Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roaster

I got into roasting a number of years ago. Instead of going the simple route first I decided to purchase a $500 roaster and was happy to be roasting my own beans and controlling the quality. The roaster I bought was a made from a mixture of glass, metal and heat resistant plastics. I always wonder about the plastics in that equation and thought they were imparting a odor into the beans as the temperature rose, but I had no choice but to continue since roasting is better than not roasting. After about three years I decided to let go of that roaster and wen't back to store bought, over roasted, nearly carcinogenic whole coffee beans again. After nearly two years of this I decided to look for another roaster.It amazes me that it is almost impossible to get anything but black coffee beans and that people actually think they are better. First thing that most people don't know is that color has nothing to do with caffeine. If you ask people which has more caffeine, Espresso or regular drip coffee they will most likely answer espresso which is wrong. Of all the preparation types espresso is nearly at the bottom when it comes to caffeine. The preparation types that require a soak have the most caffeine and those old percolating coffee pots of old had the most since they ran the water over the coffee over and over and extracted the caffeine better. I like French press which requires a three minute soak and then press. An espresso forces a small amount of water once through the ground coffee and does a great job with flavor but when it comes to caffeine fails. Espresso roast is very dark because of this, it has to be, but it also creates the illusion of more caffeine which is not true. The espresso roast is bitter, try biting into a bean and see what I mean. To compensate for this bitter many people find it necessary to add different flavors. The most simple can be a twist of lemon zest or a concoction of mostly artificial ingredients and frosted milk to make it palatable. The success of some coffee shops not dictates what coffee is all about, but this couldn't be more further from the truth. Dark roast is the new standard and it is a tragedy because the fine art of coffee is becoming a thing of the past.The only way to see through the illusion is to roast your own coffee and open your mind to the possibilities that coffee beans don't have to taste bitter or resemble something closer to charcoal to be good. I was going to purchase another electric roaster and was waiting for my next choice to be released but the memory of the plastic taste be imparted into the roast made me wonder if there was another choice that wouldn't cost $5000 dollars and be all metal. I was happy to find the answer here with this coffee roaster. I have been a big fan of ceramic cookware from Korea and seeing this model made me wonder if it would work as good as previous roaster. The answer is yes, don't get me wrong, the quantity is smaller but it roast as good and even better than roasters that cost much more. I love this thing! I can use it almost anywhere, it is small and the quality of my roast has never been better. Even when I went a little longer in the roast, where the bears were dark and sweating it still tasted good. The quick discharge is brilliant for cooling as is the design which is more like an oven. The taste is sooo smooth and after grinding with hand grinder made with ceramic it doesn't get any better. No more store bought, I am back in control and glad I took a chance in this. It requires little effort to keep clean, I never wash, just use my finger and simple brush to remove chaff. I roast over portable 8000 btu gas stove and I believe that gas is best for roasting. I use a oven mitten for heat issues and roast every other day. Couldn't be happier.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I've been wanting to roast my own coffee beans for so long, and I'm over the moon that I've found this simple, affordable ceramic roaster. Overview:*Pros: Incredibly inexpensive! No aluminum or plastic! Simple design! Roasts small batches well! (I'm the only one in my household currently drinking coffee, so I'm never able to finish the 1 pound bags of store bought roasted beans before their 1 week peak date (and the taste starts to diminish), which means I'm constantly throwing away beans (in the city composting trash bins), and thus wasting money & feeling guilty. This roaster allows me to roast the perfect amount of beans for my use in their peak nutrition/quality period, without waste.)*Meh: There was no information about use or care. For example, it would have been nice for them to warn you that hot beans may fly out the handle and burn your hand, etc. as you shake the roaster over the fire. Should it be washed with soap or might soap residue impact the flavor of the beans so instead should it simply be rinsed with water? Should it be pre-heated before the green beans are added or not?*Cons: None! (There are mixed comments from others here about the handle.... The first time, I played it safe and wrapped it with a small hand towel to be safe, but moments after removing the roaster from heat I touched the leather handle and it was warm but not uncomfortable. I think if it was longer (as some people requested), that'd make it uncomfortable for the wrist as the bulk of the weight would be further way.) The 2nd time I used the roaster, I held it with bare hands, and the temperature was not a problem -- by the time my closest finger started to get a little too warm, that arm/hand needed a break anyway and so I changed sides. HOWEVER, occasionally a hot bean flew out of the handle and hit me -- and that was an unpleasant, burning sensation -- and landed on the floor. So, from now on, I'll hold with gloves or a towel to block the handle opening.)Picture: Now, I bought these green coffee beans months ago -- got sidetracked by life and indecision about which roaster to buy (that's because I didn't know this roaster existed) -- but I think it came out well! (although a little darker than I was going for -- but that was my first attempt at roasting green coffee beans & lesson learned!)Yahoo!! I'm now a DIY coffee roaster for life!