In Europe we don't really have such variety of roaster in the cheap... So modded popcorn roaster, considering the current way u roast, I am unsure if modding was needed... So $20 for 80-90gr roaster

How’s the smell? I’ve considered doing this, but have a house full with a wife and 2 kids. I don’t hate the smell, but it’s not exactly enjoyable for all.

Roasting generates a lot of smoke, but if you have a top mounted range vent that exhausts outside, you could probably get away with doing it inside. We have a pop up range hood in an island range and ended up just roasting outside. If you use a cheap air popper, it also blows chaff all over the place, and if a bean falls out onto the floor or something they’re very hot, so you would need to keep kids/pets away.

i've been doing it without ventilation and i'm really surprised how mild it is. it definitely smells for a few hours, but not bad at all. if it's too bad, i open the door for a few minutes or a window while i'm roasting.

i can't recommend it enough! it's super fun, and a whole new domain to learn about :)

I use a popcorn maker (air popper) to roast coffee and do it in our yard. No one complains about smoke or the chaff.

Have you been to Mr. Green Beans in Portland? I’ve gotten beans there before, but just in early stages of roasting my own beans with a repurposed air popper. It’s definitely a hassle to use, have been looking into a standalone roaster.

i haven't, i've only ordered from sweet marias, but i'll check them out! i want a little more variety in my green coffee sources.

i didn't like roasting with the air popper, ever since getting a hottop drum roaster its actually been really fun instead of a chore. i have graphs and logs with data (manual recording), and i'm working on an arduino adapter for easier data logging.

i think i'm gonna keep with the hottop for a year then upgrade to an ailio bullet so i can get better logging/profiles as well as larger batches. the hottop does 225-250 grams per batch which is enough for a week, so i can roast on weekends. but for espresso it's hard to dial in and enjoy it before it's already gone while i'm also doing large french press brews.