Gene Café CBR-101E electric coffee roaster (black)

Roasting at home, 250 g at a time

The Gene Café CBR-101E roasts green coffee beans in 13 to 17 minutes. A batch is 50 to 250 g, and around 200 g gives the most consistent result. A smaller load finishes sooner and a fuller one takes longer, which starts to matter once you are working to a fixed roast profile.

Using it

Stay with the machine while it runs. That is partly safety, since it is a hot appliance that should not be left alone, and partly because you need to hear the first and second crack to judge where the roast has got to. Like any roaster it produces smoke, more so on darker roasts, so set it up under an extractor hood or beside an open window.

Let the beans rest before you brew them: 4 to 24 hours at the very least. In our experience they are at their best between day three and day five after roasting.

Cleaning

Tip the loose chaff out after every roast. Every twenty roasts, take the chaff collector out, wash it in warm water and let it dry fully before it goes back in. A little greasiness will not spoil a roast, but heavy build-up should be cleaned off.

Specifications

• Capacity: 50 to 250 g of green beans
• Roast time: 13 to 17 minutes
• Maximum power: 1300 watts
• Voltage: 220 to 240 V
• Weight: 5.5 kg
• Dimensions (WxHxL): 49 cm x 24.3 cm x 22.9 cm
• Supplied with an English manual
• Fitted with a European plug, so an Irish socket will need a plug adaptor

The roaster is also sold as a starter pack with green coffee, if you would rather begin with beans in the box.

Always use under supervision. Do not leave it roasting unattended.