At home coffee roasting takes a special skill set and a specialized roaster. There are plenty of options to make your perfect batch and many different factors that make the roaster perfect for your coffee needs. Today, we are taking a close look into how the Gene Cafe Roaster can roast you the best coffee.
What Is the Gene Cafe Roaster
The Gene Cafe Roaster is a countertop drum roaster that is perfect for a dark roast lover. This machine uses hot air and a rotating drum to evenly roast your green coffee beans every time. This style of roaster has a specialty for dark roasts and can handle consistently creating the perfect Italian roasts.
The rotating drum has unique vortex twisting style that evenly distributes the heat. The roasting chamber holds up to a pound of coffee at a time and has a line to indicate the correct measurement of your beans. Inside the drum, there's a sweeper to discard the chaff and regulate the machine's heat.
The chaff collector has a ventilator on the top of the machine allowing for better airflow during your roasts. Having a chaff collector attached externally lets you go longer between disposing of the chaff.
People know the Gene Cafe roaster for its quiet movements. Not only can you roast coffee without disturbing the rest of the household, but you'll be able to clearly hear the first and second crack.
The control panel lets you choose how much control you want over your roast. The full glass body lets you easily watch the entire roasting process with precision.
General Roasting Tips for the Gene Cafe Roaster
- Roast in a well-ventilated area.
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All roasters emit smoke during the roasting process. You'll want to roast in a well-ventilated area.
- Remember, everything on the roaster is HOT!
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Make sure you have a towel or potholder available when roasting with this machine. You'll need one to take the rotating drum out at the end of the roast.
- Be sure to run the cooldown sequence.
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The cooldown phase cools both your machine and your beans. Make sure you give the machine time to fully cool to keep it well maintained and avoid burns. If you notice that the beans aren't cooling down quick enough, you can transition them to a cooling tray. You can also invest in a dual coffee cooler.
- Don’t use an extension cord or power strip.
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The roaster may blow the fuse if you use an extension cord. Instead, use a dedicated outlet to have the machine work correctly.
- Roast above 55 degrees ambient temperature.
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The temperature of the room can affect how your coffee beans roast. Coffee beans can't reach the roasts as well when roasting in extreme temperatures.
- Be mindful of little ones.
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As with all hot machinery, there are dangers with the heat and glass chamber on this roaster.
- Be sure to clean out the chaff collector.
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This machine holds more chaff than others, but make sure to regularly clean out the chaff collector. We recommend cleaning it about every three roasts.
- Roast on a clear, non-cluttered area.
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Always roast in a clean area and don't let any items touch the roaster, especially flammable materials.
- Record your roast.
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All home coffee roasters are different, so make sure to keep track of each batch you roast. Record the time to yellowing, browning, first crack, second crack, the temperature, and the cooldown cycle. This machine flashes two temperatures, so make sure you are recording the actual temperatures during your roasts.
- Press the blue button when the machine beeps.
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You will need to turn off the unattended safety feature on this machine. Don't ignore the beeping. If you do, your beans will automatically enter the cooldown cycle. To stop it from doing this, just press the blue button.
While this list isn't all encompassing, it should get you started in the right direction if you choose a Gene Cafe roaster.
Walk-Through a Roast with the CBC Team
We know starting your coffee roasting journey can be a little daunting. That's why our team at CBC completed an example roast for you, using the Gene Cafe roaster. You can watch the video and follow along with the notes below, or you can just refer to the notes later. We hope this helps you decide if this is the right roaster for you!
Initial Setup
Unpackage your brand-new roaster and make sure to dispose of all the Styrofoam. You'll want to double check that there's none left inside the roaster. Before your first roast, do a dry run to remove any residue. You should wait 15-30 minutes after the cooldown cycle finishes to start roasting.
Breakdown of the Parts and Control Panel
There are two knobs that control everything throughout the roast. The red controls the temperature, and the blue turns the roaster off/on, changes the time, and turns off the unattended safety feature.
Before the roast begins, you must attach the chaff collector properly. There is a rectangle that goes inside the machine and a cap on the side that must be put on correctly.
The rotating drum chamber comes with a stand and has a lid for easy loading before the roast. To insert the drum, you must click down the button and place into the body at a diagonal. Position the handle facing up in the roaster, and ensure that the glass shield is closed to retain heat.
Inside the drum, there is a sweeper that will make noise during the roast. This is normal. It's just sweeping the chaff into the collector and regulating the heat inside.
Choose Your Roast Profile
We recommend a medium roast for the Gene Cafe, which falls around 455 degrees with a roasting time of 14 minutes. For other roasts, our experts recommend:
- Cinnamon Roast
- 12 min. at 446 degrees (won't get most cupping notes, not fully developed, grassy or hay-like taste)
- City Roast / Light Roast
- 13 min. at 455 degrees (beginning of first crack)
- City Plus / Light Medium Roast
- 14 min. at 455 degrees (middle of first crack)
- Full City / Medium Roast
- 15min. at 464 degrees
- Full City Plus / Medium Dark Roast
- 17 min. at 482 degrees (first pops of 2nd crack)
- Vienna / Dark Roast
- 19 min. at 482 degrees (oil sheen observable)
Start Your Roast
Once you decide on your roast profile, click the red button to start your roast. You should expect this roast to take about 25 minutes to complete, which may feel slow if you are accustomed to air roasters. Setting the roaster to 14 minutes at 455 degrees will have you alongside our team.
Observe the first crack during your roast and record the specifics of when you reach it. The roaster will signal about one minute before putting itself into the cooldown phase. This should happen soon after the first crack. If you are roasting to medium level, the cooldown should be right at the 13-minute mark of your 14-minute roast.
The Gene Cafe is great at making consistent roasts, even though there is some flexibility with the time and temperature.
The cooldown cycle will circulate cool air, while still rotating the beans. As the cooldown phase first starts the beans will still roast a bit more. But the continual cool air will eventually stop the roast process.
Once the roast is complete, the drum handle will end facing up. Use a towel or potholder to release the button and remove the drum.
If you plan to use an external cooling tray, you can stop the cooldown by holding the red button for three seconds. The beans should take about a minute to fully cool once in the cooling tray.
Is the Gene Cafe Coffee Roaster a Good Fit for You?
If you are a dark roast lover at heart, this is the perfect roaster for you. Not many roasters have the capabilities to roast as much coffee and as dark as this machine can.
The rotating drum allows for even distribution of heat. Even though the drum roaster is a slower process, it requires less work from you and yields incredible results. If you love planning your roast out and watching the magic happen, then the Gene Cafe roaster is a great option for you!