dorkroast Senior Member Joined: 3 Oct 2012 Posts: 78 Location: CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic Grinder: Mazzer Mini Roaster: Popcorn Pumper
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012, 5:44pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Im looking to purchase a higher priced roaster and have been debating whether I would buy a Quest or a Hottop if I were to drop $1K for a roaster.
I know this thread started with Behmor vs Hottop....but over the years I think many of us have made a decision one way or the other on that topic....Now I'm more curious if my 1K would be better spent on a Quest or a Hottop.....or if I should stick with a Behmor....
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012, 6:50pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
dorkroast Said:
Im looking to purchase a higher priced roaster and have been debating whether I would buy a Quest or a Hottop if I were to drop $1K for a roaster.
I know this thread started with Behmor vs Hottop....but over the years I think many of us have made a decision one way or the other on that topic....Now I'm more curious if my 1K would be better spent on a Quest or a Hottop.....or if I should stick with a Behmor....
I think that they are two very different machines. The Hottop appears to be a little more home friendly, while the quest is more of a mini sample roaster. I think you need to weigh the pros and cons of both. Also, a Hottop B will run just a touch over 800 while the Quest is around $1,200 I believe.
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012, 7:26pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Sam21 Said:
I think that they are two very different machines. The Hottop appears to be a little more home friendly, while the quest is more of a mini sample roaster. I think you need to weigh the pros and cons of both. Also, a Hottop B will run just a touch over 800 while the Quest is around $1,200 I believe.
Good points! I like the features of the Hottop but I have seen very little about the cleaning of the chaff between roasts. How easy, or difficult, is it?
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012, 8:04pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
BLrdFX Said:
Good points! I like the features of the Hottop but I have seen very little about the cleaning of the chaff between roasts. How easy, or difficult, is it?
I remove the tray and dump in the garbage. I personall only roast one batch per session so I remove the faceplate after emptying the tray and blow a few times. That's all there is to it. Naturally, it makes a mess at times around the flow if there is the lightest breeze, but that's roasting!
You'll get a bean or two that wedge themselves in the agitation fins as well. I use a knife to poke them out, but they cause no issues. I believe that folks who do back to back batches after a cool down just empty the chaff tray and blow a few times.
Either way, chaff is messy. Roasting is not clean, but the Hottop does its job decently in the chaff department.
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012, 8:31pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Sam21 Said:
Naturally, it makes a mess at times around the flow if there is the lightest breeze, but that's roasting! Either way, chaff is messy. Roasting is not clean, but the Hottop does its job decently in the chaff department.
Thanks for the insight! I assume that you roast outside? What about roasting with it inside with a strong exhaust hood with two 700cfm fans with independent motors vented to the outside??? Under this hood?? Or I could just get a Behmor and roast with it sitting on top of the stove under the hood. Might make sense since the stove is a fireproof surface as is the granite around the stove.
bucko Senior Member Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Kunming Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 3:31am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
I've done my homework, and I will be buying a Hottop soon. That said, I am curious why everyone likes the "B" over the "P" model? I was leaning towards the "P" model and using RoastLogger with it.
Love the Quest. Extremely high quality and robust design.
If you are feeling lazy,, you can just set it to one amperage and fan setting and pull the roast when the bean temp gets to 210C on the gauge. Or, you can tweak the power and fan to your heart's content. Very easy to add thermocouples and watch things like delta BT if that's your thing.
Small batch size was a worry at first, but I now see I prefer small 190g batch sizes (mason jar size) of several bean varieties over one big batch.
Only about $200 more than the HT, but well worth the extra $ (IMO). Looks better on the counter too, although sometimes friends ask what the "hampster wheel" is for. :-)
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 5:34am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
The Hottop B allows for use control over fam and power. The P is programmable, so once you hit start its off to te races with the program you set.
The Quest will allow more user input than the Hottop B, but both will do their job. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself what your wish list is. I will say that Hottop ha EXCELLENT customer service. I'm not saying that Quest does not, but won't comment just because I don't have experience with them. I have heard of users trading emails with the company though.
As for roasting location, I roast in my kitchen about a foot from a window and run a cheap 20 dollar two fan window fan. Handles the smoke and smell without issue. You'll get a residual smell that reminds me of baking bread, but its gone in 10-15 min for me if I leave the room and come back later.
bucko Senior Member Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Kunming Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 6:14am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Thanks for the quick reply. But can't I change the program settings after starting a roast on the P? I thought you can overide them and even save the new changes after the roast is completed. Maybe I read this wrong.
Anyway, I wanted to do the PC mod with the HTC boards and have total control over the whole process. I thought this was only possible with the P model. Can it be done with the B?
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 6:18am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
I believe that you can alter the time of the segments of the P program, but from what I understand of the heating profiles, the heater operates on an all or nothing equation. It will turn on and off to hit the temperature and maintain it. I could be COMPLETELY wrong, but when I was researching roasters over a year ago, I read something like that.
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