Oh, I wasn’t necessarily saying you should do a hottop! I liked mine very well 
but I am guessing there are many good options out there now for less money 
(behmor being right up there). I haven’t looked at any of them for at least 5 
years so am not current on the latest and greatest.

Talk soon,
bmc 
> On Sep 26, 2016, at 12:39, herman dickens <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Thanks Ben. You're always helpful and it's nice to talk with someone that's 
> had experience with the products. I think I'll probably go with the Hottop. 
> Still love the Brewtus. Not sure what I will do if it ever wears out to the 
> point that I can't repair it.
> 
> On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 3:37 PM, Benjamin McCafferty <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> My go-to decaf when still roasting was sweet maria’s donkey blend—I never 
> tried to get Vivace results from Vivace greens—a tough road ahead! You can 
> get better results from roasting each bean type separately and then blending 
> afterwards (i.e. instead of roasting pre-blended greens)—but you need a bit 
> of time and patience to do this. The donkey decaf was a good compromise for 
> me, and I loved the shots it made. I would usually pull espresso 50/50 with 
> bourbon regular or similar for my first cup, and then all decaf thereafter. 
> Both were excellent.
> 
> I used to roast this on the darker end of the recommended range; I tend to 
> not like a bright/acid espresso, instead favoring more 
> syrupy/earthy/dark/sweet when I can get it.
> 
> And by the way, apologies to the rest of the list for this somewhat off-topic 
> thread. Happy to take it off-line if no-one else is interested.
> 
> best,
> bmc
> 
>> On Sep 26, 2016, at 12:11, herman dickens <[email protected] 
>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>> 
>> Yeah the top model is 1600. That's the b model with programmable features. I 
>> love vivace! I used to buy beans from them but the post office only got them 
>> here on time about half the time. I went there a couple of times when I was 
>> in Seattle and loved the place. The coffee is great. We're you able to get 
>> your roasts comparable to Vivace? I'm having the same problem with decaf and 
>> that alone is enough to make me want to roast my own. Even from cc it takes 
>> anywhere from 1 day to 5 to get the order. If it goes to the 5th day I 
>> either have to drive 30 minutes to the post office or wait 2 days, until 
>> Monday, to get my coffee. It's getting old and I'd much rather roast a time 
>> or two each week and have fresh beans all the time.
>> 
>> On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 2:39 PM, Ben McCafferty <[email protected] 
>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>> I would call it more of a "long term leave of absence" from roasting. :) 
>> Partly because I can no longer get into my garage, partly because I found a 
>> local roast that I like and can get without too much shipping expense 
>> (Vivace). I originally started roasting because getting fresh decaf beans to 
>> blend with regular was cost prohibitive--decaf only lasts about 4 days 
>> post-roast in my experience then and then gets really thin and watery. At 
>> vivace's suggestion, I also went to refrigerating my beans which makes a 
>> massive difference in shelf stability for the decaf. All those things 
>> together made it less urgent to roast my own; but, i still love to do it and 
>> will do it again once the garage is cleaned out later this year. (Haha...)
>> best,
>> bmc
>> PS--can't BELIEVE how expensive the hottop is now! I paid about $750, now 
>> they're $1350!!!
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Sep 26, 2016, at 09:59, herman dickens <[email protected] 
>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Ben I looked at the Hottop KN-8828B-2K+  but Hottop is on vacation for 
>>> another week or so and I haven't talked to them. Looks like they're not 
>>> available anywhere right now and they are pricey. Did you quit roasting? If 
>>> so why? I know we both like to tinker and this looks like something I'd 
>>> enjoy.
>>> 
>>> Herman
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 12:51 PM, Benjamin McCafferty <[email protected] 
>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>> Hey! I had an i-roast too! That was a fun little unit, until it burned up 
>>> one day. It was perfect for someone like me who drinks some decaf—small 
>>> batches and easy to see the beans. I had forgotten all about that until you 
>>> mentioned it.
>>> b
>>> 
>>>> On Sep 26, 2016, at 08:05, Craig Stout <[email protected] 
>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hey Herman - go to the website www.sweetmarias.com 
>>>> <http://www.sweetmarias.com/> - Awesome place, and a VERY slippery slope. 
>>>> I have been roasting for 15 plus years and I really believe that it is the 
>>>> only way to get the best coffee, (as you already have one of the best 
>>>> machines!) . I have had 2 i-roasts (still have one as a backup) and 
>>>> currently have a gene-cafe - I like it a lot, however at that price point 
>>>> there are lots of different options. You could try the popcorn popper, but 
>>>> personally I would dive in and get a good roaster - you won't regret it. 
>>>> Just remember, always roast outside in the garage - you would be amazed 
>>>> how much smoke you produce.  Good luck....
>>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 8:00 AM, herman dickens <[email protected] 
>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>> Hi. I've been on this forum a while and have always gotten good advice 
>>>> here. I'm thinking about getting a roaster and roasting my own beans. 
>>>> Right now I usually use a bag a week of beans, 12oz, that I get from 
>>>> counter culture coffee. I have a subscription and for the most part that 
>>>> works great but because of circumstances beyond my control I run out of 
>>>> coffee 2 or 3 times a year. I do have issues with the post office 
>>>> occasionally losing the order or delivering it several days late but for 
>>>> the most part I get my coffee before the weekend. Right now I'm using 
>>>> their Big Trouble blend and I also use Hologram and Apollo to mix things 
>>>> up. I'm looking for a recommendation for green beans and a roaster. I may 
>>>> just get a popcorn popper to begin with to see if I like the results 
>>>> better than what I'm already using. Any ideals and recommendations will be 
>>>> appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
>>>> 
>>>> Herman
>>>> 
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