Roasting your own
Roasters
Anyone who has roasted once buys coffee differently. Here is which machine is good for what and what starting out really costs.
The machine of the roasteries
Drum roaster
Drum roasters explained: construction, heat transfer, batch sizes from 100 grams to 120 kilos, gas against electricity, what a drum roaster costs and why almost every roastery works with one..
Fast, clean, bright
Hot air roaster
Hot air roasters explained: the fluid bed principle, why they roast faster and cleaner, what they lack in body, designs from home unit to industrial plant and which coffees they suit best..
Roasting your own at home
Home roasting: getting started
Roasting your own coffee: which machines are suitable at home, what green coffee costs, how the first roast succeeds, smoke and neighbours, and why it all adds up if you mean it..
Which type for whom
Roasting machines compared
Roasting machines compared directly: drum roasters, hot air roasters, home roasters, sample roasters and popcorn machines by batch size, price, roast time, flavour profile, effort and suitability.
Comparison
The types side by side
| Type | Popcorn machine | Hot air home roaster | Small electric drum | Gas drum 1 kg | Drum 5 to 15 kg | Hot air 1 to 5 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch | 80 g | 100 to 250 g | 250 g to 1 kg | 1 kg | 5 to 15 kg | 1 to 5 kg |
| Price | 30 € | 150 to 500 € | 500 to 2,500 € | 1,500 to 8,000 € | 20,000 to 60,000 € | 5,000 to 25,000 € |
| Roast time | 4 to 6 min | 6 to 10 min | 10 to 14 min | 10 to 13 min | 10 to 14 min | 6 to 10 min |
| Profile | random | clean, bright | sweet, balanced | sweet, deep | sweet, deep | clean, clear |
| Control | none | medium | high | high | very high | high |
| Smoke | a lot | little | medium | a lot | a lot | little |
| Suited to | trying it out | starting out, filter | a serious hobby | a micro roastery | a roastery | a filter roastery |