8 Best Home Coffee Roasters 2023 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to coffee, most people tend to buy already roasted beans. However, if you’re someone who desires the freshest and most flavorful cup of coffee, you may want to consider roasting your own beans. It’s worth noting that coffee beans are green and have a grassy aroma before they’re roasted. The process of roasting the beans involves high temperatures, which causes chemical changes that bring out the aroma and flavor that we all love.

If you’re new to coffee roasting, finding the perfect roaster can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve taken the time to review a wide range of home coffee roasters and compiled a list of the top eight available this year. Our detailed reviews will cover the essential features, as well as the pros and cons of each model. We believe it’s important to provide you with a balanced overview of each option, so you can make an informed decision that suits your needs.

The 8 Best Home Coffee Roasters

1. KALDI WIDE Home Coffee Roaster – Best Overall

The Kaldi WIDE size (300g) Home Coffee Roaster features a powerful motor that ensures your coffee beans are continuously rotated while being heated by an external gas burner. This roaster comes fully equipped with all the necessary tools you’ll need, including the body of the roaster, a thermometer, hopper, probe, rod, chaff holder, and volt adapter.

However, one minor drawback of this model is that the chaff remains mixed with the beans, leading to a slightly bitter and less palatable taste.

Overall, we firmly believe that this is the best coffee roaster for home use that you can purchase this year. Its advanced features and user-friendly design make it a top choice for coffee aficionados who want to enjoy a perfectly roasted cup of coffee in the comfort of their own home.

2. FreshRoast SR500 Coffee Roaster – Best Value

If you’re looking for a quality coffee bean roaster that offers great value for your money, the FreshRoast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster is a great option. This roaster can hold up to four ounces of green coffee beans and can produce around 3 ½ ounces of roasted beans. With its electric heating element, it operates quietly and is very easy to use.

The FreshRoast SR500 comes with a default timer that runs for six minutes and cannot be reprogrammed for longer roasting times. Unfortunately, if you need to roast your beans for a longer time, you will have to manually add time, which can be quite inconvenient. It would be better if it came with the option to program the timer to suit your needs.

The main issue with this roaster is that its fan is not strong enough to move the dense green coffee beans around. As a result, you need to manually stir them until they are dry enough to move freely. While it does come with a chaff collector, removing it to stir the dense beans with a spoon can cause the chaff to fly around outside the collection unit.

Although the chaff collector is an excellent feature, it can get very hot during the roasting process. The FreshRoast SR500 has a three-minute cooling cycle that’s designed to cool the beans. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide enough time to cool the chaff collector, and it can take up to two cycles to cool it down enough to remove it.

Additionally, the cooling process is quite slow, and it doesn’t cool the beans down quickly enough to prevent them from continuing to darken. Despite these issues, the FreshRoast SR500 is still an excellent choice for home coffee roasting enthusiasts who want a quality roaster that’s affordable and easy to use.

3. JIAWANSHUN Household Coffee Bean Roaster

The JIAWANSHUN Household Coffee Bean Roaster comes equipped with adjustable temperature controls that maintain a constant roasting temperature. However, it is important to note that the temperature is measured only in Celsius, which may require some adjustment for those used to Fahrenheit measurements. It is advisable to keep a close eye on the roaster as it tends to run on the hotter side until you find the ideal temperature for your roasting needs.

When roasting coffee beans, oil pockets tend to erupt, resulting in the signature flavor of the beans. Since this unit lacks a fan, it is crucial to ensure proper ventilation in the area you use it. Despite the oils produced during the roasting process, cleaning this model is quick and easy.

In summary, the JIAWANSHUN Household Coffee Bean Roaster offers adjustable temperature controls for a consistent roasting experience. Although it may require some temperature adjustment, the roaster is easy to clean and produces deliciously flavored beans, so long as proper ventilation is ensured during use.

4. KALDI Mini Home Coffee-Roaster

Looking for a small, easy-to-use coffee roaster? The KALDI Mini Size Home Coffee Roaster is a great choice. It’s perfect for those who want a portable roaster without all the bells and whistles. With the ability to roast seven to eight ounces of coffee beans to your preferred level of roast, this roaster is sure to please.

The KALDI Mini Size Home Coffee Roaster uses direct heat from an external gas burner to roast your beans. However, keep in mind that the gas burner is not included with the roaster. The roaster does come with a thermometer, although it doesn’t provide exact temperatures. Instead, it gives you an estimate of the overall heat, so you’ll need to keep a close eye on your beans to ensure you get the perfect roast.

You have the option to purchase the KALDI Mini Size Home Coffee Roaster with just the body and thermometer. Alternatively, you can opt to add a sampler and hopper for an additional cost. Either way, you’ll be able to enjoy freshly roasted coffee beans in the comfort of your own home.

5. MIFXIN Coffee Roaster

The MIFXIN Home Coffee Roaster Machine is a remarkable appliance that can roast approximately 26 ounces of coffee beans to perfection. It features automatic temperature controls to maintain consistent heat, while an arm rotates clockwise to ensure uniform heating. Moreover, this versatile product is not only limited to coffee beans but also works well with all types of nuts, making it an excellent addition to any kitchen. What’s more, cleaning the appliance is easy and hassle-free.

Despite its impressive features, we found the instructions provided with the appliance to be poorly written and challenging to comprehend. Furthermore, the machine lacks a timer to alert you when the beans are approaching the first or second crack stages, making it essential to keep a close eye on the beans’ progress. It is crucial to ensure that the beans are roasted to your desired level without over-roasting them. Finally, it is advisable to use the machine in a well-ventilated area, as it tends to produce smoke during the roasting process.

6. Nuvo Ceramic Handy Coffee Roaster – Budget Buy

The Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roaster features a 100% ceramic roaster with a distinctive waffle-shaped interior that facilitates even heating of the beans. As the roaster is ceramic, it lacks the ability to visually monitor the roasting progress. However, a hole located at the back of the roaster allows you to listen for the “first crack” when your beans release their distinctive aroma.

This bean roaster doesn’t come with instructions, which means you have to rely on your own knowledge to operate it. The roaster’s compact size, roughly the size of your palm, only allows for minimal quantities of beans to be roasted at a time. Roasting one batch of coffee beans can take quite some time, and the short handle may cause discomfort or overheating, even when wearing a protective oven mitt.

7. Univegrow Handy Home Coffee Bean Roaster

Introducing the Univegrow Handy Coffee Bean Roaster Set, an all-in-one solution for coffee enthusiasts! This set comes equipped with a roller, a handle, a rectangular bracket to securely hold the roaster, and an alcohol lamp. Please note that the alcohol for the lamp is not included and must be purchased separately.

The drum of the roaster is constructed with a mesh material that allows for easy monitoring of the coffee beans throughout the roasting process. However, it is important to check the mesh size in relation to your beans, as some beans may fall through the holes in the mesh drum. Additionally, this set is designed to roast your coffee beans slowly, allowing for a more thorough and flavorful roast.

Invest in the Univegrow Handy Coffee Bean Roaster Set for a convenient and enjoyable coffee roasting experience.

8. Behmor 5400 Drum Coffee Roasters

The Behmor 5400 Customizable Drum Coffee Roaster is designed with a thermostat to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed while roasting up to one pound of coffee beans per batch. Once the roasting cycle reaches about 75%, the roaster automatically switches to the cooling mode, unless you choose to keep the heating element hot by hitting the “start” button. This bean roaster is ideal for achieving a deeper roast, but you’ll need to preheat the roaster and keep a close eye on the beans to ensure that they’re roasted to perfection.

While the Behmor 5400 is easy to clean, it can be a bit difficult to assemble due to the tricky mounting of the drum to the inside of the roaster. Additionally, the hot metal parts can be dangerous to touch with bare hands, so caution is advised. After mounting the drum, it’s essential to ensure that the chaff collector is correctly aligned; otherwise, the drum won’t turn. The display can be challenging to read, especially in daylight.

It’s important to note that while the roaster switches to the cooling cycle, the heating elements don’t always turn off automatically. This means that you’ll need to keep a close eye on your beans throughout the entire roasting process to avoid over-roasting them. Overall, the Behmor 5400 Customizable Drum Coffee Roaster is a great option for coffee enthusiasts who want to roast their beans to perfection, but it does require careful attention and assembly.

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Home Coffee Roaster

Everything You Need to Know About Coffee Roasts

If you’re a coffee lover, you know that the key to a great cup of coffee lies in the roast. Roasting your coffee beans is a fun and rewarding skill to learn, but with so many types of roasts and roasters available, it can be confusing to choose the right one for you. In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of the types of coffee roasts and roasters, plus the critical features to look for when purchasing a coffee roaster.

Types of Coffee Roasts

1. Light Roast

Light roasts, also known as Cinnamon, Light City, or First Crack roasts, are roasted between 350° and 400°. These beans don’t reach the “first crack” stage, where the pockets of oils inside the beans crack open, which gives them their tan or light brown color. Light roasts have a high level of acidity and a sweet and tangy taste, with the original coffee flavor still present.

2. Medium Roast

Medium roasts, also known as American, Breakfast, or City roasts, are roasted between 400° and 430°. These roasts allow some of the oil pockets inside the beans to split open and break through the outer shell, giving the beans a deeper, sweeter taste. Medium roasts still have some of the original coffee flavors but with less acidity.

3. Dark Roast

Dark roasts are roasted at higher temperatures than medium or light roasts, causing more of the flavor oil pockets to burst through the beans’ shells. Different levels of dark roasts take specific temperatures, such as Full City, Vienna, French, and Italian roasts. Dark roasts work well for flavored coffees such as chocolate, caramel, or nutty tastes.

4. Double Dark Roast

Double Dark roasts are cooked until the beans start to smoke, giving them a smoky, bitter taste.

Features to Look for When Purchasing a Coffee Roaster

When purchasing a coffee roaster, there are several critical features to look for:

Capacity

The amount of coffee beans the roaster can handle at once.

Heat Source

The type of heat source, such as electric or gas, will affect the roasting process.

Roasting Time

The time it takes to roast the beans will vary depending on the roaster.

Cooling Method

The method used to cool the beans after roasting is crucial in preserving the flavor and quality.

Price

Coffee roasters come in a range of prices, so choose one that fits your budget.

What are the types of coffee roasters?

If you are a coffee enthusiast, you may have wondered how your favorite coffee beans are roasted to perfection. Coffee roasting is a crucial step in bringing out the flavors and aromas of coffee beans. There are various types of coffee roasters used to roast coffee beans. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at two common types of coffee roasters – Air Roasters and Drum Roasters.

Air Roaster

Air roasters use a plate with holes in it that allow compressed air to flow from underneath the plate. This compressed air lifts the coffee beans from the plate and roasts them evenly on all sides. Air roasters are ideal for small-scale roasting as they are compact and easy to use. They also tend to produce coffee with a lighter body and less acidity.

Drum Roaster

Drum roasters have a big drum in which green coffee beans are placed. The drum rotates continuously while being heated with heating coils or fire flames. This constant movement ensures that the beans are roasted evenly and effectively. Drum roasters typically offer a more consistent roast, and are faster and more economical than air roasters. They also tend to produce coffee with a brighter acidic flavor.

What are the most important features of a home coffee roaster?

Effective Cooling

The first and foremost feature you should look for is an effective cooling mechanism. Once your beans reach the desired roast level, they need to cool down quickly to prevent over-roasting. If they continue to roast in the heated chamber, they can ruin the flavor and aroma of your coffee. So, make sure that the roaster you buy has an efficient cooling feature to prevent this from happening.

Bean Capacity

The next thing to consider is the roaster’s bean capacity. If you plan to roast coffee beans once or twice a week, go for a roaster that can hold ½ to one pound of coffee beans. However, if you prefer to roast more frequently, a smaller capacity roaster might be more suitable for your needs.

To get started with home coffee roasting, you’ll need to find green coffee beans. While they might not be readily available at your local grocery store, you can easily find them online. Some of the most popular places to buy green coffee beans are Happy Mug, Sweet Marias, and Klatch Roasting.

Conclusion

Choosing the right coffee roaster can make all the difference in your morning cup of joe. We’ve discussed the different types of coffee roasts and the various roasters available for home use. But, which roaster is the best?

After careful consideration and research, we’ve found our top picks for home coffee roasters. Our number one choice is the KALDI WIDE size (300g) Home Coffee Roaster. It provides the perfect combination of quality, convenience, and affordability.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, we recommend the FreshRoast SR500 Automatic Coffee Bean Roaster. It’s simple to use and produces excellent results.

We hope our buyer’s guide has helped you determine which type and size of the coffee roaster will best meet your needs. Be sure to check out our comprehensive reviews to decide which one is right for you. Start enjoying the freshest, most flavorful coffee today!