Date: 31 Jul 2006 15:45:01
From: Lloyd Parsons
Subject: Comparison - Zach & Dani to FreshRoast +8 roasters
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I've had my FreshRoast for a few weeks now and really like it. It is
quick and does a very good job. But being a tinkerer, and finding a
good deal on a used Z&D, I decided to get one.
Here is a short comparison of the product and the end product it
produces.
Zach & Dani's - In appearance this machine looks more at home as a
countertop appliance than does the FR. It is larger in both capacity
and in physical size. About double in both ways.
Z&D has a digital time control that defaults to 20 minutes total, you
adjust it up from there as the 20 minutes is not enough time for even
the lightest roasts. You can go to 30 minutes, and if you watch during
the roast, you can add up to 5 minutes to the roasting time. During
roast time, the only controls that operate are the up button and the
cool button. All others, start, down and recall are disabled.
The time on the display is total time. Cooling time is 5 minutes, so a
20 minute time is 15 minutes with 5 minutes cooldown.
The Z&D is really not an air roaster, kind of a combo surface and air.
It is a bit different. There is an augur in the roasting chamber that
agitates the beans, does a hell of a job too. As you observe the roast
progress, you really can see the churn of the beans and the gradual
change in color of the beans as they progress through the roasting cycle.
It is very quiet during roasting and because of the 'smoke eliminator'
there is very little odor, even at the darkest roasts. Much less odor
than comes from the FreshRoast. During the 5 minute cooldown, things
get a lot noisier as the fan speed and augur speed ramp up.
But in spite of the quietness, the slower roasting speed makes the
cracks a bit harder to hear. I can hear first crack, but it is slower
both in starting and completing. Second crack is much harder to hear as
I found out when I did a Vienna roast of an espresso blend.
Roast is very even throughout the beans and you really can watch it
change color gradually. Another thing I noticed was that at a light
roast level, city+ in this case, the bean was cleaner coming out of the
Z&D than the FR. This even though the roast chamber has lots of chaff
in it during the roast cycle because of the lower speed of air through
the chamber.
Chaff collection turns out to be very good, imo. The cooldown cycle
seems to get most of the chaff into the collector. That chaff collector
is also very good at keeping stray chaff from flying around the kitchen
too!
Because of the low odor level and smoke control, I just set it on the
counter instead of under the range hood.
One complaint about the Z&D has been getting to the darker roasts. I
didn't find this to be an issue. I didn't preheat as some do, and did a
4 oz Vienna roast in 28 minutes as recommended by Sweetmarias. No
problem and it reached the roast level just like it should have.
FreshRoast +8 - This is basically a glorified hot-air popper with timer
and chaff collector. It is quick, relatively quiet and simple in
operation. But with that speed, you have to keep your eye on it. It is
very possible to over roast as the roast levels progress very quickly,
especially after the 1st crack starts.
It seems wobbly when it is sitting there, and I would think that it
wouldn't be difficult at all to tip over and break the roast chamber.
This one needs to be under a range vent, imo. The odor produced is more
pronounced and very noticeable, even when the vent fan is running.
Capacity is about 2.5 oz (64 grams), which is about 1/2 that of the Z&D.
For a low useage person, this shouldn't present a problem.
Overall, I think anyone wanting to roast coffee at home would be happy
with either one of these. The Z&D is better looking, imo, and
constructed well. During the roast cycle, everything is very secure and
tipping would be difficult for the Z&D vs the FR.
The Z&D, because of its much slower roasting speed is probably as close
as a set and forget kind of appliance as we are likely to see in a home
roaster.
The end product is different at the same roast level. I roasted a batch
of Sweetmaria's Yirgacheffe Oromia in each and tested the cup produced.
Roasted to a City+ as recommended. That is 6.5 Minutes on the FR and 22
minutes on the Z&D. I used 5 oz in the Z&D which is the recommended
level for 'normal' (not very dark) roast levels. The line on the
roasting chamber is right on the money.
For the FR, I used 64 grams of beans as recommended.
Those times are a bit dependent on having a good electrical supply.
Mine is dead on 120v, so it isn't an issue for me.
The Z&D's cup was heavier on the bottom and quite bright at the high
end, but had a slightly thinner feel to it compared to the FR.
The FR was much smoother to the tongue with a thicker, more long lasting
crema.
Overall, both cups were delicious in their own way. If it was a first
roaster, I think anyone would be happy with either.
Lloyd
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