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!

Great review...

thanks for the review! I am in the market for a roaster

[Mister Moo]

Terrific review, Fumes.

[Cigargal]

my second Iroast bit the dust today-I've had 2 of them in 2 1/2 years-not a good track record at almost 200 per. I was looking at this Behmor today on Sweet Maria website. They seem to be very concerned about fire hazard and recommend a shop vac after every use. I only roast small batches-only brew 10 cups a day at our house, so I think the smaller batches are less risky. I was wondering if anyone else has tried this machine.

[Fumes]

I was really cautious when I first started using the Behmor because of all the warnings, but I think they're overstating the fire danger to cover themselves. It's not an idiot proof machine -- loading a pound of dry processed beans and setting it for a Vienna roast would probably not be such a great idea, but I think the smoke pouring out of the machine would give you a good indication that something bad was about to happen anyway. So far I've managed to avoid any untoward combustion issues by just paying attention to the roast.

And a shop vac is not really necessary. A small paint brush (supplied) does the job just as well, though there is always a little bit of chaff that gets away and ends up on the floor.

Mis dos centavos.

[germantown rob]

Well first I want to say Joe Behm and his customer service was great and was needed right up to the end of it's life.

It is a great machine for the average home roaster, not an over zealous one like me. If a pound a week is what you are after it will work great.

I had 3 fires in mine, 2 where big chaff fires, no big deal. 1 was bad, beans where burning and it was pretty scary. This bad fire happened with monsoon beans and never could find out why those water logged beans where trouble for the Behmor.

When my motor died after 5 months and the machine was sent out to get fixed under warranty it took 2 months to get it back I bought a Hottop. At some point many months after the Behmor returned and the warranty was up I tried it again and it wouldn't get a 1/4lb to second crack...it now takes up space in the graveyard of a basement. This completely justified the expense of the Hottop since I would have gone through 3 Behmors at this point.

In the end I give the machine a lot of credit since it effectively created a roaster out of me. However the Hottop fits me better and can handle the abuse I throw at it, also any repair or part can be replaced by me, You can't even change the behmor heating lights yourself.

[althekillr]

i second the customer service as great. mince came with a dented piece and he replace it right away.

mine has been working fine. but I'm a pound a week roaster. love mine, love the reduced smoke feature. to hear the cracks now is a big help. and my coffee does taste much better. i came from a i-roast.

[Cigargal]

It sounds like the roaster might just work for me. I roast no more than a lb per week. Have to wait until next month to fit it in the budget so we will have to drink store bought for a while(ack!!!) Thanks for the info fellas!

[Noodles]

There seems to be an influx of refurbished units, which worries me a bit. Are they returns or defective units sent back for repair/replacements.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by bonggoy

There seems to be an influx of refurbished units, which worries me a bit. Are they returns or defective units sent back for repair/replacements.

Originally the Behmor was to go into the main stream of infomercials and be sold by Ronco, that fell through when Ronco went out of business. I bought one when they first where available and there was some kinks still getting worked out, Joe Behm was working very hard to solve these issues. I would imagine a refurb would be terrific of the price is right. Even $300 new is a great price considering a Gene Cafe is $500 and a Hottop is $750 to $1000.

I think the Behmor is a great product just not for me.

I have been wanting to start roasting my own beans and was looking at getting one of these when they were first released. I decided to wait and check out the reviews after "John-Q" had a chance to play with it. I'm glad I waited!! With the issues I've read about, it really doesn't sound like a machine I want to have in my house.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by ashmaster

I have been wanting to start roasting my own beans and was looking at getting one of these when they were first released. I decided to wait and check out the reviews after "John-Q" had a chance to play with it. I'm glad I waited!! With the issues I've read about, it really doesn't sound like a machine I want to have in my house.

There is no roaster out there that won't have huge warnings about fires in their manuals. There is very high heat and paper thin chaff floating around, this is a fire waiting to happen in most roasting conditions.

The volume a Behmor roast compared to the air roasters means more chaff and more mass to retain heat but you do get more than 100g of roasted beans in the end. The manual has been revised for the Behmor many times since I bought it, I suspect because of people like me. I am sure I would have had problems with the air roasters as well trying to get 2-4lbs a week out of them in 2 roasting sessions.

The one thing I really miss on the Behmor is the smoke suppression. I would have 1/2 the smoke produced with 280g of beans compared to the hottop and that is a good thing if you have ever been sealed up in a room with roasted beans smoke, pretty toxic stuff.

This comes from a guy that wants to get this for my next roaster
http://www.diedrichroasters.com/ir12.html after I build the addition with a root cellar for bean storage.

[ashtonlady]

I started with a Fresh roast and need more volume. The Behmor has worked well for me, and is still working. I roast about 1lb to 1lb and a half a week. I clean it every 5 roasts and make sure and cool it down in between.