Hi Jason, I watched your excellent review on this roaster and got my hands on the 150g model. As you said, it is a great roaster for roasting small batches and I found that it even have enough power to go beyond the 150g limit. The temp display is not accurate though but I use Mastech 6514 for temp measurement and connects it to Artisan on my laptop.
By any chance, do you know if the hole for the bean probe threaded, and if so, is this M6 or M8 or something else? I ordered the roaster and am looking to buy some thermocouples.
Thanks, Dani! I've run into a few speed bumps on the PID automation. I'm back in CAD software updating some 3D printed parts, but I assure you it's a work in progress!
i use this machine for over 2 years, broke down 2x. The only problem is the power control board. Based on my analysis, it can last for about 70x of roasting, after that it starts deteoriating (power is dropping, so that you need to reduce the load, load means the coffee bean). When you see power is dropping, go replace the power control board (the board that connecting to the power knob). That's all you need.
thanks this video helped me a lot to decide to try this roaster I could never afford an Ikawa so I'm find with the ghetto version as long as it holds up and roast well.
Cool! There might… MIGHT… be a more plug-and-play way to automate this coming out in the future. Then it really would be an iKawa killer. Goal is to keel the whole thing right around the $1,000 range… still a small fraction of iKawa!
Yes, I'm super happy with it. My only enduring gripe is the lack of handles on the roast chamber for when it's time to dump the hot beans into the cooler. I have to use silicone-lined gloves to do that. Otherwise, it's a fantastic little machine and it's STILL on my to-do list to get a PID video of this unit posted.
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks Jason, that settles my nerves to a degree, I guess the proof is in the roasting as each machine differs but I’m happy with my purchase and looking forward to the learning curve. You appear to be a busy man so I know it’ll be done when you can, I’m subscribed so I’ll await the notification.
I still see the 300g version for $528 shipped. Just do an Alibaba search for “air coffee roaster” and you’ll find many sellers who all sell this model.
It’s an intriguing little roaster for sure. But sadly, unobtainable at the moment. While it’s twice the code of this Smola, by the time I put on the $600 roaster co-pilot PID control, the price is even. The kaffelogic isn’t on my must-buy list (mainly because I already have this now) but it IS on my strongly-consider list.
Great informative video. Did you let beans cool in the RC using the fan on high ? If so, how long did that take? Glad you showed the amount of smoke the unit put off. What is the height and width of the RC? I look forward to seeing the PID upgrade. Thanks for sharing.
For the batches from this video in the garage space, yes I just just cooled them directly in the roast chamber. I don't recall exactly now long it took to cool... it was ok, but certainly not as ideal as a separate cooler (because the heated mass of the RC itself slows down the cooling process). Once I moved this to my roasting space, I started using an external bean cooler. The glass chamber is 105mm O.D. and 160mm tall.
Fresh roast ? They make great coffee, I can overdue it with power on the fresh roast. It can get hot enough to scorch so seems like 110 is appropriate for it.
I'm certainly intrigued by the SR800... but the heat specs/capacity of this machine had me most intrigued, and the use of a potentiometer for heat control meant a much easier path to PID/Artisan integration for me.
Generally speaking you can’t really set a profile from a sample roaster and have that translate on a larger roaster. Every roaster is different and every coffee roaster on any roaster will roast different and normally be roaster specific. Roasting a sample is all about imparting minimal roasting influence on the coffee, find out what the coffee has to offer and with that information you then formulate a plan on your larger roaster that will best accentuate the coffees qualities. I’ve been roasting for 15 years on anything from sample roasters up to 120kg roasters and I have never seen a profile from one roaster translate to another roaster.
Thanks for your input, Leo. I certainly agree with you if we're talking about drum roasters. However, that's not my experience in comparing this roaster specifically to the Coffee Crafters fluid bed roasters. There are far fewer variables on fluid bed roasters of the same design (and both this Smola and the Coffee Crafters Artisan line are "spouted bed" designs). The cycle rate of the beans is nearly identical (the number of times per minute that each bean cycles through the heat) and the roast air temperature is nearly identical. Finally, add in automated PID control and I have found it to be remarkably comparable.
That’s a good roaster as well. It has less than half the power of the Smola, so it’s limited in that respect. But the convenience of 120v power on the SR is nice.
Hey Jason, I'm looking to roast 400G min batch size.... Do you think that I can modify this 300G smola to do that? I can remove the lid and add an exhaust etc...
Hi Jason. Great review! Just as others stated, much interested in how you integrate PID control. Do you think the stock model has potential to consistently roast great coffee after a bit of learning curve?
Thanks for the kind words! I can already give a spoiler that my PID integration is simply done by modifying a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot, which is kind of a plug-and-play "PID in a Box" for Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters. However, this little roaster can absolutely give consistent roasts with just a bit of practice.. ESPECIALLY if you simply connect your temp probe to Artisan software. After just a few roasts, you'll get the feel of how much heat adjustment is necessary to keep it on the target temp curve. Hope this helps!
Thank you for vedio. wonderful review I just wonder about machine first, cooling bean by switch off heater(only fan-maximum power). is it proper capacity? or recommend using extra cooling fan second, where did you get thermal probe(for bean temp)? is that included in product? thank you
Thank you for the kind words. The bean temp probe comes with the roaster. Regarding cooling, I recommend an external bean cooler, but you COULD just turn the heat off and let the loft fan continue to run, as other sample roasters also do. It wouldn’t cool the beans as quickly as a dedicated bean cooler, but I haven’t done tests to see if there’s a benefit in the cup to this approach.
@@hermetheuscoffee perhaps first do some math on the throughput. The gap might conveniently workaround proper operation at max loft actually depending upon flow that is beyond that filter and motor combination. Thanks for the tear down, diag and thoughts. The plug looks like an AU/NZ but is perhaps their 15A variant if the device actually achieves 3Kw. Tempted! Ride safe or ride well.
@@dmackle3849 yeah, that certainly entered my mind (that a fully sealed filter could restrict airflow too much). However, I was contacted by another owner of one of these machines (purchased almost a year ago) and it doesn't have the gap. The filter seals nicely against the motor and it roasts great. (I even saw videos of his roasts.) So the real reason for the gap remains a mystery, but in my mind an inconsequential one. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Jason. great video! thank you for the detailed overview. I have this roaster on the way, planning to automate it inspired by your other videos. Im really an amateur doing this for home use only. Living on an Island in Norway, it just isn't any good coffee around here. I really want to max it out with features and also look into add the new possibilities in artisan for automation and control. Which of the phidgets do you recommend me to get? Should I get a yocto watt?
Glad to hear you've caught the roasting bug! If you want to automate it using Phidgets, you'll want the RCC1000 and the TMP1101. I have videos on how to configure Artisan for these. The YoctoWatt is really cool, but also pricey compared to a standard ammeter. It has a max current rating of 16A, which is adequate for the Smola, but nothing larger. It really comes down to whether your REALLY want your electrical properties to show up in Artisan vs. just a digital screen on the roaster (i.e. a standard ammeter). I have the YoctoWatt, but it's difficult to justify the price unless you're going to use Artisan to actually do something with that data. (For instance, you might alter automated loft settings based on incoming line voltage). But if you just want to see what your line voltage is, a simple ammeter is many times cheaper. Good luck!
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks for the reply! would you stick to the k-type? I think I heard you recommended RTD in another video. Would a blend of the two make any sense? (ID: TMP1200_1) I also need the hub I guess. (ID: HUB0001_0 )
@@DIYcoffeeroast Yes, my thoughts on RTD vs. Thermocouple have certainly evolved. I still maintain that RTDs offer a more stable temperature reading, but much of my issue with thermocouples had to do with a noisy signal. Once I cleaned that up, the performance of the thermocouple was adequate enough to reliably use for PID. While I loved the accuracy of the RTD, I had 2 of them fail in under a year, and they're quite pricey. So at this time, given the price/accuracy/reliability equation, a clean thermocouple signal should be just fine. If you go the RTD route, I would suggest always having a spare on the shelf. (Something I recommend with thermocouples as well, but they're so cheap, it's much easier to justify.)
@@hermetheuscoffee got my roaster, done two roasts completely blind, very exiting and a lot of things going on. Pretty happy with it so far. How do you start your roasts? what is your adjustments of airflow during roasts?
Hi Jason, thanks so much for this video. I roast with an Artisan XE and am considering this for sample roasts. Curious how you cool the beans? Do you just turn the heat off and allow the air to cool or do you somehow dump the container into an external bean cooler. Wondering how hot the exterior gets if I were to dump into a bean cooler.
Great question that I should have addressed in the video. Yes, I use an external bean cooler so I just dump the beans into that. BUT, the chamber gets quite hot, so you need something like silicone oven gloves or something to grab it. It’s a big miss that they didn’t incorporate a handle into the chamber design!
The heat element and controls are all designed for 220v, so It would require a different heat element and electronics. But I think this might be the wrong machine to try that conversion on. At 300g, it might be a bit too large to profile roasts on a 110v power source. I think the smaller 150g unit would be a better candidate to try that conversion on. 🙂
Similar question. I’m not a super great electrician but I know our 220v is split phase so what kind of plug are you using and how did you wire it up to the unit?
My update is an unfortunate one... my Smola roaster melted into oblivion. In the end it was user error, but also illustrates a design flaw. Yes, I was able to completely automate it by creating an adapter for a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot (an automation device that we make for Coffee Crafters Artisan and Valenta roasters). The Co-Pilot replaces the heat knob on the roaster, so turning it by hand isn't possible anymore. After a roast finished, I turned off the loft to dump the beans, but the Co-Pilot robotics left the heat elements on. This was my fault. I should have turned the entire roaster power off. So while there was no loft running, the elements were still glowing red hot as I dumped and cooled my beans. That's when the fun molten metal drama started! The design flaw? Every coffee roaster should incorporate a high limit safety switch to protect against this kind of bone-headedness. The Smola lacks that. It's still a decent little roaster for the money. I could still recommend it. From a strict "roast quality" standpoint, it's outstanding! From a design and ergonomic standpoint, it has some flaw. My biggest complaint is that the roast chamber lacks ANY kind of grip/handle to dump the beans. My best guess is that Smola intended for us to use the roast chamber as the bean cooling chamber, but I'm not a fan of that approach. The roast chamber retains so much heat from the mass of metal and glass, it makes for a very slow cooling process (which runs the risk of "baking" the beans). I crafted some cabinet handles on the roast to assist with dumping beans.
Hi, nice teardown. How did you connect the probes to artisan? Phidget? The 150g roaster is 680 EUR , 300g 810 EUR including shipping and vat. However a caffelogic nano 7e is around 1000 EUR including warranty from a European seller. Is the nano a better choice? My goal is to really learn about the roasting process and profiles and maybe artisan rather then try to save money by home roasting
Yes, for this video, the probe was connected via a Phidget. Since then, I've changed that, but it was more for size reasons than performance. The Phidgets are great. I unfortunately can't tell you if the nano is a better choice, because I don't own one. In the end, even when I do my video on the PID automation of this unit, I've come to the conclusion that for U.S. roasters, it's not really comparable to either the iKawa or the Nano 7. Simply because of the need for 240v on this unit. Don't get me wrong... for performance reasons, the 240v is AWESOME! There's heat power to spare, and profiling roasts is amazingly easy and predictable. But it's simply not portable. You could take an iKawa or Nano 7 on the road with you, but where would you find the 240v plugin? It's a real drawback from a convenience standpoint. Having said that, where this Smola roaster really shines is its ability to perfectly scale up to larger Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters. If you can nail a profile on the Smola, you can use that exact same profile on an Artisan and end up with the EXACT roast. So if you're not really concerned about portability AND you have 240v, this is still a fantastic sample roaster. I'm really intrigued by the Nano 7, but at $1,000, I'm unlikely to buy it... simply because I like this Smola so much.
Hey Jason, any updates on this roaster? Are you still using it and would you still say it is worth the price? Are you running it on 240V 60Hz in the US?
My update is an unfortunate one... my Smola roaster melted into oblivion. In the end it was user error, but also illustrates a design flaw. Yes, I was able to completely automate it by creating an adapter for a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot (an automation device that we make for Coffee Crafters Artisan and Valenta roasters). The Co-Pilot replaces the heat knob on the roaster, so turning it by hand isn't possible anymore. After a roast finished, I turned off the loft to dump the beans, but the Co-Pilot robotics left the heat elements on. This was my fault. I should have turned the entire roaster power off. So while there was no loft running, the elements were still glowing red hot as I dumped and cooled my beans. That's when the fun molten metal drama started! The design flaw? Every coffee roaster should incorporate a high limit safety switch to protect against this kind of bone-headedness. The Smola lacks that. It's still a decent little roaster for the money. And yes, I was running it on 60hz/240v. I could still recommend it. From a strict "roast quality" standpoint, it's outstanding! From a design and ergonomic standpoint, it has some flaws. My biggest complaint is that the roast chamber lacks ANY kind of grip/handle to dump the beans. My best guess is that Smola intended for us to use the roast chamber as the bean cooling chamber, but I'm not a fan of that approach. The roast chamber retains so much heat from the mass of metal and glass, it makes for a very slow cooling process (which runs the risk of "baking" the beans). I crafted some cabinet handles on the roast to assist with dumping beans.
Hi, any updates on this roaster? Wonder how it has been working for you so far. I like the idea but not sure if I should drop $500 to find out (or just stick with a sr800 or something similar in price) And have you thought about putting a 1/16 pid controller with communications and adjust pid /sp from pc?
Hi, Ryan. My overall impression is still pretty positive. I'm STILL planning on doing a shorter video of how I've automated the heat control via servo and PID, which makes this a fantastic little automated "profiling" roaster. One of the shafts of my potentiometer knob cracked when I was a bit rough putting the servo on it... it's incredibly brittle pot metal, so that was annoying. Compared to the SR800, it's a far more capable machine, if for no other reason than sheer power. At 3kw, there isn't a 110v roaster that can compete with this on heating capacity. (But of course, 220v carries the huge disadvantage of convenience, so only you can decide which is the better tradeoff for your use.) I have zero regrets, and I would buy it again. In fact, I'm considering buying the 150g version or possibly even the 50g version (which is VERY cheap) to see about doing a possible 110v, PID-automated conversion that wouldn't break the budget!
I don't recall exactly what it was. I only recall that when I looked for it on Ali Express, I was able to find it and could verify that it was used in small handheld vacuums.
I don't own one, but based on the price point and specs, I would temper expectations (much like with this Smola unit). That is, it will almost certainly work well and roast coffee. The unknown will be the reliability and availability of replacement parts. (Things like heat elements and electronics would be easy swap with similar parts, but the roast chamber itself is likely unique to this roaster.)
@@AZ-sz1tj I'm not sure I understand the question. The stock diameter of this roaster seems perfectly suited to 200g batch sizes. if you're asking me about the ideal roast chamber size for something you're creating, I'm afraid that's beyond my scope of knowledge.
How are you managing the smoke? Do you have a way to attach a duct this to vent the smoke outside? I've been wondering if there are practical methods to minimize pollution (wet scrubbing or electrostatic precipitation, etc)
I’m now using the vent hood on my primary Artisan roaster (which vents to the outdoors via 4 inch ductwork). I’m sure it would be possible to run some type of small shop vac through a water bath to make some type of crude water scrubber. You might also find a cheap electrostatic filter used on FB or local auction sites. These are often used in bars/diners that allowed smoking, and when they’re no longer needed you can often pick them up cheap. (I’ve seen them for $50-$100).
They’re definitely on Ali Express. I just searched “coffee bean hot air roaster” and found a number of different sellers with this model and the 150g model.
The Nano is an intriguing little machine for sure! I think it could be an amazing alternative to the iKawa (which, let’s face it, is a very steep price point). It’s 110v, which you could take as a pro or con depending on your priorities. More CONVENIENT for sure. You can plug it in anywhere and roast (just like the iKawa). The Smola in this review has more than 2x the heating capacity, but uses 220v because of that. So you’re very power-source limited there. But the Kaffelogic is still 2x the cost of this one, so it’s still kind of apples and oranges. I’d love to review the Nano, but at its price point it’s probably not in my immediate future.
I'm interested in buying a step-up transformer to use this with my 120v outlet. I'm not sure what the power requirements are, do you have that info? I'm looking at 3000w and 5000w transformers.
Sadly, Ohm's Law isn't our friend here. We're not going to be able to get 3kw from a common 120v circuit. I suppose if you didn't crank the heat knob past 50%, you COULD use a 3kw transformer. In theory it would work... up until you turned it up too high and popped your breaker. It's really just a bad idea all-around. A common electric dryer 240v plug would work though!
The diameter of the potentiometer knob for this roaster is different from Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters, so in that sense, the Co-Pilot doesn't DIRECTLY attach to this roaster. However, I might offer a simple adapter kit that allows it to be swapped from one roaster to the other without having to unscrew anything.
True from a physics perspective, but it’s a negligible concern on a fluid bed roaster. Fluid beds are almost entirely convective heat, so the tiny percentage of conductive heating isn’t a concern. On top of that, glass is a much poorer conductor of thermal energy, so once again less of a concern in this application.
@@hermetheuscoffee But in the cooling phase (if you use the roaster for cooling) the added thermal conduction to the beans will significantly extend the cooling period. My diy fluidbed roast chamber has a wall thickness of maybe 1.5-2mm. I use a sideways fan to cool the outside of the chamber and that reduces the cooldown time from 3:45 to 3 minutes. That tells me that the chamber walls thermal mass have a significant impact on the ability to cool down. It might not have a negative impact on the roasting it self though.
@@henrikballekoefoed591 very good point, and I should have specifically mentioned that I always use an external bean cooler. The roast chamber twists/lifts off easily to do that (although I DEFINITELY wish they would have designed a handle onto the roast chamber for this).
@@teela-audiophile7864 Tôi đang bỏ qua các điều khiển kho và sử dụng Artisan PID cùng với các servo để chỉ làm nóng hai lần mỗi giây. I'm bypassing the stock controls and using Artisan PID along with servos to just heat two times per second.
hey it looks great, but since it is made in China, i will make this comment, if you support CCP and a dictator, then i´m fine with that, but for people like me, i can not buy items made in China, sad to say but you can see what CCP use all the income the country have had. yes. but gl and all power for you. best regards
Translated:”poor workmanship”. Workmanship is relative. Given the price point, I think it’s reasonable. Given the performance, I think it’s a non-factor.
If you have a 240v plug and a way to vent the smoke, I could definitely recommend this. It’s not perfect and it’s not built to last forever, but for the price, it roasts excellent coffee.
Hi Jason, I watched your excellent review on this roaster and got my hands on the 150g model. As you said, it is a great roaster for roasting small batches and I found that it even have enough power to go beyond the 150g limit. The temp display is not accurate though but I use Mastech 6514 for temp measurement and connects it to Artisan on my laptop.
By any chance, do you know if the hole for the bean probe threaded, and if so, is this M6 or M8 or something else? I ordered the roaster and am looking to buy some thermocouples.
@sato2097 it is M6 threaded.
@@hengkaiwee Thanks a lot for the answer!
Excellent review. Looking forward to you integrating the PID.
Hi I am a home coffee roastor in Mainland China. aslo using smola,but 50g device. Great to listen your share using experience about smola brand.
Thank you!
Very Nice teardown, cannot wait next videos from you.
Learned a lot from your videos, got yourself a new subscriber.
Thanks, Dani! I've run into a few speed bumps on the PID automation. I'm back in CAD software updating some 3D printed parts, but I assure you it's a work in progress!
Hi Jason, you did very detail review
i use this machine for over 2 years, broke down 2x. The only problem is the power control board. Based on my analysis, it can last for about 70x of roasting, after that it starts deteoriating (power is dropping, so that you need to reduce the load, load means the coffee bean). When you see power is dropping, go replace the power control board (the board that connecting to the power knob). That's all you need.
thanks this video helped me a lot to decide to try this roaster I could never afford an Ikawa so I'm find with the ghetto version as long as it holds up and roast well.
Absolutely excellent, Jason. Subscribed. Thank you!
Thanks Jason, this is more to my budget than the Ikawa, I’m not a tech. savvy person so I’d keep it stock but I’ll go with your recommendation.
Cool! There might… MIGHT… be a more plug-and-play way to automate this coming out in the future. Then it really would be an iKawa killer. Goal is to keel the whole thing right around the $1,000 range… still a small fraction of iKawa!
I’m subscribed by the way.
amazing review !
Just ordered one so I’m looking forward to your tech. video. Are you still happy with the machine?
Yes, I'm super happy with it. My only enduring gripe is the lack of handles on the roast chamber for when it's time to dump the hot beans into the cooler. I have to use silicone-lined gloves to do that. Otherwise, it's a fantastic little machine and it's STILL on my to-do list to get a PID video of this unit posted.
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks Jason, that settles my nerves to a degree, I guess the proof is in the roasting as each machine differs but I’m happy with my purchase and looking forward to the learning curve. You appear to be a busy man so I know it’ll be done when you can, I’m subscribed so I’ll await the notification.
The price seems to have increased significantly. But I still think about getting one
I still see the 300g version for $528 shipped. Just do an Alibaba search for “air coffee roaster” and you’ll find many sellers who all sell this model.
Had a look at the Kaffelogic Jason? Batch size is a bit small...does everything you describe that you want!
It’s an intriguing little roaster for sure. But sadly, unobtainable at the moment. While it’s twice the code of this Smola, by the time I put on the $600 roaster co-pilot PID control, the price is even.
The kaffelogic isn’t on my must-buy list (mainly because I already have this now) but it IS on my strongly-consider list.
perhaps try a different air filter... they make those with different heights
Great informative video. Did you let beans cool in the RC using the fan on high ? If so, how long did that take? Glad you showed the amount of smoke the unit put off. What is the height and width of the RC? I look forward to seeing the PID upgrade. Thanks for sharing.
For the batches from this video in the garage space, yes I just just cooled them directly in the roast chamber. I don't recall exactly now long it took to cool... it was ok, but certainly not as ideal as a separate cooler (because the heated mass of the RC itself slows down the cooling process). Once I moved this to my roasting space, I started using an external bean cooler.
The glass chamber is 105mm O.D. and 160mm tall.
Thanks for the reply. Once again great job on the video.
Fresh roast ? They make great coffee, I can overdue it with power on the fresh roast. It can get hot enough to scorch so seems like 110 is appropriate for it.
I'm certainly intrigued by the SR800... but the heat specs/capacity of this machine had me most intrigued, and the use of a potentiometer for heat control meant a much easier path to PID/Artisan integration for me.
Generally speaking you can’t really set a profile from a sample roaster and have that translate on a larger roaster. Every roaster is different and every coffee roaster on any roaster will roast different and normally be roaster specific. Roasting a sample is all about imparting minimal roasting influence on the coffee, find out what the coffee has to offer and with that information you then formulate a plan on your larger roaster that will best accentuate the coffees qualities. I’ve been roasting for 15 years on anything from sample roasters up to 120kg roasters and I have never seen a profile from one roaster translate to another roaster.
Thanks for your input, Leo. I certainly agree with you if we're talking about drum roasters. However, that's not my experience in comparing this roaster specifically to the Coffee Crafters fluid bed roasters. There are far fewer variables on fluid bed roasters of the same design (and both this Smola and the Coffee Crafters Artisan line are "spouted bed" designs). The cycle rate of the beans is nearly identical (the number of times per minute that each bean cycles through the heat) and the roast air temperature is nearly identical. Finally, add in automated PID control and I have found it to be remarkably comparable.
I think I will stay with my SR800 with extension tube.
That’s a good roaster as well. It has less than half the power of the Smola, so it’s limited in that respect. But the convenience of 120v power on the SR is nice.
Hey Jason, I'm looking to roast 400G min batch size.... Do you think that I can modify this 300G smola to do that? I can remove the lid and add an exhaust etc...
I don't know, but I'm curious as well. It certainly has enough BTU's and loft for more than 300g. Let me try this and report back. Give me a few days.
Hi Jason. Great review! Just as others stated, much interested in how you integrate PID control. Do you think the stock model has potential to consistently roast great coffee after a bit of learning curve?
Thanks for the kind words! I can already give a spoiler that my PID integration is simply done by modifying a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot, which is kind of a plug-and-play "PID in a Box" for Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters. However, this little roaster can absolutely give consistent roasts with just a bit of practice.. ESPECIALLY if you simply connect your temp probe to Artisan software. After just a few roasts, you'll get the feel of how much heat adjustment is necessary to keep it on the target temp curve. Hope this helps!
Thank you for vedio. wonderful review
I just wonder about machine
first, cooling bean by switch off heater(only fan-maximum power). is it proper capacity? or recommend using extra cooling fan
second, where did you get thermal probe(for bean temp)? is that included in product?
thank you
Thank you for the kind words. The bean temp probe comes with the roaster. Regarding cooling, I recommend an external bean cooler, but you COULD just turn the heat off and let the loft fan continue to run, as other sample roasters also do. It wouldn’t cool the beans as quickly as a dedicated bean cooler, but I haven’t done tests to see if there’s a benefit in the cup to this approach.
Has anyone mentioned the Kaffelogic Nano 7 yet? Roasts ~80-140g (you can set the batch size) and tweak the profile to your heart`s content.
Yes, it’s been mentioned, and I’m really eager to give it a shot!
just add some foam to the filter Home depot has an aisle full of that stuff
Great idea! 👍🏻
@@hermetheuscoffee perhaps first do some math on the throughput. The gap might conveniently workaround proper operation at max loft actually depending upon flow that is beyond that filter and motor combination.
Thanks for the tear down, diag and thoughts. The plug looks like an AU/NZ but is perhaps their 15A variant if the device actually achieves 3Kw.
Tempted!
Ride safe or ride well.
@@dmackle3849 yeah, that certainly entered my mind (that a fully sealed filter could restrict airflow too much). However, I was contacted by another owner of one of these machines (purchased almost a year ago) and it doesn't have the gap. The filter seals nicely against the motor and it roasts great. (I even saw videos of his roasts.) So the real reason for the gap remains a mystery, but in my mind an inconsequential one. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Jason. great video! thank you for the detailed overview. I have this roaster on the way, planning to automate it inspired by your other videos. Im really an amateur doing this for home use only. Living on an Island in Norway, it just isn't any good coffee around here. I really want to max it out with features and also look into add the new possibilities in artisan for automation and control. Which of the phidgets do you recommend me to get? Should I get a yocto watt?
Glad to hear you've caught the roasting bug! If you want to automate it using Phidgets, you'll want the RCC1000 and the TMP1101. I have videos on how to configure Artisan for these. The YoctoWatt is really cool, but also pricey compared to a standard ammeter. It has a max current rating of 16A, which is adequate for the Smola, but nothing larger. It really comes down to whether your REALLY want your electrical properties to show up in Artisan vs. just a digital screen on the roaster (i.e. a standard ammeter). I have the YoctoWatt, but it's difficult to justify the price unless you're going to use Artisan to actually do something with that data. (For instance, you might alter automated loft settings based on incoming line voltage). But if you just want to see what your line voltage is, a simple ammeter is many times cheaper. Good luck!
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks for the reply! would you stick to the k-type? I think I heard you recommended RTD in another video. Would a blend of the two make any sense? (ID: TMP1200_1) I also need the hub I guess. (ID: HUB0001_0 )
@@DIYcoffeeroast Yes, my thoughts on RTD vs. Thermocouple have certainly evolved. I still maintain that RTDs offer a more stable temperature reading, but much of my issue with thermocouples had to do with a noisy signal. Once I cleaned that up, the performance of the thermocouple was adequate enough to reliably use for PID. While I loved the accuracy of the RTD, I had 2 of them fail in under a year, and they're quite pricey. So at this time, given the price/accuracy/reliability equation, a clean thermocouple signal should be just fine. If you go the RTD route, I would suggest always having a spare on the shelf. (Something I recommend with thermocouples as well, but they're so cheap, it's much easier to justify.)
@@hermetheuscoffee got my roaster, done two roasts completely blind, very exiting and a lot of things going on. Pretty happy with it so far. How do you start your roasts? what is your adjustments of airflow during roasts?
Hi Jason, thanks so much for this video. I roast with an Artisan XE and am considering this for sample roasts. Curious how you cool the beans? Do you just turn the heat off and allow the air to cool or do you somehow dump the container into an external bean cooler. Wondering how hot the exterior gets if I were to dump into a bean cooler.
Great question that I should have addressed in the video. Yes, I use an external bean cooler so I just dump the beans into that. BUT, the chamber gets quite hot, so you need something like silicone oven gloves or something to grab it. It’s a big miss that they didn’t incorporate a handle into the chamber design!
Great video! Jason, may I know how do you connect/convert this 220v roaster to USA 110v wall plug?
The heat element and controls are all designed for 220v, so It would require a different heat element and electronics. But I think this might be the wrong machine to try that conversion on. At 300g, it might be a bit too large to profile roasts on a 110v power source. I think the smaller 150g unit would be a better candidate to try that conversion on.
🙂
Similar question. I’m not a super great electrician but I know our 220v is split phase so what kind of plug are you using and how did you wire it up to the unit?
Any updates regarding this machine? I'm wondering if you were able to automate everything
My update is an unfortunate one... my Smola roaster melted into oblivion. In the end it was user error, but also illustrates a design flaw. Yes, I was able to completely automate it by creating an adapter for a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot (an automation device that we make for Coffee Crafters Artisan and Valenta roasters).
The Co-Pilot replaces the heat knob on the roaster, so turning it by hand isn't possible anymore. After a roast finished, I turned off the loft to dump the beans, but the Co-Pilot robotics left the heat elements on. This was my fault. I should have turned the entire roaster power off. So while there was no loft running, the elements were still glowing red hot as I dumped and cooled my beans. That's when the fun molten metal drama started!
The design flaw? Every coffee roaster should incorporate a high limit safety switch to protect against this kind of bone-headedness. The Smola lacks that.
It's still a decent little roaster for the money. I could still recommend it. From a strict "roast quality" standpoint, it's outstanding! From a design and ergonomic standpoint, it has some flaw. My biggest complaint is that the roast chamber lacks ANY kind of grip/handle to dump the beans. My best guess is that Smola intended for us to use the roast chamber as the bean cooling chamber, but I'm not a fan of that approach. The roast chamber retains so much heat from the mass of metal and glass, it makes for a very slow cooling process (which runs the risk of "baking" the beans). I crafted some cabinet handles on the roast to assist with dumping beans.
Hi, nice teardown. How did you connect the probes to artisan? Phidget? The 150g roaster is 680 EUR , 300g 810 EUR including shipping and vat. However a caffelogic nano 7e is around 1000 EUR including warranty from a European seller. Is the nano a better choice? My goal is to really learn about the roasting process and profiles and maybe artisan rather then try to save money by home roasting
Yes, for this video, the probe was connected via a Phidget. Since then, I've changed that, but it was more for size reasons than performance. The Phidgets are great. I unfortunately can't tell you if the nano is a better choice, because I don't own one. In the end, even when I do my video on the PID automation of this unit, I've come to the conclusion that for U.S. roasters, it's not really comparable to either the iKawa or the Nano 7. Simply because of the need for 240v on this unit. Don't get me wrong... for performance reasons, the 240v is AWESOME! There's heat power to spare, and profiling roasts is amazingly easy and predictable. But it's simply not portable. You could take an iKawa or Nano 7 on the road with you, but where would you find the 240v plugin? It's a real drawback from a convenience standpoint. Having said that, where this Smola roaster really shines is its ability to perfectly scale up to larger Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters. If you can nail a profile on the Smola, you can use that exact same profile on an Artisan and end up with the EXACT roast. So if you're not really concerned about portability AND you have 240v, this is still a fantastic sample roaster. I'm really intrigued by the Nano 7, but at $1,000, I'm unlikely to buy it... simply because I like this Smola so much.
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks for the detailed response Jason!
Hey Jason, any updates on this roaster? Are you still using it and would you still say it is worth the price? Are you running it on 240V 60Hz in the US?
My update is an unfortunate one... my Smola roaster melted into oblivion. In the end it was user error, but also illustrates a design flaw. Yes, I was able to completely automate it by creating an adapter for a Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot (an automation device that we make for Coffee Crafters Artisan and Valenta roasters).
The Co-Pilot replaces the heat knob on the roaster, so turning it by hand isn't possible anymore. After a roast finished, I turned off the loft to dump the beans, but the Co-Pilot robotics left the heat elements on. This was my fault. I should have turned the entire roaster power off. So while there was no loft running, the elements were still glowing red hot as I dumped and cooled my beans. That's when the fun molten metal drama started!
The design flaw? Every coffee roaster should incorporate a high limit safety switch to protect against this kind of bone-headedness. The Smola lacks that.
It's still a decent little roaster for the money. And yes, I was running it on 60hz/240v. I could still recommend it. From a strict "roast quality" standpoint, it's outstanding! From a design and ergonomic standpoint, it has some flaws. My biggest complaint is that the roast chamber lacks ANY kind of grip/handle to dump the beans. My best guess is that Smola intended for us to use the roast chamber as the bean cooling chamber, but I'm not a fan of that approach. The roast chamber retains so much heat from the mass of metal and glass, it makes for a very slow cooling process (which runs the risk of "baking" the beans). I crafted some cabinet handles on the roast to assist with dumping beans.
Hi, any updates on this roaster? Wonder how it has been working for you so far. I like the idea but not sure if I should drop $500 to find out (or just stick with a sr800 or something similar in price)
And have you thought about putting a 1/16 pid controller with communications and adjust pid /sp from pc?
Hi, Ryan. My overall impression is still pretty positive. I'm STILL planning on doing a shorter video of how I've automated the heat control via servo and PID, which makes this a fantastic little automated "profiling" roaster. One of the shafts of my potentiometer knob cracked when I was a bit rough putting the servo on it... it's incredibly brittle pot metal, so that was annoying. Compared to the SR800, it's a far more capable machine, if for no other reason than sheer power. At 3kw, there isn't a 110v roaster that can compete with this on heating capacity. (But of course, 220v carries the huge disadvantage of convenience, so only you can decide which is the better tradeoff for your use.) I have zero regrets, and I would buy it again. In fact, I'm considering buying the 150g version or possibly even the 50g version (which is VERY cheap) to see about doing a possible 110v, PID-automated conversion that wouldn't break the budget!
hi, hello
Can I ask you the model number of this fan motor?
Or is there a link to fan motor products?
Thank you very much~
I don't recall exactly what it was. I only recall that when I looked for it on Ali Express, I was able to find it and could verify that it was used in small handheld vacuums.
Ok. Do you have any thoughts on another air toaster, I think the Brand it's Shenzhen april technology
I don't own one, but based on the price point and specs, I would temper expectations (much like with this Smola unit). That is, it will almost certainly work well and roast coffee. The unknown will be the reliability and availability of replacement parts. (Things like heat elements and electronics would be easy swap with similar parts, but the roast chamber itself is likely unique to this roaster.)
Hi Jason
Is the hole for the bean probe threaded, and if so, is this M6 or M8 or something else?
It IS threaded, but I'm not sure what the thread pitch is.
Thank you for the video. What is the diameter of the glass chamber?
Outer diameter = 106mm
Inner (interior) diameter = 96mm
@@hermetheuscoffee Thanks scott, for replying. What do you think the suitable diameter for around the 200gr green bean capacity?
@@AZ-sz1tj I'm not sure I understand the question. The stock diameter of this roaster seems perfectly suited to 200g batch sizes. if you're asking me about the ideal roast chamber size for something you're creating, I'm afraid that's beyond my scope of knowledge.
How are you managing the smoke? Do you have a way to attach a duct this to vent the smoke outside? I've been wondering if there are practical methods to minimize pollution (wet scrubbing or electrostatic precipitation, etc)
I’m now using the vent hood on my primary Artisan roaster (which vents to the outdoors via 4 inch ductwork). I’m sure it would be possible to run some type of small shop vac through a water bath to make some type of crude water scrubber. You might also find a cheap electrostatic filter used on FB or local auction sites. These are often used in bars/diners that allowed smoking, and when they’re no longer needed you can often pick them up cheap. (I’ve seen them for $50-$100).
Looks interesting! However, can't find any on aliexpress :(
hello,please check th-cam.com/users/shortsA9orIyiVQS8?feature=share
They’re definitely on Ali Express. I just searched “coffee bean hot air roaster” and found a number of different sellers with this model and the 150g model.
@@hermetheuscoffee thanks!!
Have you thought about Kaffelogic nano 7?
The Nano is an intriguing little machine for sure! I think it could be an amazing alternative to the iKawa (which, let’s face it, is a very steep price point). It’s 110v, which you could take as a pro or con depending on your priorities. More CONVENIENT for sure. You can plug it in anywhere and roast (just like the iKawa). The Smola in this review has more than 2x the heating capacity, but uses 220v because of that. So you’re very power-source limited there. But the Kaffelogic is still 2x the cost of this one, so it’s still kind of apples and oranges. I’d love to review the Nano, but at its price point it’s probably not in my immediate future.
Hi , may i know if the crack sound can be heard easily?
Yes, it’s very easy to hear first crack.
I'm interested in buying a step-up transformer to use this with my 120v outlet. I'm not sure what the power requirements are, do you have that info? I'm looking at 3000w and 5000w transformers.
Sadly, Ohm's Law isn't our friend here. We're not going to be able to get 3kw from a common 120v circuit. I suppose if you didn't crank the heat knob past 50%, you COULD use a 3kw transformer. In theory it would work... up until you turned it up too high and popped your breaker. It's really just a bad idea all-around. A common electric dryer 240v plug would work though!
Can this roaster be configured with the Hermetheus Co-Pilot kit?
The diameter of the potentiometer knob for this roaster is different from Coffee Crafters Artisan roasters, so in that sense, the Co-Pilot doesn't DIRECTLY attach to this roaster. However, I might offer a simple adapter kit that allows it to be swapped from one roaster to the other without having to unscrew anything.
Thicker-walled roast chamber = higher thermal mass. Not a good thing.
True from a physics perspective, but it’s a negligible concern on a fluid bed roaster. Fluid beds are almost entirely convective heat, so the tiny percentage of conductive heating isn’t a concern. On top of that, glass is a much poorer conductor of thermal energy, so once again less of a concern in this application.
@@hermetheuscoffee But in the cooling phase (if you use the roaster for cooling) the added thermal conduction to the beans will significantly extend the cooling period. My diy fluidbed roast chamber has a wall thickness of maybe 1.5-2mm. I use a sideways fan to cool the outside of the chamber and that reduces the cooldown time from 3:45 to 3 minutes. That tells me that the chamber walls thermal mass have a significant impact on the ability to cool down. It might not have a negative impact on the roasting it self though.
@@henrikballekoefoed591 very good point, and I should have specifically mentioned that I always use an external bean cooler. The roast chamber twists/lifts off easily to do that (although I DEFINITELY wish they would have designed a handle onto the roast chamber for this).
tôi sẽ gửi cho bạn xem một máy mini trình điều khiển plc và nó hay hơn
PLC driver for the the loft or the heat?
Trình điều khiển PLC cho nhiệt hoặc quạt?
@@hermetheuscoffee tôi chế tạo một mạch trình điều khiển cho phép bạn thay đổi nhiệt độ trong 3 giai đoạn
Trình điều khiển của bạn là quá đơn giản
@@teela-audiophile7864 Tôi đang bỏ qua các điều khiển kho và sử dụng Artisan PID cùng với các servo để chỉ làm nóng hai lần mỗi giây.
I'm bypassing the stock controls and using Artisan PID along with servos to just heat two times per second.
@@hermetheuscoffeechúng tôi có cung cấp trình điểu khiển cho máy pha cà phê mini bạn có thể thiết lập nhiệt độ và thời gian trong 3 quy trình
@@teela-audiophile7864 bạn có một trang web với nhiều thông tin hơn?
Do you have a website with more information?
hey
it looks great, but since it is made in China, i will make this comment, if you support CCP and a dictator, then i´m fine with that, but for people like me, i can not buy items made in China, sad to say but you can see what CCP use all the income the country have had. yes. but gl and all power for you. best regards
tay nghề chế tạo kém
Translated:”poor workmanship”. Workmanship is relative. Given the price point, I think it’s reasonable. Given the performance, I think it’s a non-factor.
@@hermetheuscoffee I will build you a beautiful and durable mini coffee roaster that regulates the PID temperature
@@teela-audiophile7864 great! I’d be happy to review it. 👍🏻
@@hermetheuscoffee thank you
Hi @hermetheuscoffee do you recommend this as my first roaster?
If you have a 240v plug and a way to vent the smoke, I could definitely recommend this. It’s not perfect and it’s not built to last forever, but for the price, it roasts excellent coffee.