home page

                  

 

COFFEE ROASTER REVIEWS AND COMMENTS

>TostaCaffe 8 lb. Owner (20 units) - Commercial Cocoa Bean and Coffee Roaster
>Timothy Childs, Founder
>Tcho.com, San Francisco, CA
Performance from our first Tostacaffe coffee roaster was so good we purchased 20 more units for our operations in North and South America..  With a total of 24 Tostacaffe coffee roasters we are in a position to roast not only cocoa beans but also coffee beans for our exclusive clientele.  Unlike most chocolate companies we do not simply re-melt our chocolate but create our own chocolate through world wide search of cocoa bean growers for just the right cocoa beans.
             
>Suzie and Brian Morris
>Malvern, Ohio
Our Micro TostaCaffe Model A arrived last Saturday; we set it up and roasted one 2 lb. batch of coffee on Sunday afternoon.  We were happy with the roaster we chose and were also pleasantly surprised by our roasting results (especially since it was our first batch).  Technically you're supposed to wait 2-3 days after roasting for the espresso to 'bloom" fully, but we couldn't wait.  We brewed some on Monday morning.  

You may think roasting your own coffee at home is difficult and you need special equipment - but it's not and you don't.  There are some people that simply use an air popcorn popper and some that even do it in a cast iron skillet (which i may try someday when we want some coffee to brew in our Chemex).  Basically you put your green coffee beans in your roaster and roast until desired doneness, we like a darker roast so we wait until they start the 2nd crack (sounds like popcorn popping).  Then you cool as rapidly as possible and you're done.  We were actually amazed by how easy it was!

                   Photography by Suzie Morris
>Micro TostaCaffe Coffee Roaster and Mini TostaCaffe Coffee Roaster with PerfectRoast Digital Control Panel
>Jean-Marc Raby
>Robertson, Ontario, Canada
>Phone:  613-361-2493
I have been roasting coffee with a one pound coffee roaster for about 6 months and was distributing to friends and neighbors.  I really wanted to take the next step and expand on my passion of roasting quality coffee.  The one thing I didn't want to do was spend too much money up front.  In 2006 I purchased the Micro TostaCaffe coffee roaster.  I was finally able to roast like the big boys without paying a big boy price.  The Micro 4 pounder has been a real workhorse (i have roasted over 1,000 pounds of coffee beans).  After outgrowing this coffee roaster I purchased (October 2010) a Mini TostaCaffe Coffee Bean Roaster with PerfectRoast Digital Control Panel.  This has proved to be another great invention coming from the people at CafeCoffees.com as I've been able to roast consistent quality batches with very little fuss.

 

>TostaCaffe 8 lb.™ Owner - Commercial Coffee Roaster
>Joel Heitcamp
>Madison, Wisconsin
This is an electric coffee roaster that anyone can use indoors or outdoors to roast coffee at a professional
specialty grade.  This electric roaster roasts up to 8 lbs. of green coffee with zero hesitation.  The TostaCaffe
coffee roaster comes ready to install with an exhaust  module stack for smoke ventilation.  Additional 3 inch exhaust piping can be purchased at any local hardware or home improvement store for about $20 for a 6' length.
This roaster is a commercial grade roaster that can really perform.  It is completely electric and reaches temperatures near 500 degrees Fahrenheit for optimum roasting.  I have been in the coffee business since 2003.  My first coffee roaster was an AeroRost II manufactured by CafeCoffees and this is how I learned the basics of coffee roasting roasting for a family owned coffee shop.  Since then I have roasted on everything from Ambex's to Jabez Burns 240 K roasters.  When I returned to having my own independent roastery I went back to the basics. 
Rather than investing $7,000-$8,000 on a gas powered roaster I invested in a TostaCaffe 8 lb coffee bean roaster.
With the CafeCoffees Upgrade Program I can upgrade my coffee roaster as my business grows and when I need additional capacity, CafeCoffees is currenly producing electric coffee roasters that can suit my needs up to 20 lbs. per batch.

 

>Mini TostaCaffé 6 lb.™ Owner  - Commercial Cocoa Bean Roaster
>John Rossini
>Travel Chocolate, Mamaroneck, NY
Seeing that it was now possible for electric roasting of almost anything, thanks to the revolutionary coffee/cocoa bean roasting equipment coming out of the research labs at cafecoffees, i decided to take the plunge into cocoa bean roasting and purchase one of the more popular coffee roasters on the market today, the Mini TostaCaffé 6 lb.™  The coffee roaster came with a startup folder with easy to understand startup guide.  The purchase of the PefectRoast™ Digital Control Panel, allowed absolute control of coffee roaster drum temperature during entire roast cycle.
>Mini TostaCaffé 6 lb.™ Owner  - Commercial Cocoa Bean Roaster
>Guittard Gourmet Chocolate Company, San Francisco, CA
    
Performance from our first Mini Tostacaffe coffee roaster was so good we decided to try it out on our cocoa beans and cocoa nibs. Unlike most chocolate companies, we do not simply re-melt our chocolate but create our own chocolate through world wide search of cocoa bean growers for just the right cocoa beans.
        
>Micro TostaCaffe Owner, 
>Malcolm Gerngross
>GLP Technologies, Navasota, TX
Requirements of roasting coffee beans and sampling growers from SA and through the world and testing using spectrum analysis for trace    elements not allowed under growing agreements for organic growing classification under contracts with both the USDA and the EPA.    The Micro TostaCaffe all electric coffee roaster provides us with a viable roasting platform which is free of mercury and other trace elements found in both Liquid Propane and Natural Gas coffee roasters.  
                                           

>Micro TostaCaffe 4 lb. and TostaCaffe 10 lb. Owner - Commercial Coffee Roaster

>Greg Baumgartner
>Baumgartner Fine Coffees, Biloxi, MS
I'm impressed with the customer service provided at CafeCoffees, they have followed through with everything promised.  I very much appreciate finding businesses committed to manufacturing quality products and following up with the high degree of customer service provided by CafeCoffees.  Multi-nationals many times lose this touch.  Beginning with the smaller 4 lb. batch Micro TostaCaffe in 2006 provided necessary quality coffee for my coffee vending business and progressive small batch roasting experience became an additional dividend..  Now with the addition of the larger TostaCaffe 8 lb. coffee roaster to my roastery i have the necessary roasting capability for expanding into area coffee shop markets.
>TostaCaffé™ Owner - Commercial Coffee Roaster
>Peter Lindahl

                                          >Stillwater Coffee Company, Sagle, ID

 

 

 

With almost 8 years of experience in operating large 32 kilo gas fired coffee roasters for coffee shop franchises I figured I had plenty of experience to strike with my very own coffee roastery. Over the past ten years I’ve heard great things about a new startup company building halogen powered electric coffee roasters that could actually out perform gas powered coffee roasters. After speaking with the people at cafecoffees I placed my order for the 8 pound TostaCaffe coffee roaster, 1/2 HP electric turbine powered cool down pan, and the packaging silo. Receiving the TostaCaffe coffee roaster on a Monday I was roasting that same day, something that would have been impossible with any other coffee roaster on the market.

I installed the coffee roaster on my own within an hour of receiving it. The roast profiles are what I expected and have already roasted over 2,000 pounds of green beans by Mid December of 2007, a mere 2 months after receiving the TostaCaffe coffee roaster from cafecoffees. I’m very happy with the roasts I’ve achieved with this electric coffee roaster and would recommend any coffee roaster manufactured by cafecoffees.  

 
Micro TostaCaffé™  &  AeroRost II Owner - Commercial Coffee Roaster
>Magnus Gyllensten, Owner
>Bella Vita Coffee Roasters, Poulsbo, WA

Hello Don,

      I wanted to thank you so much for shipping our Micro TostaCaffe Coffee Roaster one day earlier than promised.   We have installed the new Micro TostaCaffe  and it works really well.  We did design our own cooling system with the  6HP shopvac and it cools just great (as you had suggested).  The misting of the beans beans during the cool down process works great too.  Now we have almost a smoke free roasting room. 

      Like many coffee shop owners, we got our start roasting coffee with a new AeroRost II coffee shop roaster manufactured by cafecoffees.com, this roast was the perfect startup machine for our business and now with the MicroTostaCaffe coffee bean roaster we have a progressive production capability for our flourishing coffee business. 

Thanks again,

Magnus Gyllensten
 
 

 

TostaCaffé™ & AeroRost II Owner - Commercial Coffee Roaster
>Jim Pittelli
>Jim Pittelli Specialty Coffees, Pompano Beach, FL
 

      We coffee roasters love high quality equipment that works as advertised.  But if the equipment is also good looking, there's a higher probability we'll buy it.  Based on these criteria, the TostaCaffe 8 lb. roaster is a winner.                              

      I first purchased the Micro TostaCaffe coffee roaster in October of 2004.  After several months of back to back roasts ( 3 1/2 lbs. in an average of 30 minutes per roast cycle) it was time to upgrade.  I discovered in a telephone conversation in early May, 2005 that cafe coffees was introducing a larger roaster that produced 8 lbs. per batch and cafe coffees had already shipped a couple units.  After a 5 day wait the unit was shipped and I had the roaster up and running within 60 minutes of receiving the roaster shipment.  More than anything, the thing that made it easy to get up and running was that the TostaCaffe' is all electric with no expensive gas hookups or setup codes to worry about.  The roaster has delivered very even roasts and the exhaust system works well.  I'm still running the Micro TostaCaffe along with the larger TostaCaffe' 8 lb. coffee roaster and will be needing another TostaCaffe' in about 4 weeks.

thanks, Jim Pittelli

 

>Micro TostaCaffe' Coffee Roaster Owner - Roasting for Family and Friends
>Bob Littrell, Springfield, IL
I have to tell you the Micro TostaCaffe’ is a beautiful piece of machinery. I ordered my roaster just before Christmas of 2005 and it arrived well packaged in the first week of December with plenty of time to get familiar with it to roast plenty of coffee for Christmas festivities.

Although the Micro TostaCaffe’ includes a digital temperature gauge for measuring bean temperature, I roast primarily by sound of 1st and 2nd crack and aroma of the roasting coffee beans. My coffee of preference is Sulawesi Torajaland which I find perfect for drum roasting and works especially well with the Micro TostaCaffe coffee roaster. I usually roast 2 1/2 pounds of green beans and watch the roast progress through the various stages using the Micro TostaCaffe’ observation window. The internal halogen heating system provides a fast reacting heat source which I can shut down at the end of the roast cycle and also doubles as a source of illumination for viewing the beans during the roast cycle. In closing, without a doubt the Micro TostaCaffe’ is a modern technical masterpiece.

Bob Littrell, Springfield, Il

      
>Micro TostaCaffe Owner - Home Roaster
>Andrew Koyoumjian, New York, New York
     I love the Micro TostaCaffe !!  I have roasted many batches of coffee using it.  It is easy and fun to use!  Roasting time is usually about 20 minutes, quicker if I am roasting a second or third batch at one time as it builds up residual heat and doesn't need time to warm-up.  Back to back roasting is no problem. What a pleasure not to have to wait for a cool-down and re-heat cycle. Your idea is great!  For my home use this was the perfect economical solution. It has held up well and is easy to clean.  

     With the front glass viewing window I can keep a close watch on the color of the beans and remove them at just the right time. After roasting I remove the drum and pour the hot beans into a metal kitchen colander for cool down.  There is nothing like a fresh cup of coffee and using your design makes that easy and fun.  I have taken some fresh roasted coffee into work and ground it there to make a pot of coffee that is out of this world.  It has become quite popular and has every one talking about home roasting coffee.  I have told friends and associates about the Micro TostaCaffe and encourage anyone to buy it as it is easy and fun and really does work! 

    Thanks again for your ingenuity and design in creating a way for me to roast coffee at my own home.  We'll raise a cup you and your idea!
                                                

Sincerely, Andrew Koyoumjian

 

Micro TostaCaffe:  Home and Business
>Owner, Robert Ogden
>Shadow Hills, CA  91040
I use the Micro TostaCaffe Coffee Bean Roaster for both home and business.  I started with the Fresh Roast Plus 8 just for myself, then for my customers ( I sell water, HVAC, hydraulic, and oil filters).  I started giving my customers 1/2 pound bags of roasted beans, well the Behmor at that point was too small and I found the Micro TostaCaffe Coffee Bean Roaster on the internet. The AeroRost II makes things easier and faster for roasting green beans than the Fresh Roast 8.

Great machine, better than expected, 15-20 minutes and one pound of roasted green beans  incredible!

>Robert Ogden

               

Micro TostaCaffe Customer:  Coffee Shop                          
>Owner, Kelly O'Brien         
>Minneapolis, Minnesota

 >Awesome Coffee Bean Roaster....Already Roasted 10 Pounds!!!  

Micro TostaCaffe Customer:  Home Roaster                               
>Richard S. Suphan
>Fulton, NY  

You are welcome to reprint this review. You and your product deserve it. I have owned 2 Behmor roasters but the motor burned out in one after 1 year and the second needed to have circuitry replaced twice for the heating element. I got tired of needing to call for replacement parts and moved to a Fresh Roast. That worked great for about 3 months and then the roasting became very unpredictable. Using the same green beans, the same amount and the same roasting time I could literally have anything from burnt beans to barely warm unroasted beans and anything in between.  I figured I'd stop throwing good money after bad and see what else was out there. 

When I saw your Micro TostaCaffe, its design intrigued me. It read like a good product, your quick replies to my emails told me you were probably a good business person. I waited, got a good price on your auction and consequently own a great product.

>Have a great rest of the weekend.


>Rich     

Micro TostaCaffe Customer:  Home Roaster                  
>Richard S. Suphan
>Fulton, NY

Wanted to let you know that I have used the Micro TostaCaffe . This is a great machine. The flavor of the coffee is really brought out and is different from the faster roast that you get from other home roasting machines. I can roast as little as 4 oz and still get a good roast. A smaller amount I think would be hard to get a consistent roast. What a great machine.

>Rich

Micro TostaCaffe Customer:  Home Roaster
>Al Snyder
>Falls Church, VA

Don:  Happy New Year

I promised I'd write when i got a "perfect" batch.  Well, that came Monday night.  I roasted a half pound of Kona and this morning it tasted fabulous.  I'm really getting the hang of this.  It helps to have your advice as well as Kenneth David's "Home Coffee Roasting" book.  I think I figured out how to watch the temperature AND smell the smoke.  It seems like the smell is way more important than any other observation.  Davids writes about how the smell changes into something "sweet" and after a couple of roasts you really can detect the change and know when to stop the heat.  As for the temperature, i moved the thermometer up real high in the roasting cabinet which is probably why it registered a higher temperature.  My temperature gauge is well above the cabinet horizontal divider and turned so that the 400 F. mark is horizontal.  This gives me the visibility I want for the pointer in the 400 to 500 F. degree range.  It worked like a champ.  Next up is some of the tougher South Pacific beans i got for Christmas.  

Wishing you and yours a safe and prosperous new year. 

Al Snyder