Hottop B KN-8828B-2K+

I still consider myself a novice although I have completed about 100 roasts on my old Behmore and a whirly popeer. The reason I went to the Hottop was for more consistent roasts, more control of the variables, and the for the datalogging capability via the Artisan software. So far after 10 roasts, I am thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. The Hoptop is fair-priced everywhere with their vendors at around $1600. I bought it from Coffee Bean Corral because of the excellent customer service, fast turnaround time on orders and the fact that they answered my questions very quickly. Getting their coffee samples also helped with my learning curve as well. So far, what I like about the K2+ are: • Easy setup. There was a minimal amount of assembly to do (put on the heat grills and mount the cooling tray) and you are ready to go. • Documentation is some of the best I have ever seen for a consumer appliance. I say this as a former tech writer and editor. • Good user interface (controls and display). Aside from being able to control this from my laptop, • Good control over the process. • Consistent results • Sturdy construction • Easy to clean and maintain. Cons: • Smoke ventilates from multiple openings. Unless you rig a big hood with a powerful fan, it will set off the smoke detector in your kitchen. • Its limited to roughly a 1/2lb (250 grams) capacity. For me this is not a problem. On my older roaster I tried full 1lb roasts and had very inconsistent roasts • Because the heating element is electric, heat changes will have a lag time. But with experience, this becomes a mote point. Is the K2+ for everyone? If you are serious about coffee roasting and want to perfect your craft, then I believe this is the machine for you. It will allow you to do more with your roasts than lower priced roasters and is well supported by the manufacture and the user community. Although there is a lot to be said for gas roasters, not everyone has natural gas or propane available. There are also safety concerns as well. The next up is getting a sampling roaster. This is really overkill for the home roaster unless you are planning to do this as a career. Happy roasting!

I have been using the Hottop for almost two years now.The expense of the machine is well worth it.You can manually roast or hook up your laptop to control roasting cycle.The roasts are even throughout.It is a very easy machine to clean and parts readily available through Hottops web site.Your maximum roast batch will be 250 grams (9 ounces).Total time on auto for this eighteen minutes including cool down.It's a great roaster doesn't weigh much and takes up little space.Well worth the cost.You will ABSOLUTELY love the coffee this machine roasts.

This is my third roaster and my 7th roast on the Hottop. It’s my first drum roaster so my experience is limited. As far as quality goes, I’m very impressed with the “fit and finish” of the machine. Past user reviews give me no reason to doubt longevity. Functionally, it’s as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I started out using the “auto” mode and was very pleased with the coffee that it roasted. It also allows you to roast manually or program a roast using alarms on the software. It’s a slick application and a very nice link with the dual thermocouples. I enjoy the data aspect of the roast, so the Artisan software hookup was a requirement for me. Had I known that I would become addicted to roasting coffee, I should have started out with the Hottop. However, there are numerous great options for getting started in this hobby. Cleaning will be the biggest downside that I see. This unit gets smoky, and I suspect that the roasting chamber will need a good scrubbing after several roasts. Cleaning between roasts is easy in my opinion. Also be aware that you must let the unit cool down between batches....no back to back batches. Happy Roasting!!

I bought the KN-8828B-2K from CBC last year thinking that it'd be all that I needed, but I didn't know what I didn't know. I was thinking about upgrading to this model a few weeks ago but discovered that I could buy an upgrade kit from Hottop for $600 that converts the -2K to a -2K+. The tear down and installation isn't trivial but it was well worth it. I'm only giving this review to make the point that you can start out with the -2K model and for a little more than buying the -2K+ model you can upgrade, and have a bunch of spare parts too. Given the redundancy of some of the parts in the upgrade kit, it might even be possible to upgrade for less than the cost of the bundled package. As for the -2K+ and Artisan software (which is free), it's as good as it gets for the home roaster who can't justify spending three or four times as much for an entry level, industrial grade, typically gas fueled roaster. You'll need a computer running at least Windows 7 in order to use Artisan, but you'll learn so much more and have far more control over the process when you do. I have no idea how much coffee I've roasted now, but 1/2lb every three days for the past 9 months is about right, and I'm still learning. I would absolutely recommend this roaster (and Artisan) for anyone looking to produce consistently excellent coffee. The software has a learning curve, but the control over the process and final results are well worth the effort.

11/25/2022, purchased my Hottop KN-8828B-2K+; this week my roast session batch numbers started at #101. My very first roast was an auto roast and since then I’ve only done one other & only a few manual roasts; I bought the roaster wanting to learn Artisan. Initially did 8 practice roasts; after a few turned out fair to good I began tracking my roasts. At the time I bought my Hottop I purchased a single dose grinder & espresso cappuccino machine. I mostly use my HotTop for espresso beans I take into 2nd-K; the Artisan control of temp, duration, RoR is fantastic and you can see, hear & smell well enough to assist your roasting. Before my purchase I joined the Hottop Coffee Roaster Facebook group; it’s worth a look around; was previously a FreshRoast group member. I mostly studied members’ screenshot of Artisan roast profiles and roast notes. I learned more from trial & error (mistakes) than any video but they are initially helpful. I’m 72 & retired and I’ve given this hobby lots of time but my memory is shit; so a younger person can learn & remember it lots easier but there is lots more than you would think that one needs to learn to best utilize the machine & software. Also it helps if you’ve read a few books; on coffee roasting & on coffee farming & bean varieties round the world. Before my SR8 I roasted for years with a Motorize Kaldi, WhirleyPops & Korean ceramic Nuvo. My next roaster may be the Aillio Bullet, to further my skills and to roast larger batch sizes. With my SR800 I roast 215grams; my Hottop only 175 grams. I learnt roasting first at 160g & moved up to 175g and then 200g & 225g and returned to 175g for the most consistent results & it would become boring if roast Times were longer. The 175g size is one reason I continue roasting my favs with my SR800; I’m on my 4th & 5th units and my skill with it has improved with my acquired Hottop skills. I mostly roast medium to med-Dk to Dk; never been a light roast guy; though lots of roasters like roasting light with the Hottop. FYI, my fav espresso blends normally include 25% of: 1) Indo: Sumatra or Sulawesi using the Giling Basah, or wet hulling process. 2) Brazil: a natural process w/varieties Mundo Novo, Catuai, Bourbon, etc. 3) high elevation washed Central American, GUATMARGARITA, CRLAGLAD, CRELCON or others that nicely roast med-Dk+. 4) A single varietal like the Caturra, Maracatu, Bourbon, etc from a good region. It may sound simple but the different factors all mean a different Drop temp° & style of Drop (not dump) ascending, level, or descending & Turn Point data & period of heat soak, different lengths of Dry, Maillard, & first crack & second crack Finish to Drop (Dump). Controlling each stage is what makes roasting with the Hottop fun. I always load a background template to replicate or for reference. I always save my roast files & records the Roast Properties (Bean, Roast Notes, Cup’n Notes info) for roasts that cup VG to Ex & export & save their data. Final note, I get the routine maintenance / replacement parts from CBC.

I was fascinated by roasting ever since I got my Swissmar Bravi. It was a simple drum roaster that only let me adjust the time. But I wanted more. I wanted to master the art of roasting at home. That's when I discovered the Hot Top 2K+. It was perfect for me. It gave me the control I needed to experiment with different profiles and settings. And with the Artisan software, I could monitor and record every roast. It was also affordable and easy to use. Coffee bean Corral made my dream come true. They delivered it fast and followed up with a friendly call. I'm so grateful to them for their amazing service.

I was fascinated by roasting ever since I got my Swissmar Bravi. It was a simple drum roaster that only let me adjust the time. But I wanted more. I wanted to master the art of roasting at home. That's when I discovered the Hot Top 2K+. It was perfect for me. It gave me the control I needed to experiment with different profiles and settings. And with the Artisan software, I could monitor and record every roast. It was also affordable and easy to use. Coffee bean Corral made my dream come true. They delivered it fast and followed up with a friendly call. I'm so grateful to them for their amazing service.