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by Kahvitauko on March 25, 2021
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.
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by George Park on August 15, 2020
After years of using a iRoast2, I am ecstatic to have a roaster that allows me to actually hear the first and second crack! So far, I have completed four small (100 g) roasts and am impressed by the quietness, reproducibility and lack of smoke from this roaster.
There is no doubt that this is not a "put the coffee in, press a button and walk away" roaster, but should it be? Not if you really care about your coffee. There are plenty of controls to customize your roast, and the manual that comes with it (and I highly recommend reading it thoroughly) is quite instructive. The only downsides I have found so far are that it is sometimes a challenge to insert the roasting cylinder (square post into square drive have to be aligned) after pre-heating the roaster as recommended, but so far I haven't burned myself. Also, I find that chaff cleanout takes a little longer than it seems it should. Not all the chaff is caught in the chaff tray and the handy brush (included) is required to clean out the chaff from the roasting chamber. Finally, an occasional bean will get stuck in the roasting chamber. For me these are small irritants that don't take away from what seems to be an excellent product.
Only time will tell how the roaster ages (does it get easier as I get used to the routine, or do the small irritants become large irritants) and its long-term reliability. I used my iRoast2 for 15 years. I am hoping for the best and recommend this product for the serious roaster.
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