Behmor 2000AB Plus

I have used a SR800 for about 2 years and thought it was on its last leg, so I went with the Behmor 2000AB. I have watched and read a lot about how to use this machine and have roasted about 15 batches. All I can say is we cannot drink enough coffee to keep up with my desire to roast and play some more with this machine. Compared to the SR800 it is just fun to experiment with, looking forward to many more roasts.

So far after a couple of roasts it is doing great. Im getting a really even roasts. After first crack I wait about 20 seconds to hit the cool down button, then let it run for about 5 min then pull the beans out. and let it cool the rest of the way.

Much better than original 1600 with just one quirk. My last Behmor was 1600 model(original) and it lasted me 9.5 years and we roast 1lb a wk on an average. But it did not offer that control over roast temp and time that the newer model provides. After the rotary drum died and coffee beans burnt, we decided to upgrade. Smart decision. The new Behmor 2000AB is more advanced, has faster drum rotation and roasts faster too. I roasted 1lb this morning in 20F outside in my garage and it warmed up without an issue. The older model would have given an ERR screen in that cold weather. Quirk is that you have to push the Start button again before it goes into the final roast stage.Otherwise it goes into cooling mode. So, two things can happen. One is that you were paying attention and pushed the button on time. The other possibility is that you we’re not paying attention and were a bit late hitting the Start button, you can simply turn it off and hit P1 or any other roast button and get the first/second cracks by timing the roast manually. Overall the features are better than 1600 and the quirk although annoying is built for safety and I totally get it and support it.

I have had the Behmor AB2000 for a couple of weeks now. So far I am really liking it, as I don't have to roast nearly as often as I did using the FreshRoast machines. I wanted a machine that would allow me to roast up to a pound at a time, and the Behmor is one of the few machines that can do that. It's a little quirky, but just a little, and it didn't take me long at all to understand it as well as I need to in order to get a good roasting result. Caveat: I live in Ohio, and roast in my garage where temps can dip into the 30s. I have not yet had the opportunity to see if the Behmor can power through an Ohio winter, as the FreshRoast machines can (with the optional extension tube for the FreshRoast, that is). So the jury's out on that. Things I like: 1. One pound batch size! 2. Excellent chaff collection. 3. Solid build - seems like a very solid machine that will last a long time. Things I don't like: 1. Behmor seems to limit the amount of time available for a batch, trying to protect us from ourselves for our safety (maybe their lawyers got a little too involved in their product design). I'm hoping that I can add time as needed, and that this nannying doesn't prevent me from getting a decent roast in winter. We'll see. 2. You can't see the beans in this thing due to the mesh screen (unlike the FreshRoast), so you can never be sure how dark your roast is. This takes some real getting used to... seeing the beans in addition to hearing the cracking adds a level of confidence that you just can't get without seeing them. 3. The Behmor is a lot less time-predictable than the FreshRoast and therefore you have to be there the entire time it is roasting. But as a positive, you don't have to roast as often. Some will like this, some won't (especially in winter). CBC says you will get a phone call before they ship, which didn't happen. I did get an email, but an email isn't a phone call. So, CBC should probably amend their promise on the website if they are no longer calling - no use getting expectations up and then disappointing. (I don't really feel I needed a phone call, but once someone promises it and doesn't do it, it's a negative.) Overall I am EXTREMELY satisfied with CBC as a supplier after dealing with them for many years.

Although I have not used the 200AB, I have used a Behmor 1600 for about 7 or 8 years, not sure of the exact date I purchased it. I can see there have been several improvements made to the 2000AB, one main improvement is the warning signal, but it should have been at 45 seconds or one minute, sometimes you can't get to the roaster in 15 seconds, I can't dry my hands in 15 seconds and get to the roaster. Too bad there isn't an override on the roaster, because when you miss the auto shutoff, you have to completely cool the beans before you can start the roaster up again. I haven't seen anything about temperature control or monitoring; my 1600 wasn't even in the ballpark when it comes to temperature monitoring. I corrected that by drilling a small hole in the upper left side and installed the probe of a grill thermometer which I can monitor with my cell phone and have a warning when it gets close to the four-and-a-half-minute auto shutoff time. Now I know the actual temp in my roaster. As far as the quantity of beans roasting, I roast one pound of coffee two times a week and sometimes more. I roast the beans until the temp hits 275 degrees, shut the roaster off and start it up again at which time I start the timer, now at the 4 1/2 minute mark I hit the override for the auto shutoff and stay with the roaster until the beans are roasted fully. This is not an exact time as to the variables, humidity, room temp, moisture content of the beans, etc. Another issue I have encountered is cleaning the roaster; after several years, I pulled the end cover off the roaster on the control side, it had a large accumulation of coffee bean hauls, dust, etc. enough that if it caught on fire you would lose the roaster. I further disassembled the roaster to clean the whole interior of the roaster, and it needed it!, which you can't get to any other way. I don't recommend this as some of the tabs can break off which holds the roaster together, I doubt if I can do this a second time without some of the tabs breaking off. The Behmor 1600 was a major improvement over the hot-air popcorn popper I started with. And I see big improvements in the 2000AB, but I am waiting for the Behmor "Jake", which I guess is behind schedule in production or maybe engineering???

I've had the 2000AB for about a month now and roast about every other day. I share many of the roast with friends and family as I search for the perfect flavor. The roaster is very easy to use and provides a lot of flexibility as you can simply use the program modes or go completely manual. Any regrets? Yeah, I wish I had started doing this years ago.

Second behmor. Great medium roasts. How do I do it? I use an extension cord rated for the Amos. Preheat .. 1/2 lb press start . Weigh 8 oz raw beans. Press stop, .. put in beans. Press 1/2 lb then start then P5. Start timer. When 9 minutes is up come back, press start to avoid shutoff. Listen for 1st crack. When popcorn popping sound is less than 5 sec apart, press p3 and let 10 sec elapse the press cool. Let 2 min elapse. ( I use multi timer on iPhone). Then stop roast, vacuum chaff , close lit press cool. Shake cage to get rid of chaff in cage. Put beans in callindar, hand swirl until warm and vacuum pack. Put away roaster . Do all this outside.

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.

We have had the Behmor 2000 about two months now and it is even better than our old 1600. I honestly don't think there is a better home roast deal anywhere! We loved the coffee samplers and are saving our gift certificate! The log book was nice but portends little use as we have been roasting a long time. Coffee Bean Corral is the best place to shop, we couldn't have gotten these incentives anywhere else. Just an example of how they do business, the best!

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.

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.

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.

My Behmor 1600 died and this is the replacement. I love the faster/stronger motor and the audible safety beep (finally!), but the drum and chaff tray have been lightened (to save money I guess), and it hampers the performance a bit in terms of a flush fit with the drum door; and also with the chaff tray (the flanges deform a bit). But it still works fine.

I’ve been roasting for several years using an SR 500. However I needed higher capacity and more control over the roast. Finally nailed how to roast a perfect batch in manual mode after a just a few batches with Behmor 2000AB Plus. I just use P5 on one 1lb and wait for first crack. 30 secs to a minute later I hit cool and open the door. Voila. It’s perfect every time.

It's perfect for in home use, very little debris comes out, Smoke is minimal and the stove fan removes any that escapes. My first two roast attempts turned out good and can't wait to roast again.

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