http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/ Engadget Comments for How-To: Make a popcorn popper coffee roaster http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Feb 28th 2006 10:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Feb 28th 2006 10:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Feb 28th 2006 10:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
There is nothing like the satisfaction of home-roaseted coffee once you get it right. Wilson's right too, never ever leave a roast unattened and keep a fire exstinguiser around. Better safe than sorry.]]>Feb 28th 2006 10:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Feb 28th 2006 11:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
The big problem with a popcorn popper is chaff. When you roast coffee, it throws off a large amounts of this papery skin. It gets everywhere and makes a big mess. The i-Roast has an excellent chaff collector that gets rid of this problem.

I've been roasting for years. I did start out with a popcorn popper, but it's been so much more fun with an i-Roast.]]>Feb 28th 2006 11:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
The only way that could have happened is if you entered your email in the spot to sign up for SM's homeroast listserv group. Nice work, genius. Do yourself a favor and don't even CONSIDER a possibly flammable electrical mod.

]]>Feb 28th 2006 11:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 1st 2006 12:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.cheapteastore.com
http://www.topbatteries.co.uk]]>May 14th 2010 10:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 1st 2006 1:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
BTW, I am selling my coffee roaster, which is probably cheaper, than putting the above project together :-) craigs: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/hsh/137980281.html]]>Mar 1st 2006 2:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
For the more hardcore types, seek out the original West Bend Poppery I (or just West Bend Poppery) from the 1970s - all metal inside, power switch, hackable so you change it from on.off to on.on-no-heat for your own cool down system. I had one but recently lent it to a friend.

Hey, you want really hardcore, check this baby out - coming soon to N. America (but not quite yet):

http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/homeroast/210588

Love it when Engadget covers coffee. Most of the time, it's cool, hip stuff (unlike the wonk coverage I got over at that, uh, other site when they talked about my take on grinders in the NY Times a short while ago).]]>Mar 1st 2006 3:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Keep in mind, you're ultimately using a device for a purpose other than its intent, so things like, I dunno, burning down your kitchen? Yeah, it could supposedly happen, and you only have yourself to blame ;)]]>Mar 1st 2006 3:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 1st 2006 6:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Sure would like to share your knowledge on the Faberware coffee pot.

Respectfully,
Ralph]]>Sep 22nd 2006 3:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 1st 2006 9:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 1st 2006 9:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
By the way, roasting your own coffee is a GREAT improvement -- much better coffee (and cheaper, too!) Here is a primer I wrote that tells how to get started:

http://feedme.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/04/roasting_your_o.html]]>Mar 1st 2006 11:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Even better: the Stir Crazy/Turbo Oven setup for homeroasting - larger batches and more control. All for under $100.

Sweet Maria's: excellent source for green beans and information. They really know their stuff. You won't get inundated with email by ordering from them. They do have an email newsgroup you can sign up for (completely separate from ordering): informative, somehwat entertaining, very heavy email.

Brent]]>Mar 1st 2006 12:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
http://ineedcoffee.com/05/poppery/]]>Mar 1st 2006 12:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Two important tools for home roasting are a timer of some kind (digial watch?) and a log, so you can record and reproduce your roast profiles. (Different kinds of coffee beans have different ideal profiles.) A good digital temperature guage also helps, but you can also do it by ear.]]>Mar 1st 2006 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
The mod I was talking about on the original WBP was that the on off switch's function was changed from on / off to on with heat / on without heat. Built in cooling cycle. Wallah.]]>Mar 1st 2006 7:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Regarding chaff, this has not been an issue for me. I place a metal screen colander in front of the popper. The chaff blows out of the popper and into the colander. When the coffee is about done, I dump it into the garbage and then use the same colander for dumping the hot beans into. Works great.

Regarding buying green beans, I have bought and sold via the green coffee co-op (http://www.greencoffee.coop/). They are definitely the cheapest route to go since no one is making a huge profit, and I highly recommend them. I think Sweet Maria's is great for getting a sampler pack to try many varieties.]]>Mar 2nd 2006 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/I roast with a totally unmodified popcorn popper and it works great. Do it on the stove right under the fan and you don't get a smokey kitchen. When you're done hold the beans in a colander up to the vent fan to suck the air through and it cools in less than a minute. Finally, grab the vacuum clean with the hose attachment and suck up the chaff...takes a total of 15 or 20 minutes with pretty much no mess or smoke.
]]>Mar 2nd 2006 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 5th 2006 9:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/We need learn about coffee roaster technology
We have waiting new Technology for it
Thank you

Regards

SEJAHTERA Girsang]]>Jun 3rd 2008 10:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Jun 3rd 2008 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
I installed a plain ol' low-wattage dimmer for the heat switch instead of a standard light switch and it worked just fine. It allowed me to adjust the heat so that it wasn't blaring hot no matter what; great for bean variations and range in roasting time.

-Ross]]>Jan 6th 2009 4:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/P.S I couldn't find a plastic box like the one used in the article anywhere.]]>Mar 14th 2006 1:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
I remove the plastic top piece of the popper and jam a soup can with it's top and bottom removed to extend the roast chamber. Use pop rivets to attach a mesh strainer with a hole cut out of the bottom to the sides of the soup can about 1" from the top of the can. You can then set a slightly smaller mesh strainer upside down in the first one and all of the chaff is contained. Near the completion of the roast, use a dustbuster to suck out all the chaff from the strainer, remove the strainer/can assembly (need to insulate the handle as it can get pretty hot), and dump the beans.

When you are entirely hooked on homeroasted coffee, upgrade to the StirCrazy/turbo oven or a BBQ drum roaster. You can get really good deals on green beans of the highest quality at greencoffee.coop and greencoffeebuyingclub.com

-]]>Mar 23rd 2006 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 24th 2006 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Mar 26th 2006 8:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
You don't need a dimmer to control the fan. What you need to do is use enough beans to control the airflow. If beans are moving in a circle, add more until they are jumping about randomly. Too many, and they don't move. Look at http://www.ineedcoffee.com/05/poppery/ for lots more information. I eliminated only the thermostat from the circuit, leaving the thermal fuse in place, and with sufficient beans the outcome was just fine; without, I just got baked beans.]]>Mar 26th 2006 11:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Light dimmers are not rated for motor control - the transformer should protect it.
If it burnt out 2 dimmers, something is is probably going on. Perhaps a bad transformer?]]>Mar 26th 2006 12:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Apr 12th 2006 12:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Apr 12th 2006 9:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Happy roasting
Julian]]>Oct 5th 2008 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Thanks]]>May 30th 2006 12:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Jun 17th 2006 7:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/Sep 9th 2007 10:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
Seeing how this was the first electrical project I've ever done...
Bear with me if the things that troubled me are completely obvious to you...

Some things I would have liked to know before I had started:

1) In the instructions under the Prepare your power wires section:
"You need four total or two pair of wires from the popper to the control box, and a pair of wires leading to a power plug. "
Even though it isn't in the list of things you need to have for the project(!) you need some wire... I bought 18 gauge wire and used this to create "two pairs of wires from the popper to the control box." The "pair of wires leading to the power plug" was an 15 foot extension cord.

2) I'll go through the Main part of the How-to adding things in parenthesis...
"One of the hot leads (This is one of the two wires that is coming off of the extension cord) will connect to one pole(or wire on each) of the switch and of the dimmer. The other will connect to one lead from the heating coil (doesn't seem to matter which one of the two... But I thought, "there are three!" the red one in my case is the one that is sort of in the middle of the other two. So I guess you can tell which one you can tape off because it isn't at the beginning or end of the coil connections... the, in my case, red one I just taped off like someone above suggested...) in the popper and a primary wire to the transformer(the primary wires or leads are the two that are on the other side of the transformer from the yellow ones).
The other pole (wire) of the switch connects to the second lead (again your extra wire you have comes in here) to the popper's heating element (coil).
The other wire of the dimmer will connect to the other primary lead of the transformer. (again, the ones on the other side from the yellow ones or the 'outer leads' as he calls them)
Finally, the two outer leads (yellow in the photo) are connected to the other pair of wires (by other pair of wires he is talking about the 18 gauge wire you bought) to the popper. (I just taped off the wire between those two yellow ones) Those two will be connected to the fan motor. Label each pair of wires "fan" and "heat" so you don't have to trace which is which later on.

3) My popper (the Walgreens popper) has a little different heating coil setup... At least I think. The thermal switch (also called the thermostat) has this piece of metal that I removed so that it doesn't flip the switch. So I bypassed the thermal fuse with a piece of bare wire that just went from one side of the fuse to the other. In the walgreens popper it doesn't look like it would work to connect it to the thermal switch like in his popper.

As this little project has spurred more interest in things like this for me...Could someone explain what function the transformer is performing in this application and what would happen if there wasn't a transformer there?

I hope these things help someone in their attempt to do this.

The benefit I see to doing this modification to this particular popper is that I don't have to look around for the old school poppers and can just go to Walgreens and get a few of them for 10 bucks each and not have to worry about roasting too much because I can just hook up a new one to the box.

-Ryan]]>Sep 13th 2009 2:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
I took out the wire I put in that bypasses the thermal fuse.

Perhaps it is different with this type of roaster, but it still gets plenty hot and it is a whole lot safer to have that fuse in there...

Also replaced the dimmer on the heater with a switch... much better.
Thanks again for posting this mod.

-Ryan]]>Oct 16th 2009 11:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.laptopbatteryclub.com/]]>Dec 3rd 2009 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
I now have 3 broken popcorn poppers and no roaster.

What am i missing here?]]>Jan 2nd 2008 6:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/28/how-to-make-a-popcorn-popper-coffee-roaster/
For other's reference. I just taped off the extra red wire and things seem to be working nicely.

Thanks for the writeup!
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 7:43PM