Coffee Roaster Gas Burner Coffee Roasting Machine for Home Use, 400g Capacity, Quartz Glass Drum, Stainless Steel Frame, Peanut and Nut Roaster

Ok I'm new to roasting coffee, but not new to the concept. The only reason to do this at home is to have unmatched flavor and quality control over the coffee you drink. I do not think home roasting is necessarily a huge money saver, even buying green coffee in bulk. Good coffee is hand picked and in high demand - so it's going to be expensive regardless. The roaster itself works, it's solid, and has a nice capacity - directions suggest 2 cups per roast cycle. I wanted a roaster that I could use on a weekly basis, preferably outside, and preferably using propane. This roaster fits that ticket. I did not want a small electric table-top variety where I would have to roast beans several times a week or daily. I've been using this roaster weekly for past 6 weeks. Process is as follows. I do 2, 2 cup batches once a week (1 quart, roughly 500 gr), usually on the weekend, on the back porch using a propane camp grill. This roaster worked fine in the house but i don't need the extra heat and the chaff does blow all over the place and it's annyoing to clean up--so strongly recommend this as an exterior unit. The two batches, back-to-back take about 45 minutes. I start the flame at medium high and then cut way back once the beans start smoking just over 400. The thermometer provided is very useful, attachment is a bit clumsy but overall simple to operate. I usually sit and loosely attend the roast, doing other things while it's running. After roasting each batch, I winnow the beans between two bowls in the wind to remove chaff. I do not clean the glass after every use as suggested, just too much work. Instead I've cleaned it about once a month using damp paper towel dipped in hardwood ash from my wood stove. The roasting deposits a brown patina / soot on the inside of the glass, which minimally impacts the view. Overall, I'd suggest this product strongly for anyone looking for a weekly roasting solution using propane burner outside or in a garage--and with enough cabinet or shelf space for a moderately bulky item. Again, the objective here being the experience and joy of freshly roasted coffee, not that old stale stuff sold in the grocery stores. This product nails the roast with its consistency, simplicity and capacity.

So far so good, it's been two weeks with no signs of damage or cracking with the quartz glass.

It’s pretty basic, but the base is well built. Motor ran fine for first roast ~3hrs straight 50g-150g roasts. Wow, this probably maxes out at the state of 400 g. I don’t think I would roast much more than 300 g. The roasting drum supports are interior made of steel and seemingly well built. They help provide agitation for the roast and support the glass a little bit. Removing the glass for cleaning is a little precarious though. The thermometer is basically a joke. It’s too slow to control temperature and mount is completely worthless. Ideally, you would be able to measure the temperature of the beans internally I ended up measuring the exterior bottom of the glass. I don’t think the amount is well suited for having a better fixed the thermometer, but will try that next roast. The roasting drum effectively just sits on the turn gear and a couple bushings on the other side to keep it smoothly rolling. I did apply a bit of oil to the gears and I think the other contact points might need heat resistant food grade oil for long-term use. Fits over a standard propane “stand” burner well, there are some slots on the side closest to the motor to allow some of the chaff to escape so it does get a little messy

If you are a “small-batch” home roaster, this item works beautifully. Since the tumbler is glass, the desired roasting stage is easily observable; no more over/under roasted beans, or burned spots. The unit is solidly built, the end opposite the handle is cradled on rollers, stainless steel. Some particulars: The demo videos I’ve seen show the roaster used on those little portable butane/propane single burner camp stoves, which work fine, but what happens if the little LP canister runs out in the middle of the roasting process? Can the canister be changed out while the beans are still hot enough to finish without degrading flavor? Maybe the kitchen 4-burner gas range is a preferable heat source, or so I thought. What I discovered is that my kitchen range burners have a circular flame, which pushes the heat outward, not in the middle where it’s needed, directly under the glass tumbler; and the smallest burner was not hot enough to reach a French roast. - No fault of the tumbler! The solution to this was to place an old metal embroidery ring (4-1/4” X 1”) around the burner, which forces the flame upward, perfect! Of course, vintage steel embroidery rings are scarce, but Amazon has a variety of stainless steel cutting rings, i.e., biscuit, scones, cookie, crumpets. See fotos (2)

I've made about 30 pounds of coffee so far with this. I typically make five pounds in an hour or so in 400 gram increments. It is a solidly built item. I've already broken the glass once and have since purchased a replacement. I dropped the glass into the sink during washing. I recommend washing in a large plastic bowl with an SOS pad. Keep the glass in the bowl while scrubbing to avoid damage. I tried a basic camp butane burner but upgraded to a propane burner for the BTU power. Roast outdoors, it will produce smoke and stink up both you and your house. I engineered bean cooling after the roast to stop the reaction. There are some unofficial YouTube videos that are somewhat helpful. You cannot use a laser thermometer for this, we tried and it's not useful compared to the included thermometer. You can get a dark roast in under 13 minutes, about 10 for a medium. Can you get better? Yes, but at 10x the cost. This is a good entry-level roaster.

I been using mine for over a year. My setup (ymmv) outdoor on a 8,000BTU camping burner with Propane adapter hooked up to a 15lb tank. i have a portable battery with AC for ultimate mobility. 1hr roast session and the kaka g400 uses 7%. very low power. Modified the funnel by attaching a PVC tube with a short elbow so beans can load into the drum while preheating so I don’t need to touch the drum until it’s ready to cool beans. Temp is hard to control bc of the elements so it has to be the right time of day and dry with no wind. it is what it is. I roast 450g at a time no problem. Results are very even beans. My only complaint are the 3 poles inside the drum where beans will consistently get stuck during the early stages. Cleaning: get a fine wire mesh sponge from local hardware shop and clean the inside glass after every session (if you do multiple back to backs). I found after every 4 roasts you need to clean otherwise the glass gets dark and you won’t have a clear view of bean development. you never need to run the drum under water at all. use the mesh sponge to scrub until you can see clearly and a wash cloth to remove any fibers left on the glass. Good luck

Easy to use, maintain, and produces some great roasts.

Have used this for about a year and am very satisfied. Typically add around 500 grams for appx. one pound out at end of roast. You control roast by 1. observing color change thru the glass drum 2. listening for 1st and 2nd crack 3. monitoring temperature with the included thermometer. It may not be absolutely accurate but it is consistent 4. changing temperature by increasing/decreasing flow of gas. The glass drum is excellent for viewing roast progress but it's also a source of annoyance when it becomes clouded. Three medium to dark roasts will coat the inside of the drum making the beans unviewable. Light roasts not so much, maybe 8 to 10 roasts before the beans are hard to view. The product manual suggests rubbing the inside of the drum with toothpaste to clear the stain. I've done this a number of times. It takes about 30 minutes and gives you good-as-new clear glass. But, you will be exhausted and ready for a nap. Also, it takes a lot of toothpaste an unexpected and unwanted extra expense. After my last roast, I decided to skip the toothpaste. I simply placed the entire glass drum in the sink and let it soak overnight in plain water. The next morning, WOW. The dark coating almost fell off by itself. Just rub it with your hand or a paper towel for 20 seconds and you have crystal clear glass again. This eliminated what I felt was the biggest negative with this machine. Save on elbow grease and toothpaste and give it a try.

Takes practice balancing amount of heat and colour of the beans when done. I keep commercial roasted beans beside the roaster to help compare.

Me gustó, el café queda bien parejo en el tueste, mucho mejor que a mano y se parece mucho al café tostado que compro, solo me va a tomar tiempo en calcular la temperatura pero creo que eso será con la práctica.