[renamed] -> Starting a coffee roasting company in Geneva

Roasters and roasting

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[renamed] -> Starting a coffee roasting company in Geneva

Postby fdecroux » Fri May 06, 2011 5:25 pm

Hi all,

I am looking for a sample roaster to play with.
I found someone who sell one but I have no idea if it's a good opportunity or not.

I have asked for the brand and roasting capacity. I am waiting for his answer.
By waiting I have put a few pictures.

Please tell me what you think and If you have already seen that type of roaster.

It's for sale 1400€.

Thanks for your feedbacks.
Fabien
Attachments
foto[2].JPG
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foto[1].JPG
foto[1].JPG (51.53 KiB) Viewed 17765 times
foto.JPG
foto.JPG (49.85 KiB) Viewed 17765 times
Last edited by fdecroux on Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RE: Sample roaster for sale!

Postby CakeBoy » Sat May 14, 2011 10:46 am

I've not seen one that looks like that Fabien, anyone else?
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RE: Sample roaster for sale!

Postby lsjms » Sat May 14, 2011 12:18 pm

For 140 it looks like a bargain
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Re: RE: Sample roaster for sale!

Postby bruceb » Sat May 14, 2011 4:53 pm

lsjms wrote:For 140 it looks like a bargain


Well, at least a lot more of a bargain than at 1400!
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
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RE: Re: RE: Sample roaster for sale!

Postby motoman » Fri May 27, 2011 8:48 am

Looks like a mini typhoon heater for a small workshop. The front end design seems to have no way of retaining the heat or the chaff. Should be very entertaining, watching it burn your house to the ground.
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RE: Re: RE: Sample roaster for sale!

Postby bruceb » Fri May 27, 2011 10:41 am

In fact, the design of the roasting barrel is pretty standard, just like this little Probat and most other classical sample roasters. Considering the price of the Probat, I guess 1400 for a single-barrel roaster is not unreasonable. I wonder, however, if there is any good reason to chose it over a HotTop, for instance. Professional sample roasters are very basic, to say the least. The capacity is usually about 100g maximum per barrel.
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Probat PRZ
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Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
Image
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Postby Bombcup » Sun May 29, 2011 11:11 pm

What Bruce said but just to expand; you specifically say you are looking for a sample roaster, does this mean you are familiar with a regular style production roaster or do you just want a small capacity roaster for home use?

If the latter then I would go for a regular home roaster, as a sample roaster is designed specifically for evaluation. Expect roast times around 6 - 8 minutes and big problems trying to impose your will on the outcome. All they are built to do is put some colour into the bean and expose its properties, warts and all, for a coffee purchaser to interpret the results and judge how those properties can be manipulated in a production roast.

That particular machine looks like it has no extraction, airflow control or chaff collection so it would be a case of put coffee in, dodge the fireflies, get it out when it's the right colour. Fine if you're setting up a cupping table to compare multiple samples but frustating if you want to 'roast' coffee in the traditional sense.
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Postby motoman » Mon May 30, 2011 10:59 am

Aint that wot I sed?
La Valentina Levetta
Mazzer Mini
Huky 500T
Bodum s/s Press Pot(Covered in dust)
Mokka, Vietnamese Press and other pots(unseen since I fell in love with La Valentina)
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Postby fdecroux » Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:26 pm

Hi guys,

Sorry for my late reply! Thanks for your feedback on that roaster.

I can now give you more information on why i want to buy a sample roaster.
I actually own 2 coffee shop in Geneva and we plan to start a coffee roasting company.

I got the opportunity to follow several courses on how to roast (london school of coffee, scae, etc.), have a few contact with good roastmaster and i guess it's time for us to start (from scratch)!
It will take time to learn but we have to start from somewhere, so let's have some fun :)!

We want to buy a probat L12 gas in the near future but before that I thought it would be good to buy a sample roaster to make some experimentation & tests!!
What do you think ?
The sample roaster we talked about in previous conversation is not for sale anymore! I have to find another one!
Do you think a probat sample 100g would be a good option?
Which version is best ? Gas or electricity?

Thanks for your answers !!!
Anyone else here thinking about starting a small coffee roasting business?

Cheers,
Fabien
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Postby CakeBoy » Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:27 pm

We have a Pinhalense gas sample roaster and very much love how instantly adjustable temperature can be with gas. It can be a bit seat of the pants, but also very rewarding.
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Postby bruceb » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:21 pm

For what it is the Probat sample roaster is very expensive. A basic sample roaster is really about as primitive a a machine as you can get. A tipable rotating drum and a heat source. Aside from a gas valve and possibly a motor switch there are no controls and no variables. There is good reason for this, but you can get comparable machines for a lot less, ie. Pinhalense.
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
Image
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Postby CakeBoy » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:05 am

bruceb wrote:you can get comparable machines for a lot less, ie. Pinhalense.


I love it when you call me cheap ;) :P :lol:

Is the soap taste improving at all? Not good, not good :(
www.CakeBoy.co.uk
International muffin blagger

Iberital L'Anna 1 Gp Hand-Fill | Wega Orion 2 Gp | Bezzera 1 Gp | Rancilio Audrey PID | Spidem Trevi
Iberital MC2 Timed | Macap M4 DS & MXA DS | Mazzer SJ | Starbucks Barista Grinder (Dualit E60/Solis 166)
Pinhalense 2x500g Gas Batch/Sample Roaster | Gene Cafe | IMEX CR-100
Aerobie | eSantos | Zassenhaus | Bodum P/Over | Chemex | Hario Woodneck | Timer Filter
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Postby MKSwing » Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:41 pm

Hello,
I would say *always* go gas.
A PRZ-1 (probat sample roaster) is around 3500 euros but it's really useful to test coffees. With gas, you have way more flexibility and reactivity. I am sure when you get used to it, it's ok to use electricity but results are so much more precise and regular with gas...
Stephane Cataldi
Coffee keeps your spirit levels high !
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Postby fdecroux » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:48 pm

Hi guys,

Our company is up and running !
www.borealroasters.ch

Thanks for all your kind advices.
Are some of you going to Vienne next week ?
I will go on thursday and friday if you want to meet.

Cheers,
Fabien
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Postby darrensandford » Sun Jul 08, 2012 8:36 am

Love the front page of your site! Good luck with the company.
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