5-20-09 The demand for these is amazing. They have been available all of 4 days, and I am out of a couple critical spare parts. So once again, feel free to drop me a line if you would like to be on a waiting list.

We are now including a your choice of a couple of free items and shipping cost reductions to help your dollar go a bit further. Details are below.

That said, there is a lot of buzz about the Behmor 1600 Gourmet Coffee Roaster. For me, a large part of that is that it is also the Behmor 1600 Gourmet Coffee AND COCOA Roaster. It is the first and currently only commercial roaster on the market that does a good job at roasting cocoa with no (major) modifications. I want to clarify that point very quickly before anyone thinks “oh no, I have to hack something else”. NO. Not what I mean. All I mean is that the Behmor 1600 is designed for one pound of coffee. We know just how far 1 lb of cocoa goes (not very). The only thing you have to do to make to Behmor behave for Cocoa Roasting is roast more cocoa. If you load instead of 1 lb, 2 – 2 1/2 lbs, it behaves perfectly for cocoa (since cocoa roasts so much cooler compared to coffee).

The Behmor 1600 is a 4 oz – 1 lb, multi program drum style coffee roaster. It is also a great cocoa roaster. Since cocoa roasts so much cooler than coffee (250 – 300 F vs 400-450 F) you can roast quite a bit more cocoa than coffee.

For a complete review please go to Behmor 1600 Review

In an attempt to defray a little of the cost of shipping we have both set the shipping weight a few pounds lighter and for our Canadian friends up north, I have included a Canadian only option that includes shipping at a discounted rate. Right now we don’t have any units that are not 110 V, 60 Hz rated (they don’t even exist) so if you are on 210-230 V (or other than 60 Hz) be patient. Otherwise, we are more than will to ship worldwide, but shipping may be a bit steep – The Behmor 1600 is 24 lbs. To add to this, we have also learned that there is an Tariff Exception for coffee roasters to Canada, so you should not be charged that when purchasing one.

We also have a smaller grid roasting drum that is available. You don’t need it for cocoa (nibs still fall through), but it is useful for smaller coffee beans, like some of the mohka’s and peaberries.

Currently you can either choose a free small grid cylinder (NOTE: 5-19-09 we are out – more should be in next week) or the choice of some ‘test’ beans to get you going. And here I depart just a little from what I normally offer, and what others offer. You can get a total of 4 lbs of beans – and that can be your choice of either cocoa or 2 lbs of each.

The cocoa is a very small lot of Papua New Guinea. It has some surface discoloration (residue from the fruit), and I didn’t really want to offer it up in general, BUT it roasts very well in the Behmor, and is a great all around practice bean. Chocolatey, smoky and piquant. A great intro to just how all cocoa beans are not made the same.

I have two coffees you can choose from. A dry processed Brazil Pedra Grande -Bourbon Cultivar. This is a thick cup. The flavor I find most is milk chocolate and it finishes with a honey like sweetness. When it is hot, there is enough acidity to balance the cup. As it cools the chocolate takes over once again. And of course, it makes great espresso.” The other is a DP Sidamo. Very fruited with a smooth blueberry flavor.

In the event you just want the roaster, just choose that option.

We have a nice supply of units that can be refurbished. They are either ones that were returned, were slightly damaged cosmetically or were repaired and certified in working shape. In all cases they come with a 6 month warranty. There may be signs of previous roasting (burnishing or small bits of chaff), a missing chaff brush, a nicked up side, that kind of thing, but in all cases ready and able to roast cocoa or coffee.

Each one is repaired and tested as you place your order, so turn around time from ordering to shipping is usually about a week.

As most of the roasters are returned to us without a manual, we don’t usually include one, but you can down load the most current version on the Behmor site. Behmor Manual

In an effort to answer some common question, please read the following. I seem to get one every other day.

Q: I don’t see an option for 4 lbs of coffee. Can I have 4 lbs of coffee? I don’t want any cocoa.

A: Sorry, no. I mostly sell cocoa and just am not set up to offer only coffee.

Q: I can get 8 lbs of coffee from another dealer plus free shipping. Will you match that?

A: In most cases no. I am a small company and I just can’t compete head to head with the big boys. I put a bit of work into each one of these. Keep in mind, all the others are doing is packing and shipping new units.

Q: If I have a problem with the unit, who covers the warranty.

A: Chocolate Alchemy does, as a certified Behmor repair facility. Actually, we repair for Behmor, so even a new one with a problem would most likely come to us.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.