Behmor 1600 Coffee Roaster
by Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
Our Price: $299.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking SuppliesBrand: Behmor
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Behmor 1600 Coffee Roaster
Customer Review: I wish I did this years ago
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm new to home roasting, although I've been a coffee snob (so say my co-workers and friends) for several years. I've been thinking about doing it for a few years, but just finally pulled the trigger a couple weeks ago. I LOVE IT! I did a lot of research on various types of roasting (air, drum, stove-top) before deciding on this model. It was a little more expensive, but I was hesitant with other styles due to "inconsistent roasting" reviews and I liked that this one has a lot of programs and settings compared to other home models. It also has the largest capacity (1 pound) of any other home models.
Overall review: awesome. Easy to use and figure out, even for a first time roaster. I was a little nervous that I would miss the cracking sound so I was glued to the front of it for my first batch. It was pretty prominent on Program1 (the heat goes right to 100% and stays there for the duration of the roasting cycle). As was second crack (you also have the visual cue of smoke for second crack). I've read that on other programs, the first crack is more subtle, but I haven't explored many other programs yet. The inside light and large window make it easy to watch the entire process.
Regardless of "smoke suppresion technology" the thing still smokes. My first roast I went just a few seconds in to second crack and the thing smoked a lot. My second batch I held back just a few seconds from second crack and there was still enough smoke that my range hood fan would not have been able to do the job needed. I wouldn't recommend doing it in the kitchen (Behmor is emphatic in their materials to roast in a well ventilated area and advises against roasting on top of the stove).
I roasted in my entry way which has great cross ventilation and a door that I can close myself off from the rest of the house (smoke alarms definitely would've gone off without that door). I had the unit inside for a few hours before I did my first batch, but by the time I got around to the second batch, the Behmor had been in the room for an hour or so which was probably around 50 degrees. Even though I did the exact same weight (within 1/10 oz), the second batch took about 20 seconds longer to get to first crack with all the same settings. The Behmor has a built in function that won't allow it to work if the units thermal sensor is below 45 (unit temp, not room temp) which I suppose prevents from damaging any components by warming it up too fast. Even if it's not below operating temp, I'd still recommend bringing the unit inside to warm up a little if you're going to store it in your garage or some place cold.
The chaff: I used a dust buster to clean it out instead of the silly little brush they included, as many online reviews recommended. I did find some chaff on the ground around the roaster that floated out once I removed the tray and barrel. Not a big deal, just an observation. Coffee chaff would probably suck to get ground into the carpet, though.
I haven't pushed the 1 pound capacity yet since most of the reviews I read said that it's better to stick to 3/4 pound max. I'm a little nervious to go too dark because I'm new to this whole roasting thing, but taking 1/2 pound just into second crack gave me a great color and it tastes phenomenal. Behmor doesn't recommend roasting espresso blends or really dark french roasts, which is them covering their butts to prevent people from accidentally starting fires (this is apparently a very real concern). The settings I used with 1/2 pound of coffee I could have gotten there if I wanted to (i had about 20 seconds left on the clock when I hit the cool button). I've only tried one type of coffee so far (panama...a hard bean), so I'm interested to see how different type of beans react.
Make sure you get a good grinder that does a consistent grind, though. When i made one cup my little grinder did OK and the coffee was great, but when trying to achieve a coarser grind for a batch of cold brew it turned a little bitter because some of the coffee was too fine for a long-term brew. I've ordered a better grinder.
I like being able to buy green beans because I can ensure a better quality from growth to grind. I've too often ordered "specialty" coffee that ends up being burnt, charcoal, or stale. For about half the price per pound of good quality roasted coffee you can get a huge variety of green beans direct from importers who, in many cases, deal directly with the farmers or coops that grow them. The best part is that YOU control the roast, too, so you can try the same coffee three or four times with a different end result each try.
Description of Behmor 1600 Coffee Roaster
A home drum coffee roaster at an affordable price!The Behmor 1600 is the worlds first and only one-pound capacity home coffee roaster. When used with high quality beans, the Behmor 1600 utilizing patent pending smoke suppression technology roasts in virtually every application with no visible smoke up to second crack (term explained later). It is also the only home roaster in the world manufactured with a variable speed motor to facilitate proper bean rotation, plus allow for higher, more efficient cooling and chaff removal. In addition, the Behmor 1600s variable-speed fan controls allow for optimum functionality.The Behmor 1600 will, in the overwhelming majority of cases, take up to a single pound of green coffee into second crack without emitting visible smoke. For Full City+ roasts, we recommend you reduce the quantity of the roast to pound. The Behmor 1600 is not intended nor meant to roast coffee to levels known as Vienna, French, Italian or darker.Roaster Specifications:? Largest Capacity home roaster - 1 lb max to 1/4 lb min ? Patent Pending smoke removal/air filtration system? Quick Start Controls? Patent Pending cooling cycle/system? 4 Custom Pre-Programmed Time Controls? 5 custom Pre-Programmed Heat/Roast Profile Controls ? Custom time controls to adjust roast times on the fly? RoHS Compliant *(The Behmor 1600 has been manufactured to meet all specifications required for RoHS certification)? Patent Pending Multi-Speed roast/cooling motor system? 60db or less at 1 foot? Thermostatically controlled quartz roasting elements? Operating 1630w/15a 120v? Dimensions (inches) 17.5Lx10.5Hx12.5D Cubic inches appx. 1850/218 sq. in foot print? Automatic System Diagnostic - TroubleshootingCoffee, Tea & Espresso
Kitchen and Housewares