SR800 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster - Roast Coffee At Home - Variable Heat Settings - Convection Fan Control - Digital Status Display - Speed Roasting System - The Freshest Roast On Earth

I've done a couple roasts so far and getting used to using this machine with the help of a few YouTube "how to" videos. I originally purchased a much smaller starter roaster a few months ago that got me started into this hobby, but needed something a little more robust. This fits the bill nicely. No, it's not "fire and forget," you need to pay attention through the roasting cycle and adjust both the temperature and fan speed, but I've found I'm able to roast twice as many coffee beans as I was previously in about half the time. It's a smart investment that pays for itself over time.

Lets talk about the flaws first. When its 60 degrees outside it is a bit underpowered. Instead of 220 grams of coffee I roast at a time, I use about 170 grams. You will have to turn up the heat to full, and turn the fan on the highest setting for the drying process. Your beans must always move. At first the beans do not move much as they have moisture in them in the first phase of the drying process. I stir them without the chaff collector on. I have a fan that blows the chaff away from the chimney on the roaster. I do this out in the back yard so I do not care if it makes a mess i just wash it down with water when I'm done. I always check the bean temps with a infrared temp gun through the top of the glass chimney I do not follow the built in temp meter because its a bit off until way in the roasting process. When the beans start moving on there own, I turn the fan to 8 for a minute, then turn the fan to 7 and still on full heat power. Then the beans will get to 360 degrees for a few minutes, on the mallard phase where the beans develope the Sugars. After about 8 minutes in the beans will get to 390 degrees for finishing. You want to keep the beans for about 3 minutes between 350 and 370 to convert the sugars in the bean. After that its the roasting phase, and the temp will go up to 390 or more by that time. If its hotter outside you can add more beans to 220 grams, and should not have a problem getting bean temp to 420 degrees. You really want to check the bean temperature with a infrared temp gun. Dodn't rely trying to get a temp through the glass when your using the chaff collector through the glass with the infrared temp gun. The Chaff collector needs to be off and then you can lazor right into the top of the glass to the beans. if you want to use the chaff collector then fine, but the real bean temperature is abit off on the roaster concerning bean temp.Otherwise when its warm outside, I just fill up 220 grams and go to town. No problems underpowered on warm days. You will need to turn the power down to 8 or seven, and the fan. Remember 3 or 4 mins drying, 3or 4 minutes between 360 and 370 (not over 380 degrees as this is the mallard phase converting starches to sugars and will stop the mallard or sugar developing phase, your coffee will not taste any sweetness.) And the next phase is the real roasting phase. Please unless you like totally black beans with the oils covering the beans its nasty. I do not ever go over 410 degrees. If you see oils on the beans there way overcooked, and your coffee will taste totally bland without good flavors. Primos Coffee on Amazon is good coffee beans very fresh, not too expensive, and really plump up and they are from a single estate so not every Tom, Dick, and Harry's beans is not mixed together. I like green coffee from Mexico the best so I ordered some from Anthony's There products are high quality also, and organic from Mexico. Do try Single Estate coffee its way better.

Small batch, great for starting home roasting. Understand the adjustments necessary to roast to perfection. You will want to use a timer.

Look, here's the bottom line, I wanted to love this thing and honestly there's no reason to hate it, but it is amateur hour stuff. You cannot be a professional or aspire professional or frankly just a highly enthusiastic coffee roaster and be satisfied with the Fresh Roast SR800.You need to be a newcomer to roasting and you need to be willing to accept the small batch sizes and it's inability to get hot enough to do anything exciting with your beans. You just want something boring and safe and a little bit overpriced, but because it's been around forever it's well established and frankly you'll be like, oh it's nicely built but you know if you compare it to like a modern appliance you'd be like actually it's poorly designed even though it's sort of heavy duty. So really just take all that with a grain of salt, go ahead, get one because it's probably better than whatever the heck you're doing with your coffee right now. But be aware that you should go online and look up the DIY methods that exist like dog bowl roasting or what you can do with a bread machine and a heat gun and once you are educated and practiced and understand that you want something more you will graduate from this thing I promise. You will not be disappointed but at the same time you will not be fully satisfied. It's just the beginning.

Excellent coffee roaster! Easy to figure out and to customize to your taste! Easy to clean! Once you try roasting your own beans you will never want to purchase beans again!

This roaster gives an excellent roast. The company provides outstanding customer service, going above and beyond their 100% satisfaction guarantee.