Behmor 2000AB Plus

I am reviewing my Behmor 1600 AB purchased in July of 2019, so there may be some variation between that and this newer model. But I wanted to get good solid experience under my belt before reviewing. First of all, this isn't a frozen taquito microwave--don't expect to start it and walk away. It's a hands-on tool that exists to heat plant lignins...like a wood stove, say...and so requires attention to the process. Second, getting more out of this machine requires some understanding of the engineering of the timing and heating parts of the process, and the difference between the preset roasting programs and the user-set variables. Mr. Behm and his team supply all sorts of data on that--you just have to read it. I have roasted at least 200 batches--1/4 lb at first to learn, later 1/2 lb, then settled on 12 oz beans and the 1 lb programs as my Behmor's "sweet spot." By now I have it all down to about half a dozen manual tweaks to the basic 1 lb program...with variations for different beans/varieties. The consistency of the roasting profiles' temperatures amazes me every time. Like reviewer George Park, I roast in our garage, at temps 45 F and over, then haul it into a small utility room with exhaust fan during the winter months. It amazes me that whether it's 95 F and 30% humidity or 45 F and 95% humidity or anything in between, with a few minutes of preheating to the machine and chaff tray, this little machine produces the SAME TEMPS at the SAME TIMES (provided I start with house-room-temp beans!) within a couple of degrees. Wonderful controls engineering. I am the roaster for our posse, which can be a bit time consuming along with fermenting vegetables, making yogurt and cheese, processing garden and meat windfalls, milling and baking, etc. But the results are wonderful--much better than buying someone else's roasts. It took me a good ten years before deciding to buy a Behmor, and I wish I'd done it years ago. Our model Behmor doesn't have "warning beeps" which is fine by me--I'm sick of getting beeped at by every b(l)eeping piece of technology in daily life. I prefer quiet coupled with having an attention span and focus.

Good: seems to work fine. First motor burnt out quickly but the manf was VERY quick to reply and very helpful! Some things break, but their response was well beyond what I'd expect. 5* on the customer service. I'm not very sophisticated so I don't experiment with the roast profiles or times or anything. Bad: chaff management isn't good. Surely there is a better way to handle it. The pan and chaff catch might get half of it. Then it's a bit finicky to clean it out. Unless you also get a vacuum, I guess you're just supposed to brush it out. I'm talking about the half of the chaff left in the machine. You brush it to the front and then I half close the door to let it fall through the hinge crack. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but the clean up is a 2* Also, if the chaff catches fire, then the smoke and temp all changes in the chamber so if you think you're controlling your roast, you're wrong. Read the book. It's not great, but it does give you an idea of what all the buttons do. It's not intuitive at all. Sometimes a button does one thing and then for another function it does the opposite of what you expect. I'd try another roaster before I bought this one again. It works, but I'm not in love with it. 4* on performance. 5* on customer support/warranty. 2* on pain to clean up and chaff management.

This is an update to my review of 8/15/20. I have now had my roaster for 7 months and have completed 33 roasts. I am impressed by the reproducibility of the roast temperature profiles. They are almost identical in spite of different ambient conditions. I have my roaster in a permanent location in my garage. The ambient temperature has ranged from 51 to 87 degrees, and the humidity from 33 to 99%. I always preheat the roaster for 3-5 minutes before roasting. The smoke suppression system works well, and I love the roasting coffee fragrance in my garage but wouldn't want it throughout my house. I have had a couple of 'operator error' mishaps, forgetting to put in the chaff tray once, and that made a mess but wasn't critical, and I did not properly close the basket allowing beans to fall out of the end on another occasion. The latter mistake could have resulted in a fire but staying with the roaster while roasting allowed me to discover my mistake and stop the roast before an actual fire started. I highly recommend staying with the roaster and observing what is happening as per the operating instructions. While a fire is unlikely, it could happen, as I proved through my own carelessness. Everything I wrote in my initial review remains true. This is a great roaster and I highly recommend it.

This is my second Behmor and regret not getting a motor for my old one as the new one SUCKS. Will not get into second crack, takes forever to get into first crack roasting 15 oz. Total waste of money as I hate this machine.

This roaster is perfect for my home roasting needs, there was a slight learning curve, but there is so much information on line. Roasting levels are very easily reproducible once you find you happy spot.

After a bit of experience, I have found the Behmore to be an excellent roaster after using a freshroast..very easy to get a french roast on P5 if u watch the temp and alternate between P4 and P5 on manual. Very happy with the machine and loved the coffee included in the order. Great Experience.

1 1/2 years later the roaster is falling apart. Behmor's service only says "it's out of warrantee, we're happy to sell you more". If you can afford it, step up to the Hottop. I wish I had!

I did a lot of research before pulling the trigger on the Behmor 2000AB plus. It is a great choice that is hard to beat. I am enjoying roasting very much. It aint rocket science, but I can already see that with a little more experience I'll be able to tailor my roast to my taste. Previously, I drove across town to buy my fresh roast from a really good roaster, and while it was good, it was always the same. And, it tied up half my day off every week. Roasting through my sample packs a half pound at a time rewarding, fun and I get to do it on my time.

I'm still learning but this is light years better than my Fresh Roast that just broke. I'm using standard settings and everything is coming out very well roasted and consistent. Lots to still learn but I'm very impressed so far. Side note, do not roast inside, the smoke is much better than the Fresh Roast but it's still setting off smoke detectors.

I have done 3 different roast. First to light, second dark almost got away from me,but the 3rd a nice medium so far so good.

I have been steadily experimenting with the Behmor. It's easy to use and great step up from grill roasting.

I am very pleased with this purchase. The Behmor 2000 is very consistent and does a fine job roasting beans.

So far I love it.I’m still trying to get the hang of it. It’s a little different than my other one.

This is my second Behmor. Loved the first but motor was starting to slow down after several years. Don't care for the new one at all. First, after roasting for 20 years I know what to expect and don't want to have to baby sit this thing for 25 minutes. Secondly no matter what I do cannot get a roast into second crack. Lastly the function where you control everything really does not work at all. Oven will not heat when you slow the speed down. Regret buying.