Here’s some supplements to the Behmor instruction manual and Behmor Quick Start guide.
Using the BehmorA popular electric drum roaster designed for home use, with variable batch sizes (from 1/4 pound to 1 pound) and a smoke-reduction system. It has been modified and... controls are pretty simple once you figure out the dual functions of most of the buttons. Hopefully our “cheat sheets” can help speed up your progress toward Behmor mastery. Feel free to print them out, share them with friends, download them to your phone or whatever works.


5 Responses
I’ve used my 1600 for years and have known there is a plethora of ways to custom your roasts. Because this requires the time to dive into this knowledge base yourself I simply didn’t know where to start. A recent search I’m seeing the methods of customization have increased exponentially, taking things well outside restrictions built into these machines.
I’ve only ever used P1/defauly aside from a time I was suggested P5/D for espresso.
Is there a place for guided material on customizing your roasts? Not just for bean softness like stated in the model, but for intended results?
Hi Seth, it sounds like we are of the same mind on roast approach. I use the hottest setting in manual mode (P5), but on my older model that doesn’t have the upgraded panel, I use P1 (auto mode). Those are the hottest heat settings, which in my opinion, are necessary for getting a decent roast time that’s not too long. We have some general guides to roasting light and dark in the Behmor HERE. In both cases I recommend using the hottest heat setting, only dropping temp if your roaster is nearing the hight-temp shutdown (around 325F on the chamber “B” temp). There is some guidance in there about using manual mode in those posts, and the cheat sheet on this page is also a big help.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Dan
(—Continued) For instance, I feel I’ve missed some basic customization FAQs somewhere. For example, I just now accidentally pressed “C” while in the beginning stages of roasting. I’ve read how you can continually lengthen the roast times by doing so, and in the model it even says this resets the roast time to 3:10 (for my 1 lb batch). Why is this listed in the manual without explanation as to when or why one would do this? Obviously lengthening the time could result in a darker roast. I’ve read elsewhere that people don’t roast a full 1lb batch because they can’t get it hot enough in the chamber. Isn’t that mitigated by this ability to simply lengthen the roast?
I suspect the profiles are more complex involving different temperatures, but I don’t see that explained. How does “C” affect those profiles?
I still can’t understand why it’s stated above that P1 is the highest power, when it’s been stated elsewhere that “P1 is the highest preset roast profile”. I feel like I was absent the day this was explained to everyone else. Did I miss something?
Hey Seth, I hear you. The Behmor has A LOT of functions at your disposal, and one can easily get lost in all of it. I like to keep things simple, sticking with a single roast heat setting (highest) in order to get to 1st C as fast as the Behmor can get there. This isn’t because faster roasts are better, but because long roasts can flatten out things like acidity, and sweetness, and the Behmor needs a little pushing in that regard. That’s why I tend to only roast 250 grams of coffee or less, warm the roaster for a few minutes, and use the highest heat setting (P5 in manual mode, P1 in auto mode). I don’t really “profile” my roasts, as running full power gets me really nice results. The only thing I adjust is finish time in order to achieve my target roast level.
Regarding the C button/Rosetta Stone, the purpose isn’t to add time, but to reset the timer at the start of 1st C so that you don’t overshoot roast level. People use this function to add time, just like the “+” button, or using the 1lb. setting to roast smaller batches. These are all just little tricks people use to get more out of the roaster.
The manual is a great resource for understanding the functions as they are intended. Then I would recommend checking out our resources, or Home Barista site for practical use.
I hope this is helpful!
P3 puts 3:10 on the time and C puts the roaster to 50% strength. You can notice that after you activate this function that the heating apparatus usually turns off shortly after you hit p3 + C.
I read somewhere that this trick is so you can keep roasting the coffee but not at such a high temp as to get it into second crack or over roasted. Basically it helps enhance the flavor