Stonka Roasters - Made in NZ.

Lwowiak · April 2013

Website:

http://www.stonka.co.nz/index.html

A very interesting machine. Looks very well built. I believe they have a 3kg machine. If anyone has any further information please post. This looks like a great product from our kiwi cousins.

Kelsey · April 2013

Certainly looks a little different, the pricing will make or break it for export, unless there's something significantly better about this design. Looks simple to use. Terrible, terrible video - the 80's called, they want their music video editor back.

Jonty · April 2013

Will be interesting on price as us Aussie's will see a 30% discount just due to exchange rate

shape_shifter · April 2013

There are quite a few things I really like, does anyone know pricing? It has been around for few years already, why are we only hearing about it now? Loving the start of the video :D

shape_shifter · April 2013

http://www.home-barista.com/home-roasting/show-your-home-roasting-setup-t22453-100.html following this thread for more information soon hopefully.

mycuppa · April 2013

As it's gas fired, the cost will be a little higher than comparable electric roasters and unless the manufacturer or importer invests the high $$ to achieve AGA Type A appliance certification, you need to factor in up to $3K for the relevant Energy Safe (state) compliance work undertaken by the limited number of licensed Type B gas fitters/combustion engineers.

Jonty · April 2013

The basic principle of the TTMRA relevant to gas appliances is that: A good that may be legally sold in Australia may be sold in New Zealand and vice versa regardless of differences in standards or other sale-related regulatory requirements. Interesting though for LPG.. Different make for NZ & Aus. Dangerous! http://www.ret.gov.au/Documents/mce/_documents/quicklinks/LPG-TTRMA-2008-Decision-RIS-October-2008-FINAL.pdf http://www.energyrating.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/Energy_Rating_Documents/Product_Profiles/Heating/Gas_Space_Heaters/120417-Gas-Labelling-Discussion-Paper.pdf

mycuppa · April 2013

The challenge is of course Jonty that the scope of most documents published in this subject area are constrained by the intended purpose of the appliances, e.g. heaters used for homes/building or water heaters, etc. and make the unwritten (or stated) assumption that installers are generally qualified and experienced to provide the appropriate safety conditions relating to the appliances, e.g. flues, regulators, safety controls, etc. Generally, they don't really address the scenarios whereby a person purchases an appliance from overseas and then goes about arranging installation themselves or with contractors. I've had some experience in the past with these type of discussion papers - principles and basic guidelines but in many cases they are deemed toothless tigers by the authorities, such as the ESV. I had a real situation 3.5 years ago where the ESV refused to accept some published information from AGA because it was not incorporated within their own manual (dated in the 70's). In Victoria, PLC's are not deemed safe and additional manual safety controls are needed such as proving switches/relays. My advice - perform due diligence or you may find that compliance costs could be as much as the appliance.

UNM · April 2013

Should be easy enough to just plumb it into the gas line yourself though and all will be good.

Jonty · April 2013

Hi Jeff PLCs (Ex models) are safe in Victoria as we utilise them in Class 1 Hazardous zones in my workplace (intrinsically safe) - maybe it comes down the level of certification given the PLC module? The big concern from reading the document is the make up of LPG between Australian and New Zealand, different gas mixtures - the dangers are not worth it (explosive & carbon monoxide poisoning). Will be interesting to see if Stonka have tried to achieve compliance with the Australian regulations - if so it may open up a whole lower end marketing opportunity considering the exchange rate (off set the costs of production\certification)? Jonty

Brett H · April 2013

on 1366468883:

Should be easy enough to just plumb it into the gas line yourself though and all will be good.

Yep, good call mate! I love this idea but don't have gas. I know there is a gas main in my street and was wondering, should I invest in copper pipe or can I just use some 20mm PVC pipe left over from my homemade Still? As long as I do the digging at night I'm sure no one will miss a bit of gas... It all comes from the ground anyhow! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

mycuppa · April 2013

on 1366504914:

Hi Jeff PLCs (Ex models) are safe in Victoria as we utilise them in Class 1 Hazardous zones in my workplace (intrinsically safe) - maybe it comes down the level of certification given the PLC module? The big concern from reading the document is the make up of LPG between Australian and New Zealand, different gas mixtures - the dangers are not worth it (explosive & carbon monoxide poisoning). Will be interesting to see if Stonka have tried to achieve compliance with the Australian regulations - if so it may open up a whole lower end marketing opportunity considering the exchange rate (off set the costs of production\certification)? Jonty

Yes John PLC's are allowed to be used in Victoria for control of equipment, however, Energy Safe Victoria will not allow the gas safety controls to be managed by a PLC, regardless of the brand (I have Allen Bradley, Siemens, Moeller, Eaton, etc. - all Globally recognized and locally certified equipment). Additional mechanical controls (extra relays and proving switches) are required. It's ridiculous as the additional components are basic and low value but they need to be designed and installed, tested and documented by the authorized and licensed contractors as part of a submission for commissioning compliance. I would put my trust in a PLC before a relay, but it's still just the way it is right now as I'm in the middle of certification - the regulations simply have not moved with the times (I worked on complex PLC's in 1984 - 1993 and back then they were very safe and reliable - as they are still today). It's likely the Stonka already contains superior or vastly improved gas controls compared to the majority of installed gas hot water systems and space heaters embedded in many homes over the last 30 years. Some of those are frightfully dangerous in their design and safety - particularly the treatment of the toxic emissions from the actual burning of the fuel in confined spaces.

Ol Grumpy · April 2013

@Jonty @mycuppa Please pardon my ignorance guys, but are we talking about home use or commercial use? The reason I ask is that when I watched the video, it appeared to me the Stonka was being gas fuelled by a 9kg bottle of gas,that can be seen on a shelf under the roaster? BTW May I suggest a senior member or Mod may like to draw the inventors attention to this thread?... You know, a bit like Reiss chimes in from time to time on the L1 thread? Clearly it's his choice to contribute or not... But he may be interested in potential additional sales. Etc? Where's AM when you need him?... He was very active in just this purpose as many including myself can attest to?

derrilex · April 2013

on 1366505224:

Yep, good call mate! I love this idea but don't have gas. I know there is a gas main in my street and was wondering, should I invest in copper pipe or can I just use some 20mm PVC pipe left over from my homemade Still? As long as I do the digging at night I'm sure no one will miss a bit of gas... It all comes from the ground anyhow! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Guerilla gas fitting eh Brett ? love it :D

mycuppa · April 2013

OG, Whether the intended use is commercial or domestic it really does not matter. The safety standards and compliance regulations relating to gas are similar to electrical - connection, installation and commissioning need to meet minimum requirements. Any gas fired roaster can work on either Nat or LPG - when ordering a roaster, the customer typically specifies the gas fuel preference and the supplier fits the required burner that is compatible with the fuel. Indoor installations can require additional measures for obvious reasons. The supplier can jump through the hoops to achieve Type A that will enable them to sell the equipment just like Bunnings flog $199 Chinese BBQ's, or it could be more involved. Point I am making is simple - interested parties need to investigate carefully.

Jonty · April 2013

on 1366508632:

@Jonty @mycuppa Please pardon my ignorance guys, but are we talking about home use or commercial use? The reason I ask is that when I watched the video, it appeared to me the Stonka was being gas fuelled by a 9kg bottle of gas,that can be seen on a shelf under the roaster?

Regardless of use, it is about personal safety & for me that is significant! I have taken your advice OG and shot an email off to Stonka with a link to the thread - so hopefully they will be able to contribute. Cheers Jonty

Ol Grumpy · April 2013

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree.... Safety First! As a layman I viewed the roaster as being just like a gas barby... As long as the appropriate LP jets are installed, it's 'Caveat Emptor' in terms of installation... It would be interesting to hear the inventors thoughts on this... I could be wrong, but I'd rather trust a NZ manufacturer to comply with safety requirements than some mass produced offshore sweat shop... Once the guerrilla gas junkies get their hands on it, well.....

FreshCoffee2 · April 2013

If an electrical appliance is for commercial use, nobody much cares unitl some inspector or other lobs in and slaps you with some action or other. If its for household use, you are all scapegoats waiting for something to happen so you can get taken to the cleaners by all and sundry regulatory bodies that wake up after the fact. Honestly, no one here in reality will be much interested in this roaster as from what I can gather, its pitched to and designed for industry. As such it will have the appropriate price tag that ensures....nobody here is actually interested except from an academic viewpoint. People love to talk about this stuff but when it comes to someone actually "doin' it", dont hold your breath. Of course, some people spend in excess of 25 g's on their favourite massey davidson motorsikkle for their weekend hobby, so there is no reason why they might not want to spend somewhere between 5 and 10 g's in a commercial sample roaster to roast maybe 12 to 15 kilos a year with. Its only money (if you've got it). Hope that helps put some perspective (no matter how confusing) into this.

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

Hi all, Great to see we are being discussed on your forum. I am online now if anyone has any queries. Glad you have enjoyed our 80's video - we realise it needs an update but the earthquake here in Christchurch has changed a few priorities!! Nigel Walsh Stonka Coffee Roasters New Zealand

Kelsey · April 2013

Welcome Nigel! Thanks for dropping by, always great to have people like yourself pop on to chat. There have been a few aspects of the roasters that have drawn curiosity in this thread - if you have a moment take a look back through. I'm sure people will be jumping on with updated Qs shortly!

Lacehim · April 2013

Welcome Nigel, I checked out your website, any more details about your roasters that you can give us?

Ol Grumpy · April 2013

G'day Nigel, an welcome bro'... BTW I loved the video... I was just waiting for the Village People doing YMCA in the background.... :rofl :rofl So, to ask the obvious.... Is the Stonka LPG (bottle gas) fired and do you have the necessary Aus. Permits? Have you sent any over yet?

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

Hi What is it you would particularly like to know? I can always e mail you specifications of the different sizes of Stonka roasters we can make. Nigel

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

Glad you loved the video!! We have not yet got Australian accreditation - the earthquake side lined us for awhile but will look in to it again as of now. The Stonka roasters comply with NZS 5262 standards which is a gas code used here. These will be of the same standard or higher than the Australian classifications. Nigel

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

To answer another question - yes the Stonka roasters are LPG or natural gas. They have a ribbon burner that is adjustable and tuneable to the amount of beans in the drum. Nigel Stonka

Ol Grumpy · April 2013

It seems the natives here are still out mowing the lawn... Anyway, Nigel are you able/willing to give us a price range, or would you prefer a PM?

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

Hi again, Re prices - happy for you to E mail me at [email protected]. There are several different sizes - Sample/Mini roaster, 3kg, 5kg, 10-15kg, etc steel or stainless steel drum types etc so best that I price up what it is you exactly want. We are able to customise our roasters to a certain degree so there will be variances in price accordingly. Thanks Nigel Stonka

shape_shifter · April 2013

on 1366507477:

I would put my trust in a PLC before a relay,

Jeff I just want to highlight something here with the PLC side of things due to the fact that my OH is a certified Function Safety Engineer who works with this kind of thing for a living. When you make a judgement in relation to using PLCs make sure you take into account things like software failures - ie. is the code 100% bug free in majority of cases at present the software IS NOT bug free, hardware side of things is something that is generally far less likely to be a problem than the humans involved. If you are putting a safety related system together basically it is not something to be taken lightly, you need to very carefully select an expert to do it and there are plenty of 'so called' experts who don't know what they are talking about. They are more interested in getting it done = $$$ than doing it by the book.

shape_shifter · April 2013

on 1366531131:

Hi again, Re prices - happy for you to E mail me at [email protected]. There are several different sizes - Sample/Mini roaster, 3kg, 5kg, 10-15kg, etc steel or stainless steel drum types etc so best that I price up what it is you exactly want. We are able to customise our roasters to a certain degree so there will be variances in price accordingly. Thanks Nigel Stonka

Nigel, understanding that you can customise to a certain degree but I'm sure that there are a lot of people that would just like to know a ball park starting figure to know if your roasters are something that they can actually consider (myself included). In the video we see a smaller version and are told it does 100 grams to 1.5 kilo ( I hope I got that right), this is going to be the roaster that I would think majority of us would be looking at. We would probably be running it off gas bottles in our garages. I've made assumptions here but there are a lot of people that don't feel comfortable emailing manufacturers unless they know they can afford something and be taken seriously. What would at a ball park figure for the above?

Nigel Walsh · April 2013

Hi again, No problem - re Stonka coffee roaster prices to give you an idea: Our Sample/Mini roaster is $11,000.00+GST NZD so approximately $8,996.00AUD on today's exchange rate. For the next size up which is our 3kg roaster, the price is $15,000.00 + GSTNZD so again about $12,266.00AUD. We shipped one over for a coffee conference a couple of years ago and it cost about $1,000.00NZD to air freight it. There may be cheaper options available but we had a short time frame to get it there. Again, if you want more specific information re specifications, we are at info.stonka.co.nz or you could call us on 0064 274 335593. Regards Nigel Walsh Stonka Coffee Roasters.

Kevohere · April 2013

on 1366583132:

Our Sample/Mini roaster is $11,000.00+GST NZD so approximately $8,996.00AUD on today's exchange rate. For the next size up which is our 3kg roaster, the price is $15,000.00 + GSTNZD so again about $12,266.00AUD. We shipped one over for a coffee conference a couple of years ago and it cost about $1,000.00NZD to air freight it. There may be cheaper options available but we had a short time frame to get it there.

Think those prices just blew some of the Crema members' interest out of the water (Tasman) Nigel. Most on this forum are home roasters and nudging at 10k for a sample roaster for a shop is a bit exy IMO.

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