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Dec 3, 2021
4,792
40,306
Pennsylvania & New York
I love the machine. It's been with me for 3 years and has been 100% reliable. The double wall SS drum produces consistent, even roasts and you don't even start wetting your pants if you decide to go for a french or Vienna roast (although a squirt bottle of water and a real extinguisher should always be near at hand just in case). It's double vented to the outside, one for the roasting chamber and 1 for the cooling tray so your space stays smoke free with just the aroma of the coffee after its been cooled and you shut off the cooling fans. Frankly, there's not a better smell on this planet than the aroma of a nice pipe of tobacco and the roaster going at the same time. I LOVE roasting days.... sigh. But I digress......

The hottop and BC are very similar in function except the Hottop is electric and fully automatic (or manual if you choose), and the BC is gas and manual.
The Hottop has a cooling tray that sucks air our of the finished roast quite efficiently. Your beans will hit room temp in about 2 minutes with its system. Obviously, so does the BC. :) If you plan on roasting hard core as a boutique business or have a fan base to keep supplied, I think the BC is the best roaster you can buy under 10 grand. The Hottop is awesome for personal use and is the best machine you can buy under 2 grand to be sure. It's fully programmable and if you record a roast that turns out perfect, you can just start that roast anytime and it will repeat the profile; changing temps, ROR, drum speeds, durations, and finally drop your roast all automatically. It's a great machine!

YOMV... puffy

Sorry for the diarrhea of the mouth.... If you get me talking about one of my hobbies it's hard to shut me up!!! :)
No, this is the kind of stuff I want to hear/read. My girlfriend doesn't drink coffee these days (dealing with acid reflux; coffee is out for her for now). It would be difficult to justify the cost of the BC unit for the amount of beans I'd roast presently. The Hottop might be a more realistic option; the Behmor is probably perfectly fine, except I feel my choices of roast are limited. Mine is from 2009, so I could stand to spring for the upgrade panel, which has gone through probably two iterations at this point.
 

dPero

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 15, 2022
860
9,986
38
Stafilic
It's a BC Roaster 3 kilo machine with all the Computer interface so you can connect it to your computer to manage the roast profile, time and temps. If you're careful you can roast as little as a half pound at a time but since it takes 25 minutes to get it up to a consistent and stable temp (it's a double wall roasting drum) I usually do at least a pound and usually a kilo or 2 at a time and freeze the extra if it's just for me. Once warmed up, it will do 3 kilos every 16 or so minutes. It's a hobby, not a job. I know the machine like the back of my hand now so I don't use the computer much anymore unless I am roasting a made to order blend that I am not familiar with, then I watch the temps and interval times, as well as sounds.

I have a few fans that enjoy my blends so I keep them supplied on a monthly basis. I love South and Central American beans the most as I like a full bodied, chocolatey coffee with a mouth watering eye opening wet note and they seem the easiest to draw this out of in the roast.

I don't use the Hottop much anymore and am thinking of selling it.
You do dark roast or?
 
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Jun 18, 2020
3,801
13,540
Wilmington, NC
No, this is the kind of stuff I want to hear/read. My girlfriend doesn't drink coffee these days (dealing with acid reflux; coffee is out for her for now). It would be difficult to justify the cost of the BC unit for the amount of beans I'd roast presently. The Hottop might be a more realistic option; the Behmor is probably perfectly fine, except I feel my choices of roast are limited. Mine is from 2009, so I could stand to spring for the upgrade panel, which has gone through probably two iterations at this point.
I have the upgraded panel and motor. I do like the beep now instead of shutting down on you if you are not paying attention.

I routinely do darker roasts. I have found that I can hit the C button and it set the remaining time to 3 some odd minutes (for a 1lb setting) no matter how much time is left. So when I get down to 1 minute, I will hit the C button and get 3 more minutes. I have found you can do this multiple times if needed (but I don't)
 

Kooky

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 17, 2022
123
423
Florida
Unfortunately I put creamer and sweetener in my coffee so I can drink what ever the store is selling that is the cheapest.

It’s humorous (not in a bad way) when connoisseurs of some things prefer simple things elsewhere. I remember Anthony Bourdain absolutely did not care for craft beer.

everybody has their idiosyncrasies.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,081
Carmel Valley, CA
I’ll purchase the coffee on sale. I used to get Britt coffee from Costa Rica. I do enjoy their coffee, I guess I’m just getting to be a cheap ‘ol codger
Ah, Britt! I used to order from them quite a while ago. Love Costa Rican coffee. But I've switched to cappuccini so dark dark roast is my druthers, and it doesn't have to be a primo bean.
 

Flatfish

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 20, 2022
615
1,530
West Wales
I am not really used to what I consider the modern names for coffee. Last year I ordered a black coffee at the counter and went to my table. Shortly later the waitress turned up with a mug and said "Americano?"
I sent her away.

it took a little while before it dawned on me that perhaps that might have been mine.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,081
Carmel Valley, CA
I drink the oldest coffee in existence. It has been made consistently since 1862.
I had all my years of fancy beans, French Press, Borum Santos Vacuum brewer and got rid of them all for my favorite coffee Cafe du Monde from New Orleans.
I fell in love with it the first time I went to their restaurant. They sell Coffee and Beignets and orange juice. That is all they sell and they are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. They only take cash and the place is a gold mine.

It is a strong coffee made with Chicory. I make it different than they do at their store as they use way more milk and I only use a small amount of half and half with my Stevia.
I buy it cheaper off of Amazon than I used to ordering directly from their factory. Their shipping costs are high on a case of 24 cans. Now I buy 6 at a time with free shipping.

If you have never tried it, you should as it has a really unique flavor.
Yes, it's a very different taste! I had a gf in New Orleans, and developed a taste for Café du Monde. I got a water extraction device, made the concentrate, heated a mug of milk, added the chicory/coffee and it was gooooood. (in NYC at the time.) She and the coffee are way in the distance now....
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,176
8,944
Metro-Detroit
I almost forgot:

On special occasions, I enjoy the ritual and taste or Turkish coffee. I even have the small Turkish coffee pot.

For those that don't know, Turkish coffee is fine ground and similar to espresso. You boil it in a special stovetop pot 3 times, letting it nearly boil over each time. Add a small pinch of sugar (or a lot of sugar and cream) and serve.

If the grounds stay in the pot or bottom of the coffee cup, you made it right. And if you have an Armenian grandmother, she will tell your future by reading the grounds in the bottom of your cup.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
I almost forgot:

On special occasions, I enjoy the ritual and taste or Turkish coffee. I even have the small Turkish coffee pot.

For those that don't know, Turkish coffee is fine ground and similar to espresso. You boil it in a special stovetop pot 3 times, letting it nearly boil over each time. Add a small pinch of sugar (or a lot of sugar and cream) and serve.

If the grounds stay in the pot or bottom of the coffee cup, you made it right. And if you have an Armenian grandmother, she will tell your future by reading the grounds in the bottom of your cup.
Had Turkish coffee so many decades ago no longer remember where. Just remember all the grounds in the bottom of the cup. Was not impressed with that aspect.
 
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