I'm thinking about taking a couple of months off and seeing what the price will look like on the Behmor - if and when it hits these shores. Meanwhile I'll be keeping an eye on ebay - and maybe the 'for sale' ads on here? I see I missed a Hottop recently - anyone else thinking selling?

Cheers
John

[CakeBoy]

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me John

[Gouezeri]

John,
I'd have a word with Steve if I was you, as he has pretty much sold or tried all of the home roasters out there and is pretty damn impartial when it comes to recommending them. Ask to buy his Alpenrost and you'll see what I mean (he could do with clearing the space it is taking up)!
Seriously though, I don't think there is an electric home roaster out there that doesn't have its flaws, so if you're waiting for a perfect market leading device to pop up, I'm afraid I really don't know of one.
Cost is of course an issue to bear in mind, but I really think you want to focus on finding the right machine for the kind of roasting you do; profile, batch size, frequency, there are all kinds of elements to bear in mind, in order to make the right decision for you. So fill us in on what you drink and how you roast and we'll try and help.
D

[sabre2]

Hi

My roasting with the iRoast wasn't very sophisticated - I was one of those who couldn't tell any difference between the two presets. My routine was to sling in 160gm beans, start it, stick the oven timer on for 5 mins and then go and look at it. Somewhere around 6 mins the first audible signs of 2nd crack would start and I'd hit the cool button, knowing that it would keep cooking for a minute longer.

The resulting beans went 1/3 into espresso, 2/3 into what I would call cafe con leche rather than cafe latte - a double shot of espresso into a 1/3 pint cup, topped up with steamed milk rather than awash with milk.

This is making me want to buy a roaster now... be strong...

One of my principal issues with the iRoast is the small size - 300 or more grams in a batch would be great. Prior to the iRoast I made a popcorn popper roaster - too fiddly, too small, too messy. I'm not going back down that road!

John

[Johnmac]

John, have you ever used a Whirley Popper? I have an I-Roast II, a WP and have used a Gene Cafe. I don't use the I-Roast at all now because the results I get from the WP are so much better. In addition to it producing good results and being cheap you can also roast quite large amounts: I do 500 grams at a time. The only snag is that it is hard to find a stainless steel one in the UK: I bought mine from Sweet Marias, which cost a bit but did mean that I could try some of their grean beans.

[sabre2]

Hi

I haven't come across these before, believe it or not. Google shows Hasbean had them, but the page seems to be 404 now; need Steve to wander by and tell us. What's the issue with them being stainless steel (or not)? Also, what is the diameter of the base? I could maybe use a Trangia stove in the garage, and avoid a divorce...

I was seriously starting to consider a dog bowl/heatgun as an interim measure, as I'm getting increasingly desperate. These WP seem to be a step up the ladder from that setup!

Cheers
John

[sabre2]

Further googling reveals a number of places selling these WP that say 'stainless steel stirring rods'. Is that enough?

John

[Johnmac]

Hi John

I had an aluminium one for a while and it was fine (until it broke). Some people worry about a theoretical risk of aluminium giving you Alzheimers - there is no evidence for this but it is a nasty thought. The stainless ones have metal gears which last much longer. Perhaps the biggest advantage though is that is has a heavier base which seems to heat more evenly.

The other option is to keep an eye on ebay: antique stove top roasters do come up from time to time.

I use the WP inside and I don't find it any worse than the I-Roast for smoke. If you enjoy cooking I think you'll enjoy roasting in this way: for me a big part of the pleasure of cooking is drawing upon your knowledge and senses to judge what's going on. Roasting coffee in this way really is very engaging.

I really enjoyed getting a selection of greens from Sweet Marias too.

[sabre2]

... theoretical risk of aluminium giving you Alzheimers

..... ....... ....... Sorry, I drifted off; what were we talking about?