The Gene Cafe rotating drum roaster was very easy to use right out of the box. I was able to run two different batches of roasting within an hour. This allowed a side by side comparison of a light roast and full city roast using the same bean. The roaster cleans up nicely and only set off the smoke alarm once. The chaff collector is easy to dump out at the end of each roast cycle. The instruction manual had the funniest artwork that made the reading material interesting as well as useful.
The 9 lbs. of coffee was a mixture instead of one kind that I assumed I had ordered (no decaf which is fine for me). Estimate 65-85 lbs of roasting green beans, at $6 per pound, to begin to have this roaster start paying for itself. So for now it will be called a hobby instead of a money savings. :)

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

Product is excellent and easy to use and clean. It is smaller than I expected, holding only two measures of beans per roast. I have been using it to do two loads per week and am happy with the results. Will pay for itself in savings that green beans have over roasted in several months.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

Product is excellent and easy to use and clean. It is smaller than I expected, holding only two measures of beans per roast. I have been using it to do two loads per week and am happy with the results. Will pay for itself in savings that green beans have over roasted in several months.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

Let me start by saying I like the Alp and use if for most of my roasts. I still use a Fresh Roast+ for smaller batches or if I need to be extra careful with tracking a particular roast color, etc.

My first Alp stopped working after two roasts. My second Alp stopped working during the first roast. My third Alp seems to be working fine. Swissmar was very quick to send replacements (sending the new one even before they had picked up the defective machine). They paid for all postage. UPS picked up the old ones at my front door.

The biggest advantage to the Alp is the roast size. If you're tired of multiple back to back roasts with smaller roasters, the Alp is for you. I drink enough drip coffee and espresso to still justify 3 or 4 back to back roasts with the Alp and am pleased with the 8oz roast size.

Pros: roast size, looks of machine, noise level, ease of directing smoke

Cons: difficult to roast by sight, harder to clean than smaller roasters, very long roasts - 20 minutes and still not to the second crack (some double roasts needed, more on this later), more than a few folks have needed replacements prior to getting one that worked well.

Most of the "Cons" are easily overcome. This machine forces you to roast by crack sounds, time, smoke, smell, or roasting profiles learned from earlier roasts. Once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy to get a good roast with just about any bean.

I've learned each machine is different. My particular machine took a very long time to get to the second crack with some kinds of beans. So long in fact, that I needed to "double roast" before I fixed the problem. It would take 12 minutes into the second roast to hit the second crack. (kind of negates the time savings of the larger roast size) I read about a fix, implemented it, and sped up the roast profile. An allen wrench can adjust the temp setting via a circuit card accessible from the bottom of the machine. You can easily change the roast temp setting in just a few minutes. Now I always get to the second crack during the first roast. Problem solved.

I use 6 inch aluminum exhaust duct to route the Alp smoke out a cardboard cutout I place in the kitchen window. The aluminum can be "molded" around the exhaust vent of the Alp for a fairly tight seal. My wife no longer complains about the smoke as she does when I use the FR+. (I let the FR+ vent to the kitchen exhaust fan over the stove - the kind that exhausts to the outside.)

All in all I'm glad I got the Alp. I use it religously and team it with my Rancilio Rocky grinder, Rancilio Miss Sylvia espresso machine, and Capresso Team Luxe drip machine.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this machine. I had some roasting experience with the FR+ and I believe this helped me to get consistantly good roasts with the Alp. There may be a slight learning curve for someone starting out with the Alp as their first roaster.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

Let me start by saying I like the Alp and use if for most of my roasts. I still use a Fresh Roast+ for smaller batches or if I need to be extra careful with tracking a particular roast color, etc.

My first Alp stopped working after two roasts. My second Alp stopped working during the first roast. My third Alp seems to be working fine. Swissmar was very quick to send replacements (sending the new one even before they had picked up the defective machine). They paid for all postage. UPS picked up the old ones at my front door.

The biggest advantage to the Alp is the roast size. If you're tired of multiple back to back roasts with smaller roasters, the Alp is for you. I drink enough drip coffee and espresso to still justify 3 or 4 back to back roasts with the Alp and am pleased with the 8oz roast size.

Pros: roast size, looks of machine, noise level, ease of directing smoke

Cons: difficult to roast by sight, harder to clean than smaller roasters, very long roasts - 20 minutes and still not to the second crack (some double roasts needed, more on this later), more than a few folks have needed replacements prior to getting one that worked well.

Most of the "Cons" are easily overcome. This machine forces you to roast by crack sounds, time, smoke, smell, or roasting profiles learned from earlier roasts. Once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy to get a good roast with just about any bean.

I've learned each machine is different. My particular machine took a very long time to get to the second crack with some kinds of beans. So long in fact, that I needed to "double roast" before I fixed the problem. It would take 12 minutes into the second roast to hit the second crack. (kind of negates the time savings of the larger roast size) I read about a fix, implemented it, and sped up the roast profile. An allen wrench can adjust the temp setting via a circuit card accessible from the bottom of the machine. You can easily change the roast temp setting in just a few minutes. Now I always get to the second crack during the first roast. Problem solved.

I use 6 inch aluminum exhaust duct to route the Alp smoke out a cardboard cutout I place in the kitchen window. The aluminum can be "molded" around the exhaust vent of the Alp for a fairly tight seal. My wife no longer complains about the smoke as she does when I use the FR+. (I let the FR+ vent to the kitchen exhaust fan over the stove - the kind that exhausts to the outside.)

All in all I'm glad I got the Alp. I use it religously and team it with my Rancilio Rocky grinder, Rancilio Miss Sylvia espresso machine, and Capresso Team Luxe drip machine.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this machine. I had some roasting experience with the FR+ and I believe this helped me to get consistantly good roasts with the Alp. There may be a slight learning curve for someone starting out with the Alp as their first roaster.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

Let me start by saying I like the Alp and use if for most of my roasts. I still use a Fresh Roast+ for smaller batches or if I need to be extra careful with tracking a particular roast color, etc.

My first Alp stopped working after two roasts. My second Alp stopped working during the first roast. My third Alp seems to be working fine. Swissmar was very quick to send replacements (sending the new one even before they had picked up the defective machine). They paid for all postage. UPS picked up the old ones at my front door.

The biggest advantage to the Alp is the roast size. If you're tired of multiple back to back roasts with smaller roasters, the Alp is for you. I drink enough drip coffee and espresso to still justify 3 or 4 back to back roasts with the Alp and am pleased with the 8oz roast size.

Pros: roast size, looks of machine, noise level, ease of directing smoke

Cons: difficult to roast by sight, harder to clean than smaller roasters, very long roasts - 20 minutes and still not to the second crack (some double roasts needed, more on this later), more than a few folks have needed replacements prior to getting one that worked well.

Most of the "Cons" are easily overcome. This machine forces you to roast by crack sounds, time, smoke, smell, or roasting profiles learned from earlier roasts. Once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy to get a good roast with just about any bean.

I've learned each machine is different. My particular machine took a very long time to get to the second crack with some kinds of beans. So long in fact, that I needed to "double roast" before I fixed the problem. It would take 12 minutes into the second roast to hit the second crack. (kind of negates the time savings of the larger roast size) I read about a fix, implemented it, and sped up the roast profile. An allen wrench can adjust the temp setting via a circuit card accessible from the bottom of the machine. You can easily change the roast temp setting in just a few minutes. Now I always get to the second crack during the first roast. Problem solved.

I use 6 inch aluminum exhaust duct to route the Alp smoke out a cardboard cutout I place in the kitchen window. The aluminum can be "molded" around the exhaust vent of the Alp for a fairly tight seal. My wife no longer complains about the smoke as she does when I use the FR+. (I let the FR+ vent to the kitchen exhaust fan over the stove - the kind that exhausts to the outside.)

All in all I'm glad I got the Alp. I use it religously and team it with my Rancilio Rocky grinder, Rancilio Miss Sylvia espresso machine, and Capresso Team Luxe drip machine.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this machine. I had some roasting experience with the FR+ and I believe this helped me to get consistantly good roasts with the Alp. There may be a slight learning curve for someone starting out with the Alp as their first roaster.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

This small fluid-bed appliance is one efficient; easy to use coffee bean roaster. You pour your Tolima Colombian green beans into the 43cc scoop twice, spilling them into the small roasting chamber. Plug it in. Turn the timer knob to seven minutes and that's it. A stream of hot air does the rest. It's virtually silent, emanates a nice rich smell and it's smoke-free--if you put the chaff collectors & the roast chamber into the dishwasher after each roasting project. The green beans slowly turn kaki, then light brown and finally (after the second crack) a dark shiny brown. Pour dem roasted coffee beans into the grinder cup of your automatic grind and brew coffee maker--pour in twelve cups of filtered water--set the timer--and it's incredibly fresh coffee in the morning! Too simple!

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

The FreshRoast is a decent little roaster for someone who doesn't try to do anything fancy. It really doesn't do anything more than a hot air popcorn popper does, but costs a whole lot more.

You have to be very careful with the amount of beans you put in, as overloading it at all will result in lots of smoke and burned beans.

My only real complaint is that this thing is very fragile. I have had the bottom come off when removing the roasting chamber, making a huge mess. The roasting chamber will also break without much provocation, and they are about $25 to replace.

For the average home roaster, I find that the I-Roast is a much better bargain, more durable and does a lot more.

Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

I've only been using mine for a few days now, but it's every bit as easy as I've read elsewhere, and mine hasn't even produced hardly any smoke. I haven't gone as far as a super-oily roast yet, so I'm sure that's why. But I've got several small jars of varyingly dark beans and they all smell great.

This thing really does not roast much in one session. Depending on how you make coffee you're looking at 1-3 pots at most from a single roast (I get two pots and have a tiny bit of leftover beans). But it's so easy to use this thing, even despite the recommended cooldown period between roasts, that I've been using it every day, so I've got no shortage of roasted beans to try.

Biggest disadvantage I've found so far is the urge to spend lots of money on green coffee bean samplers.


Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section

I've only been using mine for a few days now, but it's every bit as easy as I've read elsewhere, and mine hasn't even produced hardly any smoke. I haven't gone as far as a super-oily roast yet, so I'm sure that's why. But I've got several small jars of varyingly dark beans and they all smell great.

This thing really does not roast much in one session. Depending on how you make coffee you're looking at 1-3 pots at most from a single roast (I get two pots and have a tiny bit of leftover beans). But it's so easy to use this thing, even despite the recommended cooldown period between roasts, that I've been using it every day, so I've got no shortage of roasted beans to try.

Biggest disadvantage I've found so far is the urge to spend lots of money on green coffee bean samplers.


Want the Best Kitchen Appliances? Then Don't Miss Our:
Kitchen Appliance Reviews & Tips Section