CharlesM Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2011 Posts: 7 Location: SAUSALITO Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Pavoni PL Grinder: Gaggia MDF
Posted Sun Feb 3, 2013, 11:00am Subject: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
Hi!
I'm just starting out with the Home Roasting concept. Very excited!
Would you please recommend the best Air Popcorn Popper to use for home roasting? I really would like to find one that is not too noisy... I hate high pitch screaming appliances.
Also if you would please recommend a home roaster that is not too expensive, I'd really appreciate.
I will never make my own sort of thing, so a good home use pre-manufactured machine would be perfect!
Posted Sun Feb 3, 2013, 4:21pm Subject: Re: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
Hi Charles,
Likely the best air corn popper for coffee roasting is the original West Bend Poppery. This is the one with the series wound universal motor as apposed to the later ones with small DC motors. It is however something of a high pitched screaming appliance.
For made to purpose Fluid Bed roasters the Fresh-Roast is supposed to be relatively quiet. It is however a hot air roaster so expect noise.
If you want quiet, get a Hottop. It is far and away the quietest roaster I have ever had. It is fairly expensive and there is no smoke reduction so make sure you have a good vent.
Phil
CharlesM Said:
Hi!
I'm just starting out with the Home Roasting concept. Very excited!
Would you please recommend the best Air Popcorn Popper to use for home roasting? I really would like to find one that is not too noisy... I hate high pitch screaming appliances.
Also if you would please recommend a home roaster that is not too expensive, I'd really appreciate.
I will never make my own sort of thing, so a good home use pre-manufactured machine would be perfect!
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 Sun Feb 3, 2013, 10:33pm Subject: Re: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
I use an old version Popcorn Pumper which works pretty well.
One thing to watch if you use a newer hot air popcorn popper is that many now seem to have a thermostat which turns off the heat at a certain temperature to avoid overheating and damaging the popper. Unfortunately this thermostat can cause the roast to stall by turning off the heat and never allowing the roast to fully develop.
The thermostat can be modded/removed- usually fairly easily but at your own risk (of course).
Posted Mon Feb 4, 2013, 11:50am Subject: Re: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
For a new purchase, the Sunbeam Air Popper I bought from Target a year or so ago for $20 works pretty well - It's got the right circuit layout to allow the main heating element to be switched independently of the fan, and it was easy enough to disable the thermostat by popping out the bimetallic button. I've seen it elsewhere around here as well. This is it - Amazon reviews seem to think it's a terrible popcorn popper, although I think that's something strange going on with the review system - it worked fine when I popped corn in it yesterday! It happily roasted coffee for me a couple of times as well, although I had a Goodwill purchase that I used as my main roaster until I got my Gene-Cafe.
You should look at any popper to make sure that you have the side vented chamber kind rather than the mesh bottomed kind - this helps spin/agitate the beans in the chamber and avoids chaff falling onto the element and smoking.
CoolFeet Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2013 Posts: 1 Location: bay area Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: moka pot Roaster: West Bend Poppery
Posted Mon Feb 4, 2013, 9:09pm Subject: Re: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
I have been using the Westbend Poppery for 8 years and it has never failed me. I burned out a few Toastmasters because I roasted back to back. I am impressed with the flavor profile. We have this incredible microroaster in the Bay Area that roasts their coffee light. It's great coffee. However, when I compare my light roast from my Westbend Poppery, I feel my coffee tastes so much better. Even the "light roast" guy who sells his coffee in an upscale spot at the Ferry Building in San Francisco tastes burned by my standards.
Look in your local thrift stores and find the Westbend. If you cannot find a used one local, buy one off eBay. It's worth the money for good coffee.
thusband Senior Member Joined: 6 Feb 2013 Posts: 2 Location: San Jose Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Feb 7, 2013, 9:01pm Subject: Re: Best Popcorn Popper - Best Home Roaster?
CoolFeet Said:
I have been using the Westbend Poppery for 8 years and it has never failed me. I burned out a few Toastmasters because I roasted back to back. I am impressed with the flavor profile. We have this incredible microroaster in the Bay Area that roasts their coffee light. It's great coffee. However, when I compare my light roast from my Westbend Poppery, I feel my coffee tastes so much better. Even the "light roast" guy who sells his coffee in an upscale spot at the Ferry Building in San Francisco tastes burned by my standards.
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