Great so far. I’m on Android, so I can start with a recipe from Ikawa and then tweak temperature and fan profiles as needed. Ikawa includes a sampler pack with the roaster, and none really blew me away, at least with the recipes provided, so I started buying bags from another green bean vendor closer to me. I prefer light medium so usually stop shortly after first crack. But I’m still trying to learn how to use rate of rise, and lower slower development to get different flavors from the same beans.
There’s a lot of benefits, at least for me. I got into home roasting because I wanted Jamaican Blue Mountain (after a friend had gifted me some). Found out how much it cost, then as I went down the rabbit hole, I found out that I could get green beans for significantly cheaper than roasted.
Now, I find that I enjoy trying all different kinds of single-origin that I’ve never heard of/seen from bigger roasters. I’ve had coffee from Nepal, Puerto Rico, Yemen, Java, Sulawesi, and countless other farms around the world.
Cost is also a factor. I can get a pound of Jamaican Blue Mountain for as little as $20, whereas roasted (depending on estate) can be $40-$80.
It can be a pain in the ass, if I realize I’m out of roasted beans and want a cup of coffee. It takes a good 30 minutes to roast and cool, but in the end, trying something new is worth it!
Oh, and forgot to mention - green beans also last significantly longer. 8-12 months versus 1-2 months for roasted. I can buy in bulk, save money, and have fresh roasted for the week!
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