Very good video on how the machine works. You were very explicit it's not an instructional video on how to roast beans. Camera work, lighting and sound were all excellent and no extended pauses of silence. Thanks for making the video.
I'm so glad I found this vid. I was considering buying this machine but came across a Sweet Maria's video on the same machine where he basically doesn't use the fan and makes it look like it's no different than a popcorn maker. Thank you for actually using the features!!
Just have to say, light roast is nowhere close to 2nd crack. A light roast is just after 1st crack, medium roast is midway between first and second and as soon as you hear 2nd crack starting that's where dark roast begins.
Degree of roast corresponds to precise temperatures. Please read the description of this video and note that this is not a comprehensive roasting demo, but a simplification for beginner home-roasters who are learning to use this machine. The idea is for everyday consumers to build confidence in using their senses to roast coffee in lieu of a temperature gauge.
The simple fact is that second crack is not a light roast. For most home roasters, even ones on small commercial sample roasters, there is no good way to get a very accurate temperature due to far too many variables. Most home roasters would be buying single origin green coffee. To explain that a light roast is at 2C is to teach them to roast out all the origin character of the beans. Once a coffee hits 2C, it is dark and most of the origin notes are well on their way out. Here is a roast guide for better reference www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/coffee-roasts-guide
Start on low heat and high fan. It will allow the beans to get rid of some of their moisture and they will not burn before they start rotating in the holder. I have used the SR500 for several years and rarely find it necessary to use high heat. It is a wonderful roaster if used properly.
Of course you can use the low temp setting too. I've sold a lot of these machines and have noticed they can vary in their temperature and amperage. I use my machine every day and high heat works perfectly in my case. As long as you get the result you want, it doesn't matter what temp setting you use.
Thanks for this. I really like your straight forward, no-nonsense approach. I have this machine coming in the mail and when it arrives I will be using your method to get started. It looks like you are getting a very good result with not a lot of fuss. Thanks. You should do more videos.
I own an SR500 and like it mostly. The one thing I don't like is that the chaff collector is heavy and awkward on top of the glass container. There's nothing to keep it attached to the glass. I've knocked it over a few times and even cracked the chaff collector and had to tape it.
Thanks for the awesome video. Straight forward and informative. After burning up 2 popcorn poopers, I'll be getting something such as the fresh roast 500 or 700.
Are you still roasting coffee at home since this video was made 5 years ago, or do you now think it isn't worth it? If still roasting, do you continue to use this same machine? I just ordered an SR540, so am excited to start using it.
Yes! I still use this old machine (I will use it until it fully kicks the bucket) and I roast all the time in various ways. This machine is just one that I used to sell and feel is pretty decent as far as home-roasters go.
I know right? Light roast right after first crack, medium is somewhere between first and second crack and dark is about second. And if she can see oils on freshly roasted beans that's a really dark roast
I have watched several vids on this machine all not good reviews. You have a better Handle on it and I'm considering it. I have roaster for two year on a popcorn popper with great results. I want to move forward on a bigger machine but don't want a drum roaster. Great Vid.
Thanks! Yeah, this machine isn't perfect but it's the closest thing to a pod machine, but for roasting coffee .. and it's also an actual decent invention. Fluid bed roasting technology itself was invented by a man named Michael Sivetz :-)
I like to stop my beans right at the start of the second crack. I think my preference is more of an East Coast kinda thing, but I also really enjoy a good cup of second crack Brazil Adrano as well. Great video!
Likewise! Second crack is when the sugars caramelize ... I find that coffee almost always tastes amazing when you hit 'cool' at that point. And of course, you have to start with good quality green beans as well!
My Fresh Roast SR500 lasted less than two years. It still runs but it doesn't get hot enough to roast properly. I think the element needs to be replaced. If someone knows where I can get a new element I would appreciate the info. If I can get the part I'll fix the roaster myself, but I'm not going to bother spending much on it. I'll just have to chalk it up to the fact that most of what we buy today is sub-standard garbage. These days I'm roasting on my stove-top with a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan and a flat-bottomed stainless steel spatula. I cool the beans in a stainless steel bowl in my bathroom sink, in cold water. I like my coffee at a French roast level and this works fine. This method does not work well for lighter roasts because there will be too much inconsistency in the degree of roast in the beans.
Agreed! Most coffee on retail shelves is horribly stale and low quality. Have you tried roasting on a cookie sheet in the oven? Start at 450F and stir them every couple of minutes until done. Should take 10-12mins. Lower the heat next time if it roasts too quickly. I find oven-roasting to be the easiest method w/o an actual roaster.
Personally I like to slow the roasting time down when I'm using my fresh rose 500. I tend to keep the temperature on low for the first 5 minutes of the process then I'll go up to medium temperature and I never used the high temperature. I manage to stretch the roast out to about 10.5 minutes. I don't mind getting a little bit of second crack into my my coffee. It seems to come out with a nice medium roast. Which I personally like. That's one of the things I like about this machine. You can vary the way you roast your beans. I have been doing this now for about 6 years and I've burned up a couple fresh roast machines but I love roasting and grinding my own coffee.
Thanks for pointing out that the machine life is not indefinite. What are the factors that change over time that determine the machine is 'worn out' and no longer functions well? Or did it just stop working? Why did you decide to get the same one again? I have a Nesco CR-04-13 which has some design flaws that the FreshRoast500 seems to have taken care of. I'd like to find out if this machine could be a good replacement candidate for me. Thanks!
@@PaulCikatricis They would just quit working. After the first time it burned up. I found a company who would rebuild them online. I did this twice. But the last time the company was no longer in business. It seemed that the old SR 500 would last about two years. Not good, but it was my favorite design and at a very good price point. So this last time I bought the fresh roast SR540. Which is a newer model. Hopefully they have fixed some of the weaknesses in the old design. I have had this one about five months, so we will see.
Thank you for this video. Honestly after seeing it I don’t know why you would spend the extra money for this unit. Popcorn popper does the same thing for $20.
two schools of thought on this: 1) you need to rest the beans for a day or two, and 2) you can use them right away with the following caveat: It depends on your brewing method. If you use the beans right away, you'll get a lot of foam when water hits the beans, so using an Aeropress without resting the beans could get messy. Same with pour over. I use a modified french press method, where I bring water to a boil in a pan with a lid. When it boils, I take it off the heat, add the ground coffee, and put the lid on the pan. let it steep for as long as you prefer, I do it for 3 1/2 minutes. Then strain thru either a fine meshed strainer or paper filter. I can use just roasted beans with this method. I wonder about taste though, whether resting the beans for a couple of days before brewing will result in a different tasting coffee than a cup brewed right after roasting. I suspect that if there's a difference at all, it would be very subtle, probably something I myself would not notice.
I would absolutely recommend using them right away (after the beans have cooled down from the roast to room temperature). Yes, the coffee will be "foamier" the fresher out of the roaster it is, but the flavour of the coffee will be its sweetest and liveliest-tasting on the first few days out of the roaster (since oxidation has not yet occurred). I roast on a weekly basis for my own supply and never "de-gas" my beans .. that gas is what keeps them fresh!
How long should you wait once beans are roasted? And what type of storage should I use? I just roasted my first few batches and waited 36 hours and the coffee is very bland. They were somewhat oily
for french press or pour over you can use the beans immediately. And why not, you'll get the freshest roast flavor that way! If you do use them immediately, you'll get more foam due to CO2 not having off gassed (which it will do if you wait 24 hours or so), but you just work with that. I prefer using the bean as soon after roasting as I can. Espresso you probably have to wait 24 hours, might be too foamy if you use them immediately.
No need to temper the beans after roasting. Once cooled, you can grind them up and brew right away for the brightest and sweetest cup profile. No need to store in any special container. Coffee oxidizes either way. I simply consume that coffee within 5-7 days of roasting for best and freshest flavour. Oily indicates a dark roast.
In general, roasts on this machine are faster than when roasting larger roast quantities. Typically they range from 5-10 minutes with this machine. The exact time depends on many factors.
Yes. It is best to cool outside the fresh roast, using something like a DIY setup with shop vac, colander, and bucket. The roast quality is higher with rapid cooling, and true back-to-back roasts are very do-able - 5-6 roasts per hour.
Sorry - but there is so much mis - information in this video in regards to roasting. Good demonstration of the roaster - but clearly no idea of the roasting process.
This roast demo is meant to simplify the roasting process for consumers, rather than "mystify" it. Roasting a simple process that anyone can learn to do at home.
@@shegrowscoffee7937 Overall good video quality. I think what Philip is getting at is that descriptions of roast levels is actually incorrect. It would be lovely if you would redo this and fix the mistakes - as otherwise this is rather well done.
The timer on that "upgraded popcorn roaster" seems to be a real burden... they should just not have bothered with it. On top of that, it counts backwards (just like my Gene Cafe Roaster) and that's just silly, you want an upward counting timer when you're dealing with coffee. The idea that you can just set the timer and forget doesn't work on these cheap roasters. I understand they want to make it so that you can "set and forget" but everyone who's roasted coffee before knows that doesn't work. Too many variables at play, you need to keep an eye on it even if it's just for safety. Otherwise it's a nice little machine for beginner roasters though.
Meagan, I used your technique, all the way; but sometimes beans stick to the screen at the bottom of the roast chamber, and get burned like French Roast, even shaking as you demonstrated won't loosen them. Is there anything that can be done to prevent the sticking?
Put roaster on low heat and high fan for the first couple minutes until the beans start changing from green to tan then you can crank up the heat and turn down fan.. If you still have problem w/scorched beans, use a spoon to stir gently for the first couple minutes, w/fan on high and heat on low. Good luck!
I do find these roasters to be really inconsistent from unit to unit. Stirring the beans gently with a spoon in the beginning of the roast is a good suggestion. Good luck!
We run a Facebook group for Fresh Roast home roasters: facebook.com/groups/1471311819774625/. It is a great community and we hope to see you there. There are a lot of resources and expertise to share
lol you cant start with the lid off...the beans start flying out, i wedge a disposable chopstick under the lid for extra air flow and its good enough. i also run a minute of just watm air before starting my roast.
Just use your kitchen hot-air oven, pop beans two times, quickly cool beans on several ceramic dish plates. You get the very best result. No need for roasters!
This “tutorial” is just crap. Using that method you just end up burning the coffee as you input too much heat into the bean. Temperature control is importanto too, not just airflow control.
Very good video on how the machine works. You were very explicit it's not an instructional video on how to roast beans. Camera work, lighting and sound were all excellent and no extended pauses of silence. Thanks for making the video.
I'm so glad I found this vid. I was considering buying this machine but came across a Sweet Maria's video on the same machine where he basically doesn't use the fan and makes it look like it's no different than a popcorn maker. Thank you for actually using the features!!
Just have to say, light roast is nowhere close to 2nd crack. A light roast is just after 1st crack, medium roast is midway between first and second and as soon as you hear 2nd crack starting that's where dark roast begins.
Degree of roast corresponds to precise temperatures. Please read the description of this video and note that this is not a comprehensive roasting demo, but a simplification for beginner home-roasters who are learning to use this machine. The idea is for everyday consumers to build confidence in using their senses to roast coffee in lieu of a temperature gauge.
The simple fact is that second crack is not a light roast. For most home roasters, even ones on small commercial sample roasters, there is no good way to get a very accurate temperature due to far too many variables. Most home roasters would be buying single origin green coffee. To explain that a light roast is at 2C is to teach them to roast out all the origin character of the beans. Once a coffee hits 2C, it is dark and most of the origin notes are well on their way out. Here is a roast guide for better reference www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/coffee-roasts-guide
To be fair, this comment is dead right. I have to agree after roasting my own for many months.
@@shegrowscoffee7937 Thank you for the excellent video.
NightWerk g
Start on low heat and high fan. It will allow the beans to get rid of some of their moisture and they will not burn before they start rotating in the holder. I have used the SR500 for several years and rarely find it necessary to use high heat. It is a wonderful roaster if used properly.
SteppapaJon does it smoke up a lot?
@@julesfernandes5721 it does a little, mostly when the beans start getting pretty dark. I installed a vent fan behind my coffee bar.
Of course you can use the low temp setting too. I've sold a lot of these machines and have noticed they can vary in their temperature and amperage. I use my machine every day and high heat works perfectly in my case. As long as you get the result you want, it doesn't matter what temp setting you use.
Thanks for this. I really like your straight forward, no-nonsense approach. I have this machine coming in the mail and when it arrives I will be using your method to get started. It looks like you are getting a very good result with not a lot of fuss. Thanks. You should do more videos.
Thank you! I wish you luck with your roasting endeavours. It's well worth the fun ;)
Great video! Thanks for sharing and hope you continue making more!
I own an SR500 and like it mostly. The one thing I don't like is that the chaff collector is heavy and awkward on top of the glass container. There's nothing to keep it attached to the glass. I've knocked it over a few times and even cracked the chaff collector and had to tape it.
Thanks. Very helpful and educational and entertaining. Just what I needed.
Thanks for the awesome video. Straight forward and informative. After burning up 2 popcorn poopers, I'll be getting something such as the fresh roast 500 or 700.
Are you still roasting coffee at home since this video was made 5 years ago, or do you now think it isn't worth it? If still roasting, do you continue to use this same machine? I just ordered an SR540, so am excited to start using it.
Yes! I still use this old machine (I will use it until it fully kicks the bucket) and I roast all the time in various ways. This machine is just one that I used to sell and feel is pretty decent as far as home-roasters go.
First roast sounds like popcorn popping. The second roast sounds a lot more like Rice Krispies popping.
I cringed when she said that the start of the second crack is a light roast ugh!
I know right? Light roast right after first crack, medium is somewhere between first and second crack and dark is about second. And if she can see oils on freshly roasted beans that's a really dark roast
or when she said that all that roasting is, is to take the bean temperature to the point where sugars caramelise...
I have watched several vids on this machine all not good reviews. You have a better Handle on it and I'm considering it. I have roaster for two year on a popcorn popper with great results. I want to move forward on a bigger machine but don't want a drum roaster. Great Vid.
Thanks! Yeah, this machine isn't perfect but it's the closest thing to a pod machine, but for roasting coffee .. and it's also an actual decent invention. Fluid bed roasting technology itself was invented by a man named Michael Sivetz :-)
I like to stop my beans right at the start of the second crack. I think my preference is more of an East Coast kinda thing, but I also really enjoy a good cup of second crack Brazil Adrano as well. Great video!
Likewise! Second crack is when the sugars caramelize ... I find that coffee almost always tastes amazing when you hit 'cool' at that point. And of course, you have to start with good quality green beans as well!
The newish glass extension tube is overpriced but is a game-changing hack for this machine!
Well explained, Thank you.
My Fresh Roast SR500 lasted less than two years. It still runs but it doesn't get hot enough to roast properly. I think the element needs to be replaced. If someone knows where I can get a new element I would appreciate the info. If I can get the part I'll fix the roaster myself, but I'm not going to bother spending much on it. I'll just have to chalk it up to the fact that most of what we buy today is sub-standard garbage.
These days I'm roasting on my stove-top with a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan and a flat-bottomed stainless steel spatula. I cool the beans in a stainless steel bowl in my bathroom sink, in cold water. I like my coffee at a French roast level and this works fine. This method does not work well for lighter roasts because there will be too much inconsistency in the degree of roast in the beans.
Agreed! Most coffee on retail shelves is horribly stale and low quality. Have you tried roasting on a cookie sheet in the oven? Start at 450F and stir them every couple of minutes until done. Should take 10-12mins. Lower the heat next time if it roasts too quickly. I find oven-roasting to be the easiest method w/o an actual roaster.
Personally I like to slow the roasting time down when I'm using my fresh rose 500. I tend to keep the temperature on low for the first 5 minutes of the process then I'll go up to medium temperature and I never used the high temperature. I manage to stretch the roast out to about 10.5 minutes.
I don't mind getting a little bit of second crack into my my coffee. It seems to come out with a nice medium roast. Which I personally like. That's one of the things I like about this machine. You can vary the way you roast your beans.
I have been doing this now for about 6 years and I've burned up a couple fresh roast machines but I love roasting and grinding my own coffee.
Thanks for pointing out that the machine life is not indefinite. What are the factors that change over time that determine the machine is 'worn out' and no longer functions well? Or did it just stop working? Why did you decide to get the same one again? I have a Nesco CR-04-13 which has some design flaws that the FreshRoast500 seems to have taken care of. I'd like to find out if this machine could be a good replacement candidate for me. Thanks!
@@PaulCikatricis They would just quit working. After the first time it burned up. I found a company who would rebuild them online. I did this twice. But the last time the company was no longer in business. It seemed that the old SR 500 would last about two years. Not good, but it was my favorite design and at a very good price point.
So this last time I bought the fresh roast SR540. Which is a newer model. Hopefully they have fixed some of the weaknesses in the old design. I have had this one about five months, so we will see.
Nice job. You would be a great teacher.
Thank you, I teach coffee every day at work and love it :)
Thank you for this video. Honestly after seeing it I don’t know why you would spend the extra money for this unit. Popcorn popper does the same thing for $20.
This is not true, I've owned both. Roaster is much better (and safer) to use.
Agreed! Use whatever works for you. Personally, my fav way to roast coffee is on a cookie sheet in my oven for $0 extra cost ;)
Can you use the fresh roasted coffee right away or does it need to de-gas for a couple days?
two schools of thought on this: 1) you need to rest the beans for a day or two, and 2) you can use them right away with the following caveat: It depends on your brewing method. If you use the beans right away, you'll get a lot of foam when water hits the beans, so using an Aeropress without resting the beans could get messy. Same with pour over. I use a modified french press method, where I bring water to a boil in a pan with a lid. When it boils, I take it off the heat, add the ground coffee, and put the lid on the pan. let it steep for as long as you prefer, I do it for 3 1/2 minutes. Then strain thru either a fine meshed strainer or paper filter. I can use just roasted beans with this method. I wonder about taste though, whether resting the beans for a couple of days before brewing will result in a different tasting coffee than a cup brewed right after roasting. I suspect that if there's a difference at all, it would be very subtle, probably something I myself would not notice.
I would absolutely recommend using them right away (after the beans have cooled down from the roast to room temperature). Yes, the coffee will be "foamier" the fresher out of the roaster it is, but the flavour of the coffee will be its sweetest and liveliest-tasting on the first few days out of the roaster (since oxidation has not yet occurred). I roast on a weekly basis for my own supply and never "de-gas" my beans .. that gas is what keeps them fresh!
Excellente présentation, mille mercis ! :-)
Hello, Meagan
Who is the manufacturer of these roasters.?
Hello! www.homeroastingsupplies.com .. though, the manufacturer has been out of supply since Dec. 2018.
Thank you very much !
How long should you wait once beans are roasted? And what type of storage should I use? I just roasted my first few batches and waited 36 hours and the coffee is very bland. They were somewhat oily
for french press or pour over you can use the beans immediately. And why not, you'll get the freshest roast flavor that way! If you do use them immediately, you'll get more foam due to CO2 not having off gassed (which it will do if you wait 24 hours or so), but you just work with that. I prefer using the bean as soon after roasting as I can. Espresso you probably have to wait 24 hours, might be too foamy if you use them immediately.
No need to temper the beans after roasting. Once cooled, you can grind them up and brew right away for the brightest and sweetest cup profile. No need to store in any special container. Coffee oxidizes either way. I simply consume that coffee within 5-7 days of roasting for best and freshest flavour. Oily indicates a dark roast.
Just to let everyone know, they no longer make this model. The replacement model is the fresh roast Sr 540.
Sounds like the timer doesn't add much except to worry about it running out of time and turning off early.
It's probably a fire safety feature in case the user walks away from the roaster for too long while it's running.
salut ces magnifiques
so is this sr500 go enough to get a decent medium roast? or is the behmon gonna be better at that
you can get a great medium roast with it, you just have to know how to use the roaster, I am still playing with mine to figure it out to.
It can do all roast degrees. Just leave the beans in for longer time.
So what was the total minutes of your Roast?
In general, roasts on this machine are faster than when roasting larger roast quantities. Typically they range from 5-10 minutes with this machine. The exact time depends on many factors.
Can you do back to back roast?
Yes. It is best to cool outside the fresh roast, using something like a DIY setup with shop vac, colander, and bucket. The roast quality is higher with rapid cooling, and true back-to-back roasts are very do-able - 5-6 roasts per hour.
Great 👌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Why can't you shake the chamber with the lid on?
The top gets quite hot and they fit together very loosely to begin with.
Sorry - but there is so much mis - information in this video in regards to roasting. Good demonstration of the roaster - but clearly no idea of the roasting process.
This roast demo is meant to simplify the roasting process for consumers, rather than "mystify" it. Roasting a simple process that anyone can learn to do at home.
@@shegrowscoffee7937 Overall good video quality. I think what Philip is getting at is that descriptions of roast levels is actually incorrect.
It would be lovely if you would redo this and fix the mistakes - as otherwise this is rather well done.
If you don't have anything nice to say.....well..you know.
The timer on that "upgraded popcorn roaster" seems to be a real burden... they should just not have bothered with it. On top of that, it counts backwards (just like my Gene Cafe Roaster) and that's just silly, you want an upward counting timer when you're dealing with coffee. The idea that you can just set the timer and forget doesn't work on these cheap roasters. I understand they want to make it so that you can "set and forget" but everyone who's roasted coffee before knows that doesn't work. Too many variables at play, you need to keep an eye on it even if it's just for safety.
Otherwise it's a nice little machine for beginner roasters though.
Meagan,
I used your technique, all the way; but sometimes beans stick to the screen at the bottom of the roast chamber, and get burned like French Roast, even shaking as you demonstrated won't loosen them. Is there anything that can be done to prevent the sticking?
Put roaster on low heat and high fan for the first couple minutes until the beans start changing from green to tan then you can crank up the heat and turn down fan.. If you still have problem w/scorched beans, use a spoon to stir gently for the first couple minutes, w/fan on high and heat on low. Good luck!
I do find these roasters to be really inconsistent from unit to unit. Stirring the beans gently with a spoon in the beginning of the roast is a good suggestion. Good luck!
We run a Facebook group for Fresh Roast home roasters: facebook.com/groups/1471311819774625/.
It is a great community and we hope to see you there. There are a lot of resources and expertise to share
lol you cant start with the lid off...the beans start flying out, i wedge a disposable chopstick under the lid for extra air flow and its good enough. i also run a minute of just watm air before starting my roast.
Just use your kitchen hot-air oven, pop beans two times, quickly cool beans on several ceramic dish plates. You get the very best result. No need for roasters!
Agreed! I like to eliminate plastic and just use my oven and a cookie sheet too!
Are you single ?
This “tutorial” is just crap. Using that method you just end up burning the coffee as you input too much heat into the bean. Temperature control is importanto too, not just airflow control.
you're crap