Roaster review: Behmor 1600

[Fumes]

After a couple years with the IR2 -- a nice little air roaster -- I've finally graduated to the Behmor 1600. I've been using the Behmor for about a month now and thought I'd share my thoughts on it.



A quarter pound maxes out the IR2 (after which it must rest, poor thing) so it's been great to roast half-pound batches in the B1600. I haven't gone higher than that (1 lb max) yet since I'm still feeling my way around the new machine.



It's a simple machine, sort of like a repurposed toaster oven. The heating element is in the rear of the machine. The drum loads like a rotisserie, and the fan blows chaff into the chaff collector that sits just inside the door.



Compared to the IR2, this is a fairly messy machine. The chaff collector is mostly effective, but there is always some chaff left in the roaster that has to be brushed out by hand. I've read in a few different places that there is a substantial risk of fire when roasting high-chaff coffees in the B1600 -- maybe this is with full pound batches. So far I haven't seen the risk, roasting half pound batches of dry-processed beans.



The controls are fairly simple, but not easily customized. The IR2 is a pain to program, but it is in fact programmable. This one is not -- there are 5 set temperature profiles, and the only way to change them is to manually override them by adding time during the roast. The profile settings have recommended times, and following the recommendation usually results in a roast that stops right at the end of first crack. Fiddling with the weight (.25 to 1 lb), profile (P1-P5) and time settings (A -D) allows a little more flexibility: you could use a setting for a larger weight, or a longer period of time, to achieve a darker roast.

Issues and Challenges: I'm used to judging the stage of the roast by sight and smell, both of which are more difficult to gauge with the Behmor. It's hard to see the beans in detail through the chaff collector, and the aroma is not as distinct, maybe because of the smoke suppression technology. On the other hand, the Behmor is quiet -- the sounds of first and second crack are unmistakeable, so I will have to learn to use these signals better.

The B1600 rolls into its cooling stage, so once the roasting stops and the fan kicks on it takes a while before the heat dissipates and the beans stop snapping. I'm used to the IROAR stopping the roast in its tracks when I hit the cool button; with the Behmor you have to adjust for a slower cool down. My first experiment with FC+ turned into Vienna and garage full of smoke.

But overall I'm really pleased with the end result. Compared with air roasting there is a noticeable difference -- fuller bodied coffees with darker flavors. The IR2 really emphasizes acidity, which can be a good thing with some coffees, and I'll be keeping it around for just that reason. But the B1600 allows for larger batches and a different style of roast. I'm still working on gaining more control over the roast so I can get it exactly where I want it... hopefully without burning any more beans or starting fires!