How It All Started
Behmor 2000AB
I started roasting coffee in my garage in 2018 after purchasing the Behmor 2000AB Drum Roasting Start Kit. The Behmor 2000AB is about the size of a small microwave. The roaster has a mesh cylinder that spins throughout the roast, turning your beans from their original green state to whatever level roast you prefer (light, medium or dark). It has pre-programmed roast times, heat curves and an automatic cooling cycle. It also has manual control where you can adjust the temperature and drum speed. It roasts between ½ pound to one pound of beans at a time, although I found more consistency with the roast when using ½ pound versus going up to one pound. It is a great product for someone wanting to try roasting for personal use. Other than replacing the mesh canister, the roaster still works just the same five years later.
Gift Coffee for a Wedding Reception
After roasting for personal use and landing on a type of bean and roast profile that I thoroughly enjoyed, I started sharing my roasted beans with friends and family. Following the positive feedback from others, and our company purchasing a high-end coffee machine that required whole beans, I started roasting for my workplace as well. After volunteering to roast beans for a co-worker’s son’s wedding (with their personal branding) to provide as a reception gift for their guests, I was hooked. I had never roasted that quantity of beans (20 lbs.) at one time before and was not exactly sure how I would get it done on my small roaster, but I did, and the final product was amazing. I decided it was time to purchase a larger roaster and make my services available on a larger scale.
Aillio Bullet Roaster
After weighing the pros and cons of different roaster sizes and set up requirements, I purchased an Aillio Bullet Roaster in October 2023. With more settings and controls, it took time to relearn the roasting process on this new roaster, but the results have proven to be worth the time and attention that went into this learning process. I can now roast double the quantity with back-to-back roasts while maintaining the small batch flavor control allowing me to fulfill larger orders as necessary.