Fresh Roast SR540

The Fresh Roast SR540 is a fluid bed air roaster that we think is a great next step up from popcorn poppers or an excellent first home coffee roaster. It has a single knob that controls heat level, fan speed, and time that toggles between parameters with a simple push. There's even a temperature readout so you can get an idea of how your roast is progressing. Just give the knob a quick turn to the right and the digital display will show you a temperature reading - no need to add a thermocouple to the roast chamber!

There are 9 levels of heat adjustment and 9 fan settings which are controlled independently via the control knob. That's a really great amount of control for a roaster at this price, but it also means that the learning curve is a little steeper compared to simpler roasters. That being said, we really like the general design concept because it doesn't try to automate anything and allows direct user control. If you are looking for a set it and forget it roaster, you will need to look elsewhere!

The SR540 has a max batch size of around 5oz (140g) which is on the smaller side for home coffee roasters. If you like the idea of the SR540 but need more capacity, you might consider the SR800 instead. The chaff collector works well and, although it doesn't have a smoke reducer, the top of the machine concentrates the flow of smoke so roasting under your oven's hood fan will work in most (but not all) cases. Make sure to treat the chaff collector and top cap with care though. The heat resistant plastic is brittle and doesn't take too kindly to being dropped.

The SR540 has a glass roasting chamber that does a great job of agitating the beans and allows for an even roast. Visibility is also great, so it's easy to watch the roast progress and make adjustments as needed. The roasting chamber is a little fragile and unwieldy if you aren't careful. Even though it has tabs that help it seat into the base, it can tip over and shatter more easily than we'd like. Always remove the roasting chamber from the base before moving the roaster! Ask us how we know...

One last thing that's great about the SR540 as well as the SR800 is that they're really popular. There's a variety of add ons like the extension tube that are made by the manufacturer as well as third party modification and add-ons sold elsewhere online. They have a lot of community support and people are constantly sharing lots of good info online about how to use them and get good results. Whether you're a new or seasoned roaster, that can be invaluable for getting good results and for long term enjoyment!

Each SR540 comes with a 4 lb green coffee sample set of your choice. You can double the amount of coffee to 8 lb for only $20.00 more!