Roasting coffee while looking at threads
- Thread starter HankBates
- Start date
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I want “Smellavision”!
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
So tell us about it. How long have you had it? How $$? How does it work? ETC?
Rich G
TVWBB Honor Circle
Those Hottop units are really nice, Hank!! I'm using a Behmor 1600 after having gone through the popcorn popper and an iRoast2 over the years! @Michael Richards has gotten very into coffee roasting over the last year, too, so great to see another convert/addict! 
Favorite beans? Favorite supplier? I tend to do a fair amount of Central American beans, most all of which I get from Sweet Maria's out here in Oakland, CA. No espresso for me, just my daily brew in my Moccamaster.
Getting low on stock, so will probably roast a couple of pounds today!
R
Favorite beans? Favorite supplier? I tend to do a fair amount of Central American beans, most all of which I get from Sweet Maria's out here in Oakland, CA. No espresso for me, just my daily brew in my Moccamaster.
Getting low on stock, so will probably roast a couple of pounds today!
R
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
Nice - When I first went to Puerto Rico to meet my wife's family her mother was outside, in back of the house roasting coffee over an open fire. I think they had coffee trees. Nothing like that smell.
GrantT
TVWBB Pro
Heh...no, probably not actually...how you might imagine the smell of roasting coffee is not the reality - the fumes/smoke it puts out are actually pretty acrid. Nothing too close to the amazing smell of roasted beans the after process. I worked with a local professional roaster for many years - respirators were pretty well a requirement even with commercial ventilation. You get to "appreciate" the odor is the best way I could put it...
GrantT
TVWBB Pro
THat looks very interesting. I guess that is about as fresh as you can get
Once you start drinking freshly roasted coffee right after it has rested about 4-7 days, it is really hard to go back to anything else...
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I can vouch for the foul acrid odor. If you have ever heard of Fire Dept Coffee https://www.firedeptcoffee.com/ (they are right here in Rockford IL). Their roasting facility is right near where my wife works and where I have to drive right by it on mornings I drive Blake to school. And I have to say, it's all I can do to not make a technicolor yawn when I drive by that place if they're roasting.
It is absolutely awful to put it bluntly.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Water Street coffee had a roaster right next to my buddy‘s wood shop and there were times when it was indeed pretty intense almost teeth gratingly strong but, I still kind of enjoyed it.
Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
Rich,Those Hottop units are really nice, Hank!! I'm using a Behmor 1600 after having gone through the popcorn popper and an iRoast2 over the years! @Michael Richards has gotten very into coffee roasting over the last year, too, so great to see another convert/addict!
Favorite beans? Favorite supplier? I tend to do a fair amount of Central American beans, most all of which I get from Sweet Maria's out here in Oakland, CA. No espresso for me, just my daily brew in my Moccamaster.
Getting low on stock, so will probably roast a couple of pounds today!
R
Thanks for linking me into this awesome thread.
Right now I am roasting a Brazilian and Costa Rican 50/50 blend that is my wife and sons daily coffee.
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I once used to date a woman who loved the smell of skunks. So, I guess there is an "aroma" for everyone ;D
GrantT
TVWBB Pro
Nice little cooling setup! Cheap and effective!
Rich G
TVWBB Honor Circle
Nice rig, Hank! I've always wanted a Rancilio Sylvia, as they seem like an attainable, entry-level, "good" espresso machine....especially on the used market. Surprisingly, I've just never really gotten into home espresso, so haven't pulled the trigger (which would risk much marital bliss anyway!) It would be nice to be able to pull some shots when the feeling hits, though!
Do I see a Barratza Sette grinder lurking next to your Livia?
R
It would be nice to be able to pull some shots when the feeling hits, though!Do I see a Barratza Sette grinder lurking next to your Livia?
R
HankBates
TVWBB Super Fan
Grinder is a 2+ year old Sette 270wi and I love it 
Rich, if you want to go farther into home espresso you could look up home-Barista website. I spend some time there helping people fix their Livias.
Don’t know a lot about Silvias but I know lots of people love them.
Rich, if you want to go farther into home espresso you could look up home-Barista website. I spend some time there helping people fix their Livias.
Don’t know a lot about Silvias but I know lots of people love them.
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Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
My favorites are:
Colombia Huila and Ethiopia Sidamo Natural Shantawene in a 50/50 blend (that I named Moxie, it is my attempt to recreate OnxyCoffee Labs Monarch. Because it takes Moxie to try to recreate OnxyCoffee).
El Salvador La Esperanza Pacamara and Sumatra Mandheling in a 50/50 blend (that I named Crash Test Dummy, because it was the final result of my first attempt to make my first blend).
Guatemala Antigua La Flor del Cafe all by itself because it is soooo good (that I named after my youngest daughter even though she is the only one in the house that doesn't drink coffee).
I order and roast about 12 pounds every two weeks. I stock my house and my mother in law. Usually from Happy Mugs, but also sometimes from Sweet Maria's if I can get the shipping to make sense. I am about to order from Coffee Bean Correl to get more of the Guatemala Antigua La Flor del Cafe since happy mugs is out.
Yeah the Moccamaster gets used for a few pots a day and so does the Areoppress usually with the fellow prismo attachment to make faux espresso. Here is some pics from my normal coffee routine to make coffee for everyone in the morning.
One of my favorite things to do this past summer was to prep an aeropress for espresso then rush to the local mom and pop ice cream shop right done the road and get a vanilla ice cream and make an Affogato by pressing the areoppress on location, this is my favorite dessert ever.
Rich G
TVWBB Honor Circle
I've spent more time than I'd care to count on home-barista!Grinder is a 2+ year old Sette 270wi and I love it
Rich, if you want to go farther into home espresso you could look up home-Barista website. I spend some time there helping people fix their Livias.
Don’t know a lot about Silvias but I know lots of people love them.
A ways back i refurbed an old La Pavoni lever, and to say that thing is hard to produce good/consistent espresso would be putting it lightly! I know the Silvia is a good entry level machine, but like most in the category, they can be less than easy to work with. It's only me drinking coffee in the house, so hard to justify too much expense.....