Posted Sun Aug 5, 2012, 5:26pm Subject: Your thoughts, Gene Cafe v Behmor
I have seen the reviews (good and bad) on both units however am still undecided. I thought I had a used Behmor, but lost out waiting on emails. This brings me back to the start.....if I can get both for the same $$ which way to turn.
I am so confused with my options now all the facts are getting blurred in my mind. I decided on the Behmor because of the drum. I had looked at the GC but went to the Behmor due to cost. However if the cost is the same....well you see my point. My iRoast is great but I want something that provides a more even roast and something that can be duplicated. The small batch size is killing me now that I have friends I roast for. Not to mention it says to only roast 2x a day, yes I followed this and never did more than 2 150gr roasts. Also the iRoast is getting older and.....well I guess I am just looking for a reason to upgrade.
It would be great to hear from someone that owns a GC since I have heard plenty about the Behmor.
Posted Sun Aug 5, 2012, 6:04pm Subject: Re: Your thoughts, Gene Cafe v Behmor
Wow you aren't kidding. Spent some time reading and it's a pretty strong following. From what I saw there isn't many bad things to be said. Looking good so far. Thanks again for that link.
Mercury3 Senior Member Joined: 1 Jul 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Colorado Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Thu Nov 15, 2012, 1:49pm Subject: Re: Your thoughts, Gene Cafe v Behmor
Some may dispute this but I think the Gene Cafe roaster is a much better roaster.
I'm no newbie I've been roasting for about 15 years and have owned four roasters now.
I have a Behmor since shortly after they first came out. It's long over due for needed improvements which is why I recently purchased a Gene Cafe.
The only thing I'd say the behmor has over the Gene is that you can roast more than half pound at a time.
Behmor has long needed some control over the temperature as well as the ability to extend the time more once it's down to that last minute when the timer is blinking. What good is the blinking if it won't let us extend it anymore. Chaff is a mess with the Behmor as well.
I'm so much happier with the Gene and having direct control over the time and heat. Cup tastes better too. Even my very old roaster I thought tasted better than the Behmor.
I think hot air provides a better roast than radiant heat.
infinus Senior Member Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Posts: 73 Location: Indiana, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Cheap POS Grinder: Baratza Preciso Vac Pot: Broken by the cats! Drip: Brazen, Technivorm Roaster: Behmor 1600
Posted Fri Nov 16, 2012, 8:04am Subject: Re: Your thoughts, Gene Cafe v Behmor
I had a Gene Cafe and now own a Behmor. My impressions on the switch:
Support: Gene Cafe parts are harder to get here in the US. Both me and a coworker had one and our success in getting parts was hit or miss. Sometimes it took a long time, other times the vendor was unresponsive. Behmor's support is ridiculously good.
Ins and outs: I don't think either roaster is perfect. The profiles on the Behmor in my opinion are a bit useless in that they are so fixed and rigid. It's very difficult to adapt them to bean differences. The Gene Cafe's temperature settings offer more flexibility however I found my results to be all over the place and repeatability suffers a bit. I think a modded Behmor is actually a very good roaster. I never modded my Gene Cafe much but from what I've read it can benifit a lot from a dimmer switch. So for the in's and out's I'll call it a draw between the two.
Cost: Behmor
Longevity: Unknown. I think the Behmor is more servicable given the better support, so on that maybe Behmor.
Posted Fri Nov 16, 2012, 8:52am Subject: Re: Your thoughts, Gene Cafe v Behmor
I like my Gene-Cafe. The biggest advantage is the large chaff collector that attaches to a 3" drier hose so I can roast indoors in an apartment. The worst bit is the slow cooling, and bypassing that by dumping the roast puts smoke back into the apartment. However, I don't think my roasts suffer much from cooling in the drum.
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