There’s a world of coffee roasting machines, but not all are fit for the purpose of starting a nano-/micro-roastery or serving up freshly roasted coffee beans in-house in a small indie café.

Coffee roasters run the gamut from big, pricey units to pint-sized, economical wonders. The right roaster for your purposes could sit on either end of that spectrum, or it could be something in between.

Your coffee roaster machine is the cornerstone of any small coffee roasting business, so we've singled out four of the best coffee roasters on the market. We've also provided details about which factors to consider when shopping for one.

Table of Contents

• Overall Best Coffee Roaster Machine for Small Businesses: Bideli 2kg Coffee Roaster

• Best Coffee Roaster Machine for Small Businesses on a Budget: Coffee Crafters 3lbs Artisan 3-e Coffee Roasting and Bean Cooling System

• Most Consistent Coffee Roasting Machine: Santoker R1.5 Pro Automatic Coffee Roaster - 2kg/Batch

• Best Coffee Roaster for Cost Saving: Golden Roasters GR1+ Mini 1kg Coffee Roaster

Overall Best Coffee Roaster Machine for Small Businesses

Bideli 2kg Coffee Roaster

Why We Love This Coffee Roaster:

• Reliable and high performing

• Innovative features

• User-friendly design

The Bideli 2kg Coffee Roaster is a beacon of excellence in the world of small business coffee roasting. With its high-performance design and capacity to roast large-ish batches of beans, this machine redefines the standards for quality and consistency.

Featuring a double-walled drum, the Bideli 2kg ensures that each bean is evenly roasted to perfection, preserving its flavor and aroma with every batch. This machine embodies the perfect blend of craftsmanship and functionality, making it the overall best coffee roaster machine for small businesses.

Innovative Features for Superior Results

What sets the Bideli 2kg apart are its innovative features tailored for optimal roasting. Equipped with a precise manual damper, users can finely control the roast profile of their beans, allowing for customization to meet individual preferences. Additionally, the machine's independent cooling and roasting functions ensure shorter cycle times, guaranteeing a swift and efficient roasting process without compromising on quality.

Ease of Use and Maintenance

Despite its advanced capabilities, the Bideli 2kg remains remarkably user-friendly. With a straightforward control panel and USB data logger compatibility, monitoring and operating each roast is a breeze. Moreover, its built-in maintenance access streamlines cleaning and part replacement, ensuring hassle-free operation for small business owners.

In conclusion, the Bideli 2kg Coffee Roaster emerges as the ultimate choice for small businesses seeking unparalleled performance and reliability in their coffee roasting endeavors.

Best Coffee Roaster Machine for Small Businesses on a Budget

Coffee Crafters 3lbs Artisan 3-e Coffee Roasting and Bean Cooling System

Why We Love This Coffee Roaster:

• Budget-friendly

• 18 lbs./hour production

• Tabletop bean cooler unit

When it comes to finding the perfect machine that won't break the bank for your small coffee roasting business, look no further than the Coffee Crafters 3lbs Artisan 3-e Coffee Roasting and Bean Cooling System. This efficient fluid-bed coffee roaster offers precision roasting capabilities that rival those of larger, more expensive models, making it the ideal choice for small businesses looking to maximize their budget without compromising on quality.

One thing to keep in mind, though: Unlike some coffee roasters, you'll need to get your exhaust blower and power cord separately, as this system doesn't come with them. Even with these two extra purchases, though, this is still a great, budget-friendly commercial coffee roaster.

Versatility and Convenience

With the ability to roast anywhere between 1.5 to 3 pounds of beans at a time, this machine is perfect for small-scale operations needing a bit of versatility. And at 18 lbs. per hour production, you won’t find a more hard-working machine for the money. Plus, its integrated bean cooling system ensures rapid cooling of freshly roasted beans, preserving their flavor and aroma for optimal enjoyment.

Budget-Friendly Excellence

What truly sets the Coffee Crafters 3lbs Artisan 3-e apart is its affordability that doesn't compromise on quality. Priced competitively, this roaster offers small businesses the opportunity to achieve professional-grade results without an intimidating price tag.

Most Consistent Coffee Roasting Machine

Santoker R1.5 Pro Automatic Coffee Roaster - 2kg/Batch

Why We Love This Coffee Roaster:

• Consistent roasts

• High capacity per hour

• Durable and well-made

• Continuous roasting from 500g to 2000g

This award-winning coffee bean roaster is a testament to Santoker's dedication to quality roasting equipment. Both versions of the Santoker R1.5 Pro Automatic Coffee Roaster - 2kg/Batch -- manual or automatic -- will get you your desired roast level, but the automatic machine should be the go-to for any small business needing a good, consistent roast. With its advanced automation features and cutting-edge technology, this machine takes the guesswork out of the roasting process, ensuring precise results with every batch.

Advanced Automation for Superior Performance

The automatic version of the Santoker R1.5 Pro Coffee Roaster features state-of-the-art automation capabilities that set it apart from its manual counterpart. The PLC control panel enables you to roast to a pre-made roasting profile or roasting curve automatically, and the advanced temperature control system ensures that each batch of beans is roasted to perfection, unlocking a level of consistency that is unmatched by manual roasting methods.

The Most Consistent Coffee Roasting Machine

What truly makes the automatic version of the Santoker R1.5 Pro stand out is its unparalleled consistency. By automating the roasting process, this machine eliminates human error and allows you to roast each batch of beans to the same exact specifications every time. Whether you're a seasoned coffee roaster or just starting out, you can trust the Santoker R1.5 Pro to deliver a consistently delicious even roast every time.

Best Coffee Roaster for Cost Saving

Golden Roasters GR1+ Mini 1kg Coffee Roaster

Why We Love This Coffee Roaster:

• Cost-saving features

• Appealing, industrial-style appearance

• Easy to use

• Quiet

For small businesses aiming to maximize efficiency and minimize costs without sacrificing quality, the Golden Roasters GR1+ Mini 1kg Coffee Roaster shines among other small batch coffee roasters. This machine offers the perfect balance of cost-saving features and performance, making it another great choice for budget-friendly coffee roasting solutions.

Cost-Saving Features

If you're in the coffee roasting business (or any business, actually), you want to minimize unnecessary costs. Coffee roaster machines use quite a bit of energy in general, but the insulated drum of the Golden Roasters GR1+ Mini 1kg Coffee Roaster does an excellent job of saving you money by preventing heat loss. The CE certified gas blocker also contributes to cost savings.

Beyond Cost Savings

Beyond its cost-saving features, the Golden Roasters GR1+ Mini 1kg Coffee Roaster offers a host of additional benefits. For one, its sleekness and gray matte finish give it an incredibly cool industrial aesthetic that will enhance the vibe at your coffee business. The intuitive controls and user-friendly interface make it easy to operate, even for novice roasters, while its durable construction and built-in safety mechanisms ensure reliable performance and peace of mind.

With its compact footprint, this machine is ideal for businesses with limited space, allowing them to maximize efficiency without sacrificing quality. Whether you're looking to reduce overhead costs, increase productivity, or simply enjoy the satisfaction of roasting your own coffee beans, this roaster is sure to exceed your expectations and help your business thrive in the competitive coffee industry.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A COMMERCIAL COFFEE ROASTER MACHINE FOR A SMALL COFFEE BUSINESS

At the end of the day, picking the right coffee roaster for a small business boils down to your budget as well as the needs and goals of your new roasting venture.

There are several major things, though, to keep in mind when in the market for thebest coffee roaster machine for small businesses:

Cost

More than anything, the roasting machine will be your biggest expense. While you definitely don’t want to skimp on quality, it’s important to set a spending limit when investing in a small production roaster.

Decent quality small batch commercial roasters drop anywhere between $2500 to over $20,000.

Besides the equipment itself and any optional extras, you may also have to lay out for installation and configuration of the roaster.

Roaster Type

When it comes to an air coffee roaster vs. a drum coffee roaster, there are several things to take into account.

Drum Coffee Roasters

The most widespread and precisely controllable roast method, drum roasting involves placing the green coffee beans into a cylindrical chamber. This drum is then rotated non-stop over a heat source like an open flame, electricity, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, or wood.

As the beans are whipped around inside the drum, they’re also stirred thanks to motor-driven paddles, shovels, or similar. The end result is much more consistently and uniformly roasted beans.

Depending on the sort of drum, roasting of the green beans occurs in different ways and to varying extents. For one, heat is transferred to the beans by conduction when they crash into any of the searing metal surfaces of the drum. Heat is also transferred by convection from the heated air within the drum. And on occasion, it's accomplished by heat coming off the walls, mixers, or faceplate of the drum and from the other beans.

For hotter and speedier roasting with much less chance of roast defects, be sure to plump for a machine with a double-walled drum and a powerful enough burner.

Air Coffee Roasters (Fluid-Bed)

Air coffee roasters are a newer technology particularly popular with home roasters. However, they can certainly have a place in a small business, though you won't be able to roast large batches like your can with drum roasters, as air roasters typically have a much smaller capacity.

These machines work by the use of direct heat. Hot air flows up through the roasting chamber, sending the beans floating around on the currents.

Coffee lovers wax poetic about the complex flavors a drum roaster can pull out, and while it's true that air roaster machines produce less complex roast profiles, they have a talent for highlighting the unique charms of a particular bean. The bitterness you can get from drum roasted coffee beans is also more or less absent when using an air roaster.

Heat Source

Electric coffee roasters are normally more energy efficient, produce little or no emissions, and have lower running costs. On the other hand, they tend to come with a higher price tag upfront as well as taking longer to heat up and cool down.

On the other hand, gas-powered roasting machines respond quicker to changes in roasting temperature, are cheaper to purchase, and offer more precise control. Whereas they call for a gas supply, specific placement, and the necessary permits.

Ultimately, it’ll be personal preference and the premises where you’ll be roasting that’ll determine whether the roaster will be fueled by gas or electric.

Capacity

The standard drum size for small coffee roasting businesses is 2.20 to 6.61 lbs. This means roasters of this capacity are often also suitable for roasting smaller batches of beans for the sake of testing roast quality. They're also great for experimenting with different roast profiles to identify new coffees, all without having to waste masses of green coffee beans.

When it comes to selecting an appropriate size of roaster, you’ll need to figure out roughly how much coffee you expect to roast per week over the course of a couple of years. Note that the average coffee shop seldom sells more than about 20 lbs. of java in a day.

Remember as well that nearly all manufacturers advise against operating a roasting machine at maximum capacity. To keep roast quality consistent, running the roaster at some 75% of its stated capacity is the general rule. Also take account of the fact that during the roasting process, green coffee beans lose 10% to 20% of their weight.

For these reasons and to scale with your business, if you can afford to, it's better to buy a coffee roasting machine that’s larger than what you originally thought you'd need.

User Experience

A well-designed user interface is a must if you’re roasting for hours on end, not simply for the sake of comfort, convenience, and ease of use, but also because it can impact the quality and consistency of the roast.

Roaster controls should be clearly identifiable, optimally laid out for easy reach, and straightforward to work. The same goes for temperature, pressure, and timer read-outs.

Added Features and Accessories

To provide total control over the roast process, look for roasting machines where you can manually adjust the burner flames, the drum speed, and the airflow.

Counting amongst a roaster’s nice-to-haves is compatibility with roasting software in order to record roast data and replicate roast profiles, for instance.

Other desirable features include:

• integrated cooling tray in which the hot roasted beans are chilled to preserve their peak flavor and aroma.

• chaff collection system to prevent the bits of silver skins piling up and becoming a fire hazard.

• smoke suppression to filter and vent out the pollutants from coffee roasting.

Size, Looks, and Volume

Whatever the form of the coffee roaster machine, you’ll need to position it in a suitable space. That includes allowing adequate room around the roaster for proper air circulation and to ensure it's fully accessible by whoever's doing the roasting. For this, consider what size of roaster you'll need. Some are huge, while others are more compact.

You might think about the aesthetics of the roaster too if it’s to be located in the public eye, and similarly, how loud the machine is when roasting.

In Conclusion

Whether you're looking to operate a side-hustle from home or open a full-on local coffee shop, small business roasters are your best friend. Deciding the right one, though, can be a minefield with the kind of machine, cost, capacity, feature set, and other things to carefully think through.

Hopefully, one of these four featured coffee roasters satisfies your needs. However, we’ve also got an entire collection of commercial roasters to suit every small coffee business and bank balance, not to mention a range of financing options to help spread the load on what will amount to your single biggest investment.

Do you own any of our recommended roasters? If not, what's got you interested in them? Tell us about it in the comments section below!