How To Choose A Coffee Roasting Machine
Whether you are a cafe owner that wishes to start roasting your coffee beans in-house, or you are a coffee roaster looking to increase your production output, or you are just starting to learn about coffee roasting, you may be contemplating which coffee roasting machine is the suitable one for your business. With so many variations, designs, features, sizes, and prices to choose from, selecting the right coffee roaster for your business seems like a seriously complicated task.
In our previous blog, we have talked about the basic things you need to consider when selecting a coffee roaster. In this blog, we will discuss in greater depth of what factors you need to think about before buying a coffee roasting machine for your business.
Choosing The Right Coffee Roasting Machine
The first consideration should be about your business. Take a deep inventory of your business goals, your customer base, the type of green coffee beans you are roasting or planning to roast, your roasting volume, storage, and other factors that may impact your business. Once you have a clear idea of where your business is and where you want it to go, you can start making plans and decisions.
Five key things to consider when selecting a coffee roaster machine:
1. Budget
When setting up a budget, you need to look at the total price involved. Aside from the price of the coffee roasting machine itself, there are also costs of installation, ductwork, accessories like scales, scoops, containers for the coffee beans, etc, plus the cost of software for logging and analyzing (such as Artisan) as well as a laptop and a printer. Make a list of all the items so you can get a clear idea of the total cost.
2. Size
You can determine the right size of the coffee roasting machine by looking at your current roasting capacity and how you project the growth within the next few years. If the budget allows, it is recommended to buy a larger roaster than what you think you might need. This will allow room to grow.
3. Service
Choose a company that builds a good rapport with their customers and can offer good services. Ideally, you would want a company that is easy to reach, informative with their products, spend time with you to discuss the roasting process, and always ready to assist should any problem arise.
4. Performance
It is important to really know the coffee roaster’s performance to make sure the machine can deliver what you expect. Before buying, take the time to study the features, safety controls, reliability in terms of product quality, and the ease of operating it. Seek opinions from other coffee roasters about a particular machine’s performance. Do trial runs with the manufacturer until you are satisfied with the result. Also, learn how to log and analyze the data to achieve your desired roast profile.
5. Aesthetics
An aesthetically pleasing roaster machine is an important factor if you are planning to display the coffee roasting machine in your cafe or other public space. From rustic vintage to sleek modern, there are many to choose from that can suit the theme of your space.
Conclusion
When selecting a coffee roasting machine, it is important to do the following steps before committing to a purchase:
- Set a budget
- Make a definitive list of your requirements
- Ask other roasters for their experience with various machines
- Find a manufacturer that offers good, reliable service
- Spend time with the manufacturer to really learn how to operate the machine
- Learn how to log and analyze data to evaluate the machine’s performance
By taking the time to these steps you can make an informed decision to get the coffee roasting machine that is perfect for your business.
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