What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

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Date: 04 Jun 2006 20:14:37
From:
Subject: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Hi All,

I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,

Capacity
Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)
Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
roasters.
How much such a machine should cost

Cheers,

P.

Date: 04 Jun 2006 21:07:45
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Great project P!
<PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1149477277.624401.238460@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>

You haven't mentioned the Type, drum or fluid bed. For me drum.

> Capacity
In a perfect world I'd like it to be flexible like the Diedrich IR series,
say 4oz through 5 lbs so I can do samples then larger batches all in the
same machine.

> Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)
gas either natural or propane.
OTOH If you end with electricity then make sure the insulation is good to
increase the efficiency.

> Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
PIC (for those who don't know PIC is a versatile microprocesor that can be
used to do PID, roast control etc. with suitable sensors)
but then I'm not sure what you mean by 'real time analog'
if you mean eyeballing gauges and doing the adjustment yourself then I
prefer the PIC version.
But it'd be nice to have manual override also.

> What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
> roasters.
Insulation for efficiency.
Exhaust for roast fumes.
Cooling tray
Chaff collection
Can you throw in a destoner also? Thanks.

> How much such a machine should cost
$500

Date: 05 Jun 2006 12:47:18
From: Ian Smith
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

On Sun, 4 Jun 2006, Johnny <removethis.huuanito@hotmail.com > wrote:
> Great project P!
> <PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1149477277.624401.238460@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
>
> PIC (for those who don't know PIC is a versatile microprocesor that can be
> used to do PID, roast control etc. with suitable sensors)
> but then I'm not sure what you mean by 'real time analog'
> if you mean eyeballing gauges and doing the adjustment yourself then I
> prefer the PIC version.
> But it'd be nice to have manual override also.

I'd like to know what that means, too.

In particular, why 'PIC'? Surely the hardware on which you implement
a control method is going to be the last thing to decide. Method to
use should be chosen independant of what particular manufacturer you
choose to buy the components from?

I wondered if it was a typo for PID?

As it happens, I used a PIC to do the control on my roaster. I find
having multiple stored profiles useful - I have a set of roast
profiles stored in the controller memory and choose the one I want.
I use ramps and soaks, and have up to about four per programme.

It's nice having datalogging output - mine spews the ambient
temperature, temperature of air being injected onto the roast
chamber, and temperature in the bean mass out to RS232 every second.
It's not actually all that useful for anything, but it's quite
entertaining, and it's easy to implement if you do use PIC - many
of them have a usart and you just need a max232 to boost the voltages.

regards, Ian SMith
--

Date: 05 Jun 2006 10:10:28
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Date: 05 Jun 2006 10:01:47
From: LF
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi All,
>
<snip >
we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,

> Capacity
1/2 pound would be nice.

> Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)
Electricity.

> Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
Control over roasting requires an **accurate reading of actual BEAN
TEMP**. This is the weak point in the iRoast, but solvable with a
temperature probe.

> What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
> roasters.
As above, it's difficult to know what you're doing in a noisey roaster
when you do not have the real bean temp. IMO, roasting to a specific
temperature is more important than any pseudo-profile. The profiles
vary so much -- depending on ambient room temp., amount of beans, etc.
-- that they are relatively meaningless. What the machine is doing is
less important than what the beans are doing.

I say, give me an accurate reading of bean temp and a temp. control
knob. The rest is just frosting on the (bean) cake.

> How much such a machine should cost.
Should compete with the iRoast.

LF

Date: 05 Jun 2006 09:48:46
From: Sheldon T. Hall - DO NOT MAIL
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

On 4 Jun 2006 20:14:37 -0700, PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
>Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
>roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
>that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>
>Capacity

About 6 oz, maybe 8. I can't use the stuff fast enough to make a
larger capacity worthwhile.

>Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)

No natural gas here, and, in any case, plumbing for gas would make any
sort of home roaster too expensive and too hard to locate. It's gotta
be 110VAC, too, and run off a normal wall-socket.

>Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)

I'm happy with the mechanical timer on my FreshRoast, frankly.

>What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
>roasters.

Noise, chaff disposition, crappy materials. Do not use plastic
anywhere its exposed to heat. If it doesn't dry out and crumble, it
will certainly out-gas and affect the taste.

A glass roasting chamber, so we can see the development, is a must.

I'm partial to a fluid-bed device.

Frankly, I'd settle for a larger-capacity, slower-roasting, quieter,
more robust FreshRoast.

>How much such a machine should cost

Anything over a couple-hundred-bucks makes it hard to justify for me.

-Shel

Date: 05 Jun 2006 08:30:34
From: JoeP
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Dan Bollinger wrote:
> > Hello. Hey, don't let the turkeys on this board, like Don Bollinger,
> > get you down.
>
> Yeh, my evil twin Don is always getting me in trouble. Just two years ago I
> investigated manufacturing a one-pound sample roaster. I own a factory, and I'm
> an industrial designer. I even did a proforma on the project. Then Don came
> along and pooh-poohed it, so I dropped it. Just as well, it wouldn't have cash
> flowed until I sold over 50 units at $1250 each, and that's just with a PID
> controller. :( Dan, the practical twin

Hi Dan,

Is that the same roaster I saw? That was a neat looking roaster. Too
bad to hear its not going into production. It looked like it had a nice
sized footprint and an ideal capacity. Do you still have the prototype?
how well does that work? I don't think you pooh poohed him at all, I
found your advise accurate and informative.

Joe
www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com
"freinds getting together, splitting bags of coffee and having fun"

Date: 05 Jun 2006 12:12:48
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

> Is that the same roaster I saw? That was a neat looking roaster. Too
> bad to hear its not going into production. It looked like it had a nice
> sized footprint and an ideal capacity. Do you still have the prototype?
> how well does that work? I don't think you pooh poohed him at all, I
> found your advise accurate and informative.

Joe, Thanks. Yes, the same roaster. I am still using the prototype for
personal use. It is working very well. :) Dan

Date: 05 Jun 2006 07:38:29
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
....snip....
>
> Cheers,
>
> P.

Hello. Hey, don't let the turkeys on this board, like Don Bollinger,
get you down. I give you a high five for having the ambition to do
your project. What this industry needs is more people like you, and
less of the naysayers.

This industry needs innovation, not inhibition.

Marty

Date: 05 Jun 2006 10:50:09
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

> Hello. Hey, don't let the turkeys on this board, like Don Bollinger,
> get you down.

Yeh, my evil twin Don is always getting me in trouble. Just two years ago I
investigated manufacturing a one-pound sample roaster. I own a factory, and I'm
an industrial designer. I even did a proforma on the project. Then Don came
along and pooh-poohed it, so I dropped it. Just as well, it wouldn't have cash
flowed until I sold over 50 units at $1250 each, and that's just with a PID
controller. :( Dan, the practical twin

Date: 05 Jun 2006 08:35:16
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>

LOL! I can see you are new to design and marketing. Asking potential
customers what YOUR machine should cost is, well, a joke at best. It's called
manufacturing. You tell THEM how much it will cost. My evidence for that? Any
small run, coffee roaster with a PIC controller is going to be over $1000, but
you already have one person offering you half that. How generous.

Keep in mind that consumers, when asked, will also pile on the features and
specification ad nauseum. My evidence for that? Someone wants a destoner! I
know of no roaster, commercial or consumer, that has an integral destoner. Why
would you need them when our coffee is destoned before it ships? (Sweet Marias
destones their coffee) Your job is to sort through the chaff (no pun intended)
and pick what works.

I do hope you'll be making a working prototype first. Dan

Date: 05 Jun 2006 09:02:16
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

"Dan Bollinger" <danNObollinger@insightSPAMbb.com > wrote in message
news:-9WdnZYan-bUuBnZnZ2dnUVZ_oednZ2d@insightbb.com...
> > I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> > Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> > roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> > that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
> >
>
> LOL! I can see you are new to design and marketing. Asking potential
> customers what YOUR machine should cost is, well, a joke at best. It's
called
> manufacturing. You tell THEM how much it will cost. My evidence for
that? Any
> small run, coffee roaster with a PIC controller is going to be over $1000,
but
> you already have one person offering you half that. How generous.
>
> Keep in mind that consumers, when asked, will also pile on the features
and
> specification ad nauseum. My evidence for that? Someone wants a
destoner! I
> know of no roaster, commercial or consumer, that has an integral destoner.
Why
> would you need them when our coffee is destoned before it ships? (Sweet
Marias
> destones their coffee) Your job is to sort through the chaff (no pun
intended)
> and pick what works.
>
> I do hope you'll be making a working prototype first. Dan
>

LOL Dan! What part of 'dream' machine did you not understand. :-)

Date: 05 Jun 2006 12:17:13
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

> LOL Dan! What part of 'dream' machine did you not understand. :-)

Good point. Here's my 'dream machine' using your guidelines.

"I want a free roaster that operates using the two AA batteries it was supplied
with and could roast any part of the 5 pound bag of green coffee it came in."

How's that? Useful information for a design project? :( Dan

Date: 05 Jun 2006 11:51:31
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

"Dan Bollinger" <danNObollinger@insightSPAMbb.com > wrote in message
news:arydna1PYs6RxBnZnZ2dnUVZ_tudnZ2d@insightbb.com...
> > LOL Dan! What part of 'dream' machine did you not understand. :-)
>
> Good point. Here's my 'dream machine' using your guidelines.
>
> "I want a free roaster that operates using the two AA batteries it was
supplied
> with and could roast any part of the 5 pound bag of green coffee it came
in."
>
>
> How's that? Useful information for a design project? :( Dan
>
I will need that destoner if you keep throwing them :-)
the OP wasn't asking for _my_ design parameters from you, he was asking for
_yours_ from _you_.
Sad, you have no dream roaster specs that'd you'd like tro share with us.
:-(

Date: 05 Jun 2006 07:02:45
From: J. Clarke
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>
> Capacity
> Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)
> Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
> What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
> roasters.
> How much such a machine should cost

Audibility of the cracks. It's difficult to hear first and second crack
with the i-Roast and I understand that it's difficult with the Gene Cafe as
well. Seems to be something in the structure that is acting as a filter
that blocks the band in which they occur, it's not just the noise level of
the machine masking them.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Date: 05 Jun 2006 13:46:38
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Much appreciated. I will mull it
over for a few days (and flat whites) and draw up a spec for a
prototype.

cheers

P.

Date: 05 Jun 2006 12:53:14
From: jim schulman
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:

> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters.

It would help to read something about roasting first - I recommend the
chapter in Illy and the "roasting dissertation:"
>http://e-collection.ethbib.ethz.ch/cgi-bin/show.pl?type=diss&nr=13620&lang=en

The design of choice nowadays for large scale roasters where efficiency
and getting decent taste from crappy beans counts is basically a
convection oven with mechanical agitation - the homemade roaster called
"Turbo-crazy" or "SC/GC" (google the group and net on these terms"
comes very close to this design.

As to controls; the scientists who buiild these industrial roasters are
quite clear -- the optimum roast is had be starting the hot air flow at
around 350F holding it there about 3 to 4 minutes to dry the beans,
ramping it up to 490F to 500F in 3 to 4 minutes, then holding it there
until the roast is done (another 3 to 4 minutes). This shoudl not
require a rocket science control scheme; in fact, a two stage heating
desing, with a switch from low to high (to be flipped at the end of the
drying phase) will closely approximate this profile if the roast volume
is matched to the airflow.

At the small production volumes of a home roaster or sample roaster,
I'm guessing a sturdy design along these lines would probably retail at
around $500 to $750 even if made in China. Since a homebrew version of
the same roaster, using readily available parts (the turbo crazy popper
and sunpentown convection oven) comes in at around $250, and since
there are 3 or 4 well built purpose built home roasters already
available, it may be a fairly pointless exercise financially.

Date: 05 Jun 2006 12:14:57
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Johnny wrote:
> "Dan Bollinger" <danNObollinger@insightSPAMbb.com> wrote in message
> news:arydna1PYs6RxBnZnZ2dnUVZ_tudnZ2d@insightbb.com...
> > > LOL Dan! What part of 'dream' machine did you not understand. :-)
> >
...snip...
> I will need that destoner if you keep throwing them :-)
> the OP wasn't asking for _my_ design parameters from you, he was asking for
> _yours_ from _you_.
> Sad, you have no dream roaster specs that'd you'd like tro share with us.
> :-(

Johnny,

Donnie Bollinger is upset because his bubble gum and bandaid stuck
together machine can't be sold on the market due to his lack of
marketing and business finance skills. Don't let him take away from
your suggestions. The more the merrier.

Marty

Date: 05 Jun 2006 17:05:51
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

> Donnie Bollinger is upset because his bubble gum and bandaid stuck
> together machine can't be sold on the market due to his lack of
> marketing and business finance skills. Don't let him take away from
> your suggestions. The more the merrier.
>
> Marty

LOL! I'll call your bubble gum and bandaids and raise you binder twine. Read
it and weep: http://www.claycritters.com/coffee/dans_roaster.html

Date: 06 Jun 2006 02:08:53
From:
Subject: Dan's Roaster

In alt.coffee, Dan Bollinger <danNObollinger@insightspambb.com > wrote:

> LOL! I'll call your bubble gum and bandaids and raise you binder twine. Read
> it and weep: http://www.claycritters.com/coffee/dans_roaster.html

Hey Dan -

Can you show some pics of the back (or the guts)? What did you use to
insulate the cabinet? What kind of cabinet ddid you use for the
proptotype? Do you need a 20 amp circuit to run it?

--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow

Date: 06 Jun 2006 07:46:18
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: Dan's Roaster

> Can you show some pics of the back (or the guts)? What did you use to
> insulate the cabinet? What kind of cabinet ddid you use for the
> proptotype? Do you need a 20 amp circuit to run it?
>

Those are all the photos I have now.

About the design: Traditional sample roasters use a worm and wormgear on the
backside to power the drum. Tilting the drum to dump the beans disengages the
gears. I wanted a simpler approach. So, I mounted a small gearmotor on the
back of the upper enclosure and the motor goes along for the ride. The
gearmotor supports one end of the drum. This design not only is simpler, but
eliminates a lot of expensive components including a shaft, three bearings, and
two gears, two pulleys and a belt.

I used 1/4" ceramic felt insulation, works great.

The cabinet is unglamourous galvanized sheet metal MIG welded by a local HVAC
shop.

I have it wired to a 20A circuit, but it could run on 15A by reducing the heater
a tad.

Dan

Date: 05 Jun 2006 13:03:58
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

<martyminor11@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1149534897.577569.241050@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Johnny wrote:
> > "Dan Bollinger" <danNObollinger@insightSPAMbb.com> wrote in message
> > news:arydna1PYs6RxBnZnZ2dnUVZ_tudnZ2d@insightbb.com...
> > > > LOL Dan! What part of 'dream' machine did you not understand. :-)
> > >
> ...snip...
> > I will need that destoner if you keep throwing them :-)
> > the OP wasn't asking for _my_ design parameters from you, he was asking
for
> > _yours_ from _you_.
> > Sad, you have no dream roaster specs that'd you'd like tro share with
us.
> > :-(
>
> Johnny,
>
> Donnie Bollinger is upset because his bubble gum and bandaid stuck
> together machine can't be sold on the market due to his lack of
> marketing and business finance skills. Don't let him take away from
> your suggestions. The more the merrier.
>
> Marty
>
Hey Marty,
Dan no es problema. PIC PIC PICedy PIC PIC. My destoner diverts such
pebbles. They don't chip my grinder.:-)
And my PID is set not to go overtemp as it otherwise ruins the shot(s).
Get's the occasional power spike though and has trouble with dots.
I'm sorry you guys feel the need to bash each other here.
What are your dream specs per the OP's question?

Johnny "dreaming of that $500 roaster, ahhhhh...such value and with a
destoner too. Wheeeee"

Date: 05 Jun 2006 14:20:40
From: Steve Ackman
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

In <1149477277.624401.238460@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >, on 4 Jun 2006
20:14:37 -0700, PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>
> Capacity

Up to a lb. roasted, so call it 1.25 lbs. green.

> Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)

Yes, LP or electric. Electric is probably easier
for control, but is practically limited to about
1500 watts. LP offers more heat, but gas control is
more expensive than an SSR.

> Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)

Yes, programmable roast profiles... see below.

> What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
> roasters.

Smoke. Cooling the beans after roasting.

> How much such a machine should cost

Depends... How many off the shelf parts you can use
and the purchase volume vs. how much needs custom
building. Should cost in the $350 - $500 range for
parts and assembly... then whatever development costs,
other overhead, profit margin, etc. you need to tack
on from there.

I'd say take a look at the HotTop. Upsize it a
bit and add a serial port... move the actual control to
the user's PC. Then you don't have to worry about the
profiling at all. Supply a default straight ramp, and
leave anything else up to the end user.

The software should be written in a non-platform-
dependent language that can run on old beater 486's,
maybe Python, Tcl/Tk, or even C. Include datalogging
for sure, and real-time graphing would be a nice option,
and on-the-fly tweaking of the profile would be a nice
touch too.

Well... actually that's more my dream sample roaster
than what would normally be considered a home roaster
in the appliance class, but I daresay those features
would go over well here. ;-)

Date: 05 Jun 2006 10:35:47
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Randy G. wrote:
> PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >Hi All,
> >
> >........ we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> >roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> >that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
> >
...snip...
> >
> Too much! ;-)
>
>
> Randy "printing money as we speak" G.
> http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com

Wow! My hats off to randy Randy "Even when nobody is around I drink
coffee with my pinky finger extended" G., for writing a well thought
out post.

Marty

Date: 05 Jun 2006 10:19:31
From: Randy G.
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>........ we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
>roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
>that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>
If this is going to be sold on a "retail" level (ie. to consumers and
not just to friends or participants in the production) then there is a
huge liability issue to consider. If it is meant to operate on gas it
is an outdoor appliance, and if on 120v. then it is an indoor
appliance and there are legal issues that differe depending on which.
I don't pretend to nderstand the exact legal differences, but
insurance can run from $2500-??? (a LOT more) a year for such a
device/company/manufacturer.

>Capacity
>Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)
>
If 120v. then about 1 pound is probably about the reasonable capacity.
Even at that you are probably pushing the envelope. Natural gas would
make it a non-portable device (by code, I believe...?) but LPG is
readily available as with a BBQ. If Gas, then a proportioning valve
wiuld be really nice but expensive I think...?

>Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)
>
Programmability and the ability to repeat a roast once one is found to
the user's liking. It should be able to store a few roasts and any
portion of a roast profile should be able to be modified without
having to program the entire roast profile again. Maybe a USB port so
that a flash drive could save or transport profiles form/to a
computer, or even a computer interface for same.

>What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
>roasters.
>
-Chaff collection so that fire hazards are reduced
-Ability to clear the smoke while maintaining the heat level
-Fast cooling of beans after roast is completed.
-Easy to disassemble (where necessary) and clean. lack of nooks and
crannies that trap chaff and oils that burn on.
-Smooth interior without sharp edges and protruding hardware that
would make it difficult to clean.
-Accurate temperature readout for bean temperature
-It needs to have a Tryer

>How much such a machine should cost
>
Too much! ;-)

Randy "printing money as we speak" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com

Date: 06 Jun 2006 10:24:46
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

<PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1149477277.624401.238460@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,
>
> Capacity

I'd say the ability to roast any size batch from 1/4 lb. to 1 lb. would be
good. Even more would be good, but I could live with a 1 lb. limit.

> Most convienient heat source (gas or electricity)

Electricity is much more convenient - natural gas hookups are no trivial
thing. Alternatively, have the thing run on those aerosol cans of butane
they use for tabletop stoves or on 1 lb. propane cylinders. But electricity
is your best bet for control - there's no easy way to vary a gas flame under
program control.

> Control over roast profile (PIC or real time analog)

You want the machine to profile for you (with profiles that you can
set/vary). You don't want to have to run a manual profile every time - this
is not the dark ages.

> What problems (if any) need to be overcome that typically affect small
> roasters.

Venting of smoke, collection of chaff, cooling of roasted beans, ability to
see/hear the roast so that you can stop it at the desired level - all the
issues that have existed since roasting began - these problems never change
and electronics don't help, so this is why no one ever gets anywhere with a
roaster that any sane person would tolerate in their kitchen.

> How much such a machine should cost

As much as the market will bear. Personally I'm really cheap and wouldn't
pay more than a couple of hundred $, if that, when I can keep roasting in my
$10 Poppery - it's not ideal (doesn't meet many of the above specs) but
it's almost free so any custom roaster has to compete against that price.

>
> Cheers,
>
> P.
>

Date: 05 Jun 2006 23:22:15
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

PLWillmottDalton@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am scoping out a new winter project with some engineering friends.
> Namely, we would like to design and produce a small batch of home
> roasters. I would be most appreciative for any input into the features
> that you would like to see in a 'dream' machine; ie,

Figure out a way to cobble common kitchen parts together, adding just a
few essential extras of your own devising. That'll keep the costs down
dramatically.

You know how it is when you walk into a good hardware store. "Hmm. I
wonder if I could use that for . . ." and you spend 5 minutes staring
at it, mulling over the possibilities while others in the store wonder
if they're witnessing a catatonic episode.

Here's your solution: go into the hardware stores really early, before
others arrive. ;-)

Date: 05 Jun 2006 23:07:38
From:
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

Johnny wrote:
> Exhaust for roast fumes.

Yeah. Where the DEUCE are the parts a guy would need to put together
some kind of cheap afterburner/catalytic thing. It CAN'T be as
expensive as all that.

Geez, recirculate that?

> $500

;-)

Date: 05 Jun 2006 23:57:57
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: What features would you desire in a new home roaster?

<scott.marquardt@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1149574058.316677.24460@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> Johnny wrote:
> > Exhaust for roast fumes.
>
> Yeah. Where the DEUCE are the parts a guy would need to put together
> some kind of cheap afterburner/catalytic thing. It CAN'T be as
> expensive as all that.

That was referring to an easy way to connect to a flue....but hey if you can
add an afterburner/catalytic thing within the price I'll even drop my
request for a destoner ;-)

But now that you mention it, the Joe roaster which was to retail for around
$300 IIRC included some kind of catalytic converter that was meant to remove
the smoke.
OK looked it up and he 'proposes' <$200 for his 'smokeless' roaster. I thin
khe may have a patent on that part so he may not tell you exactly how it's
done.there is always a patent search.
http://www.toomuchcoffee.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&bt
itle=CE&mid=&ceid=103
or for the fearless http://tinyurl.com/q6uo8 ;-)