If you want to have complete control over your caffeine fix, there are some tools that you will need at home. Among others, one of the most important is a coffee roaster, which is one way of preparing coffee that is perfectly suited for your personal preferences. It is a handy appliance that will allow you to roast your beans exactly the way you want it to be.
In the rest of this guide, we will help you to find the best home coffee roaster that is available in the market. We will list down the top options that you might want to consider, as well as the features that make them exceptional compared to their competitors. By the time that you are finished reading, it will be easier for you to make the right choice.
Benefits of Roasting at Home
Buying roasted coffee beans is sure to be a convenient thing to do. Why would you even bother roasting beans at home? Here are some of its many benefits, which can also convince you to invest in a home coffee roaster:
- Economical: While buying roast beans is convenient, they are usually expensive. With this, a more cost-efficient alternative is to buy unroasted beans. Green beans are cheaper by as much as 30%, which can translate to significant savings in the long run.
- Prevents Waste: Roasting beans also means that you have control over quantity. You can only roast what you will need. If you buy roasted beans, however, you need to consume them as soon as possible so that they will not go stale.
- Complete Control: Another good reason to roast beans at home is to have complete control over the outcome. A roaster will provide several adjustments, such as in terms of temperature and time, making it possible for you to achieve the specific roast that you prefer.
Tips in Roasting Coffee a Home
Having the right home coffee roaster can indeed make a big difference, but this is not enough to influence the outcome of your caffeine fix. With this, below are some of the most important tips that you have to keep in mind as well.
- It all starts with the right choice of beans. You need to consider the location where the beans are grown to determine their overall flavor profile.
- Follow the instructions at all times. Different manufacturers may have different ways to ensure that the coffee will be roasted the way you want.
- Choose the right roast level. For beginners, here is an important thing to remember – the lighter is the roast, the more caffeine is present in the coffee.
Choosing a Home Coffee Roaster
As you try to narrow down the options that are available in the market, the following are some of the most important considerations that will help you to narrow down the possibilities:
- Ease of Use: Admittedly, not a lot of us have the patience to deal with complications. With this, make sure to choose a coffee roaster that is as user-friendly as possible. The buttons must be strategically positioned. The manufacturer must provide comprehensive instructions, as well as instructional videos, if possible.
- Versatility: It will be best to choose a home coffee roaster that has programmable settings. This means that you will have complete control of how it works, such as in terms of roasting time and temperature. You will need to have a bit of an experience to determine how to tweak the settings to come up with the right roast.
- Size: Consider the amount of beans that you will roast to determine the right size of the roaster to purchase. In the case of most households, a small one will be more than enough, which is also great because of its space-efficiency.
- Roasting Time: A better choice is a unit with an adjustable timer, which will provide you with better control. In most cases, one pound of beans will take up to 20 minutes of roasting.
- Chamber: As much as possible, choose a coffee roaster with a see-through window. If the chamber is transparent, it will be easier to monitor the beans, such as if they have already reached the roast level that you want.
- Cleaning and Maintenance: Even if you pick the best product, it is inevitable that there will be problems in the future. It will be good to choose one that is easy to clean so that you can effortlessly maintain it at its best. Choose a machine with dishwasher-safe parts.
- Warranty: Similar to other products, if you want to have peace of mind, consider the warranty that is offered by the manufacturer to determine the kind of support that they can extend if in case he product proves to be defective.
- Type of Roaster: Here are the two common types of coffee roasters that you can find in the market:
- Air Roaster: One of the best things about this roaster is that it ensures the consistency of temperature when roasting across all batches. It is a better choice for beginners as well because of the ease of control that it can offer.
- Drum Roaster: If you intend to be roasting a lot of beans, which is uncommon for many households, this is a good choice because it generally has a higher capacity. There is a drum that is integrated in the roaster, which turns the beans and allows it to rotate.
Top Picks for the Best Home Coffee Roaster
Below are some of the products that are worth considering, as well as some of the features that provide them with an advantage above many others within the competitive landscape.
Fresh Roast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster
Among others, one thing that we loved the most about this roaster is the adjustable temperature, which is beneficial in terms of versatility. You can choose a high or low temperature, depending on the roast that is preferred.
The heat source of this product is also impressive, which is the one that is responsible for its performance. It uses forced hot air to roast the beans. To add, there is an exhaust fan to stir the beans, making sure that they will be roasted in a manner that is consistent.
Another thing that makes this an exceptional choice for a home coffee roaster is the fact that it operates quietly. You can roast early in the morning without worrying that it will cause a distraction within the household.
If you are a beginner, there is no need to worry about the use of this roaster as well. The operation of the unit is pretty much straightforward, even for people who have no prior experience in handling a coffee roaster.
Pros
- Perfect even for beginners
- Dishwasher-safe parts and easy to clean
- Easy to adjust temperature even in the middle of roasting
Cons
- Short default roasting time
- A bit slow
Gene Café CBR-101 Home Coffee Roaster
Taking a look at the features of this product, one that makes this an impressive choice is the 3D off-axis rotation. Simply put, this is the one that is responsible for rotating the beans while they are being roasted. The outcome is that they are roasted consistently on all sides.
In terms of capacity, this can also prove to be an exceptional choice. The roasting chamber has a minimum capacity of 50 grams and maximum of 300 grams.
It is also a good thing that you will have complete control on the quality of the outcomes depending on the roast level that you prefer. In front of the unit, you can see two knobs. You can adjust these knobs to modify the temperature and time of roasting depending on your personal preferences.
Ease of set up and use are two other things that you can expect from this roaster. The buttons are designed in such a way that they will be easy to access. Even if you are a beginner, with this equipment, roasting does not need to be a complicated task.
Pros
- Adjustable temperature and time
- Operates without a loud noise
- Roasts beans evenly
Cons
- Expensive price
- Too large for small spaces
Fresh Roast SR700 Home Coffee Roaster
If you are on the lookout for a highly-advanced roaster, this is an option that you might want to consider. One of its best features is its computer compatibility. As a modern appliance, you can operate it with a computer, provided that there is a compatible operating system.
I personally liked the fact that you will have plenty of choices when it comes to customization. This means that you will enjoy the freedom to control the machine on the basis of the outcome that you expect. You can control the fan speed and level of heat, among other things.
Another feature that is worth highlighting about this product is the Speed Roast Fluid Motion System. One of the main benefits of the latter is that it speeds up the roasting process while still making sure of consistency.
The roasting chamber can only accommodate up to 130 grams, which is quite small compared to many others in the competition. You might find yourself roasting in several batches if you have to work on a lot of beans.
Pros
- Consistent results
- Can be operated using a computer
- Complete control of the roasting process
Cons
- Fan can create a noticeable noise
- Small roasting chamber
Fresh Roast SR300 Home Coffee Roaster
If you drink coffee and if you use whole beans, this is definitely one product that is going to make your life a lot easier. It is going to roast beans quickly, and best of all, without having to require too much effort on your end.
Feature-wise, one that I find to be impressive in this product is the Fluid Bean Motion. This is an innovative technology that has been developed exclusively by the manufacturer, making sure that you won’t have to wait for a long time before the beans are roasted.
The clear roasting chamber is also a good thing. You will see the beans as they are roasted, making it possible for you to see how they transform.
With this roaster, you can effortlessly control the roasting level of the beans. There is a dedicated cool down button. All that you have to do is to tap it if you want to stop the heat. If you want to roast more, there is an up button that will immediately add six seconds of roasting.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Roasts quickly
- No loud noise
Cons
- Fan can die all of a sudden
- Minimal reviews
Kaldi Home Coffee Roaster Motorize Type
If your priority is to look for a home coffee roaster that comes with state-of-the-art features, this is one product that should be on the top of your list. Because of its advanced functionality, however, expect that this model will command a premium price.
From its features, one of the most notable is the automatic rotation, which means that lesser effort will be necessary on your end. With the rotation of the beans, they will be roasted evenly.
However, if there is one thing that is important to note about this product, it would be that it needs a gas to function. This is one thing that makes it more complicated compared to the options that we have mentioned above.
Pros
- Has everything that you will need
- Generous roasting capacity
- Heats the beans evenly
Cons
- A bit complicated to operate
- Expensive price
Conclusion
In sum, the best home coffee roaster will indeed prove to be a valuable investment in any household. It is an essential for making fresh and high-quality coffee. Nonetheless, take note of the fact that not all of the options are the same. The burden is on your end to narrow down the possibilities and end up making a well-informed purchase decision.
If there is one product that is a notch above the others, I would say that it is Fresh Roast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster. Even if you are a beginner, there is no need to worry as the use is pretty much simple. To add, you will have the freedom of control to come up with the type of roast that you prefer.
