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renatoa
03/25/2024 12:38 PM
coffee drink, Ramper?

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03/24/2024 12:10 PM
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03/23/2024 3:02 PM
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Recommended heat gun?
icantroast
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive heat gun please? I'm strongly considering the harbor freight heat gun. Also, while we're at it...anyone care to recommend a bread machine to keep an eye out for at the thrift shops? Thanks a lot, you guys are great!
 
David
I don't know of a better cheap heatgun that the Harbor Freight. They're inexpensive and easily replaceable and often on sale.. Just don't ask them to blow into a closed chamber with a lot of air resistance. They will overheat and melt their plastic casing.
Less cheap, but much more sturdy and very reliable are the metal-cased Wagner/Milwaulkee brands at Lowe's and Home Depot.
----

Shopping for a bread machine for roasting - Keep It Simple.

Breadman, Panasonic, Wellbilt, Sunbeam and WestBend are common names. You can see a lot of pictures of them on eBay. However, it is not so much the brand as the simplicity of the machine. The less fancy the machine, the more likely you will be able to re-wire it with ease. Simple, rectangular, non-programmable, etc. Rounded is not awful, nor is the double-loaf machine. Still, simpler is better. And usually cheaper because of the lack of "features."

1) How easy the pan is to get in and out of the machine is an important factor. They usually have a 2- or 3-pronged bayonette-type socket and plug arrangement. If you are at Goodwill (etc) open the lid and try it out.
Look at the bottom side of the pan. Notice how it attaches.

2) The stirring mechanism is a big factor. A longer arm is better as it will sweep the beans up off the bottom of the pan. You can custom-build one, but it still has to have a low sweep.

3) The pan. A serious deal-breaker is a pan which does not have its own stirring mechanism. WTF? Yes there are some. For example, the cute little R2D2-looking unit has a pan that comes apart at the bottom. This allows the stirring mechanism to remain attached to the motor and not to the loaf pan. This makes manufacturing the pan much easier and cheaper. The problem is that when you lift the pan out, there is a hole about 1 1/2 inches in diameter in the bottom. That's fine once your bread dough has baked and is in one firm piece. For a thousand little roasted cherry pits, not so much. They'll just fall straight out of the bottom of the pan when you go to lift it out. If you just love the R2D2, then be prepared to turn the whole machine upside down to empty it out.
Grin

4) Optional -- The kind of bread machine that I personally would look for is one where the motor is under/beneath the deck where the loaf pan inserts. It's the exception, as most have the motor up on top of the deck, and may be hard to find. The first advantage of a motor below the deck is that it is well away from the effects of the heat gun blast. If you plan to take the motor and loaf pan out of the breadmachine skin, then there is a real second advantage. You have more design options, For example, you can put a wider roast chamber onto the deck without physically hitting the motor. Me, I have gone to more than one store looking for this feature.

That's all I can think of right now.

Did I mention looking for a simple machine?
 
ginny
Hello:

I strongly agree with David here that something like the Wagner/Milwaulkee brands at Lowe's and Home Depot would e the way to go.

It will get a lot of use and you need to protect yourself as well, metal case is much better.

We have many dog bowl folks here so I am sure they will chime in, good luck.

ginny

smoking
 
jkoll42
I'm going to throw another vote in there for the HF guns. I used a Wagner in the past and got slightly better life out of it than the HF, but for how insanely cheap the HF ones are I would go that route. Just keep an extra on hand so when it dies you aren't stuck. You can easily remove the front plastic guard so it's just the metal heat tube so there isn't any plastic melting.

As far as BM goes as stated above the simpler the machine the better and I like rectangular loaf pan for better agitation.

Jon
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Vibiemme Double Domo V3
 
icantroast
Wow, thanks for the info guys! I've seen some people using a router speed control (well, I saw one guy using it when I was looking at posts on here)...is that necessary? I had one for my popper but returned it. I really don't want to spend a lot of money!
 
jkoll42
I used one when I was roasting in the BM mainly when it was hot out to stretch 2C. Most of the time the gun was running full power but it was helpful. I'm using it now to control the vac blower on my current roaster. With a coupon you can get them for under $20 at HF. It's not a necessity but nice to have.
-Jon
Honey badger 1k, Bunn LPG-2E, Technivorm, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Vibiemme Double Domo V3
 
Koffee Kosmo
Best heat guns are Steinel
Anything goes wrong the element can be replaced

http://www.steine...oducts.htm
I home roast and I like it. Designer of the KKTO
Roaster Build information
https://homeroast...ad_id=1142

https://docs.goog...lide=id.i0
Blog - http://koffeekosm...gspot.com/

Bezzera Strega, Mazzer Robur Grinder, Pullman Tamper Convex,
(KKTO) Turbo Oven Home Roaster.
 
Suncountry
I use the Porter Cable with the dial on the side that allows me to vary the temp output.
 
oldgearhead
I think Mater Appliance should be mentioned. In addition to heat guns they provide easily obtainable heating elements in 500, 1200, 1400, and 1550 watts, in both 120 & 220 volts, at reasonable (25-40 USD) cost. ..
No oil on my beans...
 
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