I've been using a stovetop popper for the past seven or so years. All I've ever used. $35 at Target. I have read reviews on those fancy roasters that go for $300, then only last three, maybe four, years. My popper shows no sign of giving up.
Like my Bonavita. Secret if making under 6 cups is to pass 2 cups of water through machine to heat things up. Espresso and espresso based drinks for me when not using Bonavita. Part of my lever collection. A guy got to have hobbies you know
I really like the coffee that I make in my Cuisinart Brew Central 12-cup drip coffeemaker. The trick is making sure your machine is clean, and transfer the coffee to a preheated insulated carafe right after it's brewed. Clayton
An air popper only does about 2.5 ounces at a time. It gives a very even, controllable roast but be prepared to spend a lot of time roasting if you drink a lot of coffee. http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/popperroasting
I thought I'd bump this thread. I'm considering this machine. I haven't actually seen one in person but I'm intrigued by the possibility of making 9 bars without spending a fortune. It's called the Cafelat Robot. The one with the gauge is their Barista model. If this thing can make a good shot of real espresso, then I may just have to pick one of these up.
I'd like to get one of these ... But normally I use a Mr Coffee and a couple stainless camp percolators. A last choice of mine is Nescafe .... in my opinion, still pretty yummy!
I drink my coffee black. Usually buy the two and a half pound bags of Starbucks French Roast (or Verona when they have it) at Costco. Grind two or three cups worth at a time in one of those top loading push button blade grinders that everybody says not to use. Boil a regular kitchen kettle (not a special goose neck) on our gas range and wait a little over a minute after shutting off the heat from a rolling boil. Ceramic pour over on top of a mug, paper filter with my preferred amount of grounds and three pours. First one just wets the grounds, second pour slow and a little more volume to increase the brew time and create a "crema" or whatever ya call the lighter chocolatey look to the grounds. Third pour fast and high to give it a stir and fast drip-through. After doing it this way for years I rarely mis-judge the levels and over pour. Lift the ceramic and filter away, give the black coffee a stir with the teaspoon I used to take grounds from the grinder. This spoon has an almost imperceptible amount of micro-fine powdered coffee grounds on it. It does not leave coarse grounds in the bottom of the cup like cowboy coffee, and does not leave a pile of sludge like french press. It just seems to create a nice mouth feel similar to a perc coffee but without the "boiled" thing that perc sometimes gets. No special high dollar gear. Stove, filter, regular kettle, cheapo electric grinder. Well....I do get kinda fancy. I fill the kettle with cold filtered water from the fridge.