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by Anonymous on November 13, 2007
This is my first roaster (I have had it over a year now) but it is an excellent air roaster that has consistent results. It is so easy to use. I spent about 3 months doing all kinds of research on coffee roasters. For someone who never roasted before, this is the easiest roaster on the market. I saw a video on You-Tube and I thought it was really cool at how easy it worked. One neat thing about it is the roasting viewing chamber, you are able to see the bean color and roast level through the entire roast without problems. The Gene Cafe is different in that the amount of air pushing through the roast chamber is only for heat; not to actually agitate the beans like so many of the other hot air roasters I did my research on. The Gene Cafe has a neat auger and flap system. This makes sure that the beans are always in motion, which will prevent scorching. So this means that the Gene Cafe is quiet. You can be standing next to it and carry on a conversation and not have to yell. A neat thing about the Gene Cafe is the control system; you can change the roast temperature in real time with just the turn of a knob. You can also easily put the Gene Cafe into its cooling cycle. You will find that the majority of air and smoke exits for the left end of the roaster. I have read that Gene Cafe currently has in the works a smoke redirection device that you can add on the end. So is there a down side of this roaster? Yes. One thing I didn't like about the Gene Cafe was the chaff collection. When the chaff is blown off of the beans, it needs to go through a stainless grate in the roasting chamber. A small flap knocks the chaff loose (that way it can pass through the grate easer) with each turn of the roasting chamber. If the coffee you are roasting makes a lot of chaff the grate can get to full. This is really not that big of a deal because the air will just redirect through the roast chamber lid. But if you hook up some sort of a smoke redirection device, it will help. (That’s what I did and I direct it outside out my window. I use a dryer vent hose). I really wish that the cooling cycle was better, especially when you are roasting on the hottest setting, but it will do the job. Or you can do what I did. I went and got a fan and a metal colander. I set the fan on top and turn it on high for about 10 minutes. All in all, the Gene Cafe is a great roaster. I have now been roasting for a year and I love it. If this is your first roaster as it was for me. Go for it and spend the extra money. It will be worth it. Remember you will be doing this for the rest of your life. Never will you go back to the old stale Folgers coffees of the world!!!
Thanks for your wonderful review. I do, however, have to clarify one detail; the Gene Cafe is classified as a drum roaster, not an air roaster. The air design entails air floating the beans for agitation, the full name being "fluid-air bed". Regardless, your points on the Gene Cafe are well taken. Thanks again.
Russ
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