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Suggest Me a Roaster!!

ashash
edited January 1970 in Roasters - Different Roasting Equipment
Okay, my (formerly) faithful Hottop 'B' is giving me the shits. Just had to replace the main circuit board (again) after 12 months of service, and now after two roasts it's playing silly buggers. It looks like its an electronic problem somewhere, as if I reseat a spade plug or two I get a different problem coming up each time.... :tearhair: Whats even more annoying is that I just bought another years worth of filters for it as well :mad:

I am now officially looking at alternantive roasters. From what I've seen on the forum here, KK and a few others (?) are working on a new KKTO, and the old style isn't available anymore. :(  Which is a pity as that would be my preferred option now.

What are my options?

I'm living in a small unit, so I don't have copius spare space to roast or store the roaster conveniently, I still have the Victor 86B DMM which I'd like to keep on using.

I tend to roast about 250g green at a time, (currently - limitation of the Hottop) and my girlfriend and I go through around 750g a week, plus another 500 - 750g roasted for friends.

Any ideas?
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Comments

  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    A DIY KKTO is the best option Are you good at DIY or have a friend that can help ? Always available to help out with questions KK
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  • Brett HBrett H
    I second the DIY KKTO!
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  • ashash
    Assembling bits and pieces is no problem, just getting them is! ;D I don't have a huge amount of tools at home, just a few mechanical basics (drill, screwdrivers, spanners etc) so I may have to invest in some new stuff if I go down the DIY route. Electrical stuff I have almost no idea theory-wise, but if I get clear instructions I can do most stuff without a problem (although my soldering is a bit heavy handed...).
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  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    on 1393798676:
    Assembling bits and pieces is no problem, just getting them is! ;D I don't have a huge amount of tools at home, just a few mechanical basics (drill, screwdrivers, spanners etc) so I may have to invest in some new stuff if I go down the DIY route. Electrical stuff I have almost no idea theory-wise, but if I get clear instructions I can do most stuff without a problem (although my soldering is a bit heavy handed...).
    My first roaster is still operational and all I used was a drill, hack saw, file, tin snips, screw drivers Instructions have been available on google docks for years - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H0RshF6QP8hNSBEbTTjDKLvAumuW5nHt5KfvU9i2Xqs/embed?slide=id.i0 Also have a look at this Hybrid KKTO build http://www.bestcafes.com.au/forum/roasters-different-roasting-equipment/kkto-hybrid/msg27367/#msg27367 KK
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  • ashash
    Cheers KK, I'll have a better read through it when I get home from work. I hadn't seen that one before.
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  • Brett HBrett H
    The hardest bit is the agitation and shaft.  Getting a windscreen wiper motor is as easy as ebay but getting a 5amp transformer to run it means Jcar or PC power surgery... J. Then the shaft and agitator is a bit of diddly fun! 
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  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    on 1393801860:
    The hardest bit is the agitation and shaft.  Getting a windscreen wiper motor is as easy as ebay but getting a 5amp transformer to run it means Jcar or PC power surgery... J. Then the shaft and agitator is a bit of diddly fun!
    I have motors and the drive shaft that fits the square drive, also other parts in the KK shop to make that easier KK
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  • Brett HBrett H
    on 1393802137:
    I have motors and the drive shaft that fits the square drive, also other parts in the KK shop to make that easier KK
    Brilliant!  That was my one stumbling block Ash and it didn't matter because I already had a Behmor that was and is working perfectly well.  My KKTO was a work in progress that took months of tinker/back on the shelf fun.  If I needed one faster I'd be snapping these parts up while KK still has them. 
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  • ashash
    Well its looking like KKTO build time  :thumb:
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  • Brett HBrett H
    on 1393807399:
    Well its looking like KKTO build time  :thumb:
    :thumb: pictures pictures pictures  :thumb:
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  • ashash
    Patience Brett  :D I'm still fleshing out the idea at the moment!  :rofl: And when I do get the ball rolling there will pics :coffee2:
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  • UNMUNM
    you could always bin the control circuitry on the hottop and pimp it up with an arduino. Cheap solution and far better control options. Still have the roast capacity issues though. for 750g a week, I'd want something bigger than a hottop plenty tips on homeroasters.org to give you help edit: If your hottop is likely to end up dead, let me know. I might be able to breathe life into it and pass on to somebody else - wouldn't be anytime soon though.
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  • ashash
    Cheers UNM, thats something I hadn't thought about for a while. I did look into that lightly about a year ago I think. I'm going to build my self a KKTO, so once thats finished I'll revisit the Arduino mod for the Hottop. As an aside, I found what was wrong with my roaster last night. The chaff tray micro switch had a wire swinging free. This caused the roaster to automatically going into the 30 sec cool down mode, and may have caused it to do the auto eject thing as the beans were nearing first crack. Recrimped and soldered the offending wire so it should be good for another year now!
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