Reddit reviews FreshRoast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster
We found 8 Reddit comments about FreshRoast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Quietest air roaster; Great visibility; Very simple to use; Chaff collection; Durable; Small footprint; cooling cycleManual stirring or a high fan setting are required for even roasts; Some coasting as beans cool in the roast chamber4 oz (90 grams) yielding about 3.5 oz (78 grams) of roasted coffeeVolts/Watts 110v / 1500wHeating Source electric element
It's been done. Check out /r/roasting for more information. I haven't done the skillet or the air-popper myself. The wife bought me a Fresh-Roast SR500 for Christmas and it works pretty well, considering this is my first real experience with home roasting.
I buy green beans from Burman Coffee and have had great luck with them. Sweet Maria's is also pretty popular around here, though their shipping times are abysmal.
FreshRoast SR500
http://www.amazon.com/FreshRoast-SR500-Automatic-Coffee-Roaster/dp/B0034D9ONO
I'm using an SR500, which I take it to be an entry level roaster, but at least not popcorn-popper levels of chaff and smoke.
FreshRoast SR500 for $167. I've tried running this thing into the ground and it just won't die (We're talking 2 hours of consecutive roasting, completely nullifying the warranty). It's great for personal use.
Baratza Encore for $129. I've tried running this thing into the ground too. The motor shut off after 4 consecutive pounds of coffee. Then, after it cooled, kept grinding. Not fine enough for turkish coffee though.
That leaves $600 for the espresso maker, coffee and miscellaneous things (water filter, maybe)... which is reasonable.
Stovetop roasting was probably the thing that got me into roasting my own coffee. I bought a whirleypop for $20 and got an aeropress to brew with. For about $120 I was making coffee that (I thought) was better than most local offerings and (for sure) better than grocery store brand coffee. Not to mention I was theoretically saving a lot of money because of how cheap greens were.
However, if you are willing to commit a bit more startup cash, I recommend the freshroast series of roasters as a much better method for controlling your roast profile.
As someone who is starting out, I'd say happy mug is the best supplier for greens. HM has nice coffees at good prices but Sweet Marias has a lot of unqiue vareitals and there's a number of really good coffees on there. The thing is that as a new roaster (and I am still in this category), you probably won't have the cupping skills or the roasting skills to appreciate all of the nuance that SM's beans offer, so HM is a better deal for $4.00/lb and 3-day flat rate shipping.
What are you brewing with?
The best under $200 is the Fresh Roast SR500. The best $600 option is the Gene Cafe
A home roaster, such as the SR500: https://www.amazon.com/FreshRoast-SR500-Automatic-Coffee-Roaster/dp/B0034D9ONO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549230958&sr=8-1&keywords=sr500
It will actually pay itself off after a few months because green beans are much cheaper than roasted coffee.
I'd save your money, though I'd like to know what your setup is to give more precise advice. What's your grinder? And are you interested in roasting your own beans? And what kettle are you using at the moment and how is it heated up?