Home Coffee Roasting Blog

The latest Hottop home coffee roaster is model KN-8828B-2K+ which we expect to have available by the end of July.  This model adds USB connectivity to Artisan roasting software running on a computer.  You will have the ability to run the roaster from the Artisan software once properly configured; alternately you can control the roaster directly.  In either case Artisan will record the roast profile and key events during the roast.  Saved profiles can be stored and serve as a background to future roasts if you wish to follow a previously successful roast of a given coffee.  This roaster and software combination takes home roasting to a new level and adds immensely to its enjoyment.

Hottop KN-8828B-2K+ Control Panel

Priced at Roastmasters.com at $1600 including free shipping the KN-8828B-2K+ is a revamped KN-8828B-2K which can be had for $1100.  The upgrades that your $500 buys are:

• A new, USB compatible control panel featuring an advanced LED with wide viewing angle, high contrast, and full roast data displayed in real time.  LEDs change color as temperatures rise.
• Four bi-directional, infinite-rotation speed-sensitive knobs for easy and fast parameter changes during the roast (fan speed, temperature control, target temperature, and target time).
• Two K-type thermocouples for separate bean temperature (BT) and environmental temperature (ET) for real-time monitoring. Both temperatures are displayed on the LED screen throughout the roast. Other Hottop models have but one thermocouple.
• The USB port is bi-directional and supports third party software (Artisan) for real-time monitoring and graphing of roasts as well as for computer control of the roaster.
• Updated heating elements allow for roasts up to 300 grams (vs 250 grams for other current models).

Artisan software can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux computers and is open source – free – software.  While free it is well supported and updated by a community of users and is surprisingly robust providing near professional capabilities.

Artisan screenshot for Hottop KN-8828B-2K+

It should be noted that while Hottop guarantees and supports the roaster they do not provide same for the software and have several disclaimers to that point.

We have had a chance to test this roaster and have really enjoyed ourselves in doing so.  One nice aspect of Hottop is that the body of the machine has not changed in years, however, the company continues to improve the product and offers their customers upgrade kits.  If you have an older Hottop model then such kits are available although they can be expensive.  For new customers going directly to this model it’s nice to know the company is not trying to always sell you something new and the core roaster has significant longevity.

As to Artisan, it’s excellent software that lets you track bean and environmental temperatures, deltas for each which are similar to rate-of-rise, add notes, follow prior profile guides, produces spider graphs, has room for cupping notes, color analysis for those with such measuring equipment and many other features.  Many home roasters have used this developed software for years, mainly recording profiles from handmade notes.  Now, not only is Artisan capable of recording real time information from this Hottop model, but, the software can control the roaster including its fan speed, heating elements, stirrer, motor and ejection door.

For those looking for a totally automated experience this will not be the one for you.  But this will be great fun for the DIY type who likes to exert full control over their coffee roasting and wants to perfect their roast profiles.  The Hottop KN-8828B-2K+and Artisan software combination is as close to professional grade as you’re apt to find in a home roaster at this time.

When the current USA supply of Behmor 1600 roasters are exhausted they will be replaced with the Behmor 1600 Plus, expected late summer.  The only changes to the roaster will be a new Control Board (aka PCB) that will provide additional roasting controls and information, and, a new price.  The PCB will allow home roasters to switch between the original automatic profiles and new manual settings.  Users will be able to read thermistor and exhaust temperatures and also switch between two drum speeds.  New MSRP is $399 and we will offer the Plus at the minimum selling price of $369.  It should be noted that Behmor has not had a price increase since the roaster was first introduced 7 years ago.

SETTINGS WHEN IN MANUAL MODE

Do you need to upgrade?
If you have an existing Behmor 1600, you are happy with it and see no need to have manual overrides, than there is no need to upgrade by purchasing the upgrade kit or even a new roaster.  When the time comes to purchase your next Behmor this is what you will get – exactly the same roaster that works as before when you want it to, but, has added features if and when you want them.  You can continue to use the 1600 Plus just as did the 1600 when in its automatic (standard) mode.

Control Panel Upgrade only
Prior to the release of the Behmor Plus you will be able to purchase an upgrade kit consisting of the control panel and instructions for conversion. The selling price of this kit is $49.99.  We expect to have upgrade kits in early to mid July.  By upgrading your existing Behmor 1600 with this kit you will end up with a Behmor Plus – there are no other differences.

MORE DETAIL

All the time: Auto or Manual
1) Press C (for crack as in first) and it resets timer according to weight to our “Rosetta Stone” times which are associated with approximate time it takes to go from the first crack of 1C to start of 2C. It is merely an approximation.
2) Auto Safe/ Unattended Switch – at 75% into set time of a roast the timer will start blinking un:30..29, 28 etc.. The user has 30 seconds to press START otherwise it will automatically go into cool flashing err7.

Manual Mode
After pressing Start to begin a roast, press either P1 – P5 to begin manual mode (It is best to start with P5 – 100%.)
1) Change Motor speed – press D (drum)
2) Reset time to weight (Rosetta Stone) – press C
3) Press P1 – P5 to change power- whatever is pressed “blinks” to denote which setting.
4) Press 1 at any time to return to Auto

Recap
In Auto (default) all buttons act the same as in current system except ABC, for temp readings and time reset.
In Manual (only functional after starting a roast)
Button 1: Returns system from Manual mode to Auto (defaults).
Buttons A – C same as in auto
Button D – drum / cylinder motor speed toggle from standard (8 rpm) to high (16rpm)
Buttons P1 – P5 power to elements: P1- 0, P2-25%, P3-50%, P4-75%, P5-100%
All other buttons ¼, ½, +, -, Cooling, Light, Off remain the same in either / original program.

The Best of Panama 2013 internet auction was held last Wednesday 7/3 and prices were overall very high and, in a number of instances, extremely so.  By way of disclosure, yours truly was one of sixteen international judges who cupped and scored these coffees in Boquete, Panama in May.  The competition and auction that followed is broken into three categories:  Geisha varietal, Traditional and  Natural process coffees.  The Geishas and Traditionals are all washed or ‘honey’ processed.  Indeed, some of the nicest coffees anywhere are being produced in Panama, though this origin does not signify magic to the American consumer.  Close to zero of the auction winners were from the United States, and this is often true of winners at Cup of Excellence auctions as well.

Almost all of this award winning, expensive coffee goes to Asia where a taste for rare and exotic foods is firmly implanted in the culture, albeit those with the wherewithal to afford them.  Witness Wagyu beef at $1,500 a pound, $1,000 a pound Matsutake mushrooms, the 1.76 million dollar bluefin tuna that was purchased in January, a mere $3,600 a pound or Fugu blowfish.  This quest for unique experiences extends throughout Asia and is also being witnessed in Australia.

At Best of Panama there were 47 coffees auctioned.  Four of them attained prices over $100 a pound and 17 more coffees achieved between $20 and $100.

In all, 14,550 pounds of coffee were auctioned with an average price of $19.88 per pound.  Most of these were very small lots with 100 to 150 pounds.  But the questions remain 1) who buys and can afford the most expensive of these coffees? And 2) why is the US absent from the top earners?  Americans, even the wealthy ones, seemingly do not place a value on the experience, or, perhaps the experience does not live up to the price?

A $350 pound coffee will yield 10 small Chemex pots each 36 ounces.  $350 is the price of the green, unroasted coffee, which when imported and roasted will be more like $425 per pound, so that pot of coffee has a cost of about $43.  How much would it be priced tableside – $100 or about $15 a cup.  Maybe high rollers would would pay that, maybe not, prefering to dole out the bucks for big name, rare champagnes or cognacs.  It will be interesting to see how this trend develops and whether it turns out to be good or bad for specialty coffee.  Share your thoughts.