Gene Cafe CBR-101 (Black)

Great Small Batch Roasting Machine

I’ve been using Gene Cafe coffee roasters for over five years now, and I absolutely love what they bring to my roasting business. After countless batches from my original machine, I just invested in another Gene Cafe roaster to help expedite my production for customers and it’s been nothing but fantastic! From the very beginning, Gene Cafe has delivered consistent, high quality roasts. Their unique off axis twisting chamber and clear glass roasting drum make roasting both an art and a joy, giving me excellent control over temperature and time while visually monitoring progress. The machines are very reliable and perfect for small batch roasting. Ideal for anyone serious about delivering fresh, flavorful coffee. I can’t recommend Gene Cafe highly enough. If you’re looking for a top tier roaster that’s easy to use, consistent, and built to last, this company is a five star choice all the way.

Great Coffee Roaster Except for One Thing

I’ve been using this coffee roaster for a while now, and overall, I’m really impressed. The build quality is outstanding, giving it a solid and durable feel. It excels at roasting coffee evenly and consistently, producing delicious results every time. The design makes it simple to use, assemble, and clean—an essential feature for busy coffee enthusiasts. Its good capacity allows for roasting generous amounts of coffee in one go, which is a major plus. However, there are a couple of downsides worth mentioning. The display is very dim, making it challenging to read, especially in bright light conditions. The biggest issue, though, is the mandatory beeping check during a short roast. It forces you to "check in" unnecessarily, disrupting the process, and if you don't hit the button in time, it cancels the whole roast and ruins your beans. Instead, a simple statement in the manual reminding users to monitor their roast and voiding the warranty if unattended would be much better. They do not need to control how we setup and monitor the roast process. Despite these drawbacks, I love this roaster, but would not recommend it until the "check in" beeping requirement is removed. Once this is removed, I would definitely recommend as It delivers excellent results and makes the overall experience enjoyable. Just keep an eye on that display and the roast timer!

solid roaster, easy to use

this is my 2nd CBR-101 roaster. 1st one lasted for about 20 years but the intake sensor failed and that part is no longer available. Great machine, easy to use. It does produce quite a bit of smoke so you'll either need to roast under a strong exhaust fan or do it outside. Smoke amount is due to 1/2 lbs of beans being roasted and is not a function of the roaster. Good customer service as well. Initially I had some concerns about customer service but those guys came through and addressed my issues.