Choosing a small-batch commercial coffee roaster starts with two questions: how much coffee do you need to roast, and how much time can your team spend roasting? For a café adding retail bags, a shop developing its own blend, or a small roasting business, the right machine should fit both your production needs and your daily routine.
This guide compares Sonofresco’s 1 lb and 2 lb roasters and explains what to consider before ordering. For available configurations and current pricing, explore Sonofresco coffee roasters.
Start with your weekly coffee demand
Add together the roasted coffee you use for beverages, sell in bags, and supply to other businesses. Then decide how many roasting sessions you can realistically schedule each week.
For example, a business needing 20 pounds of roasted coffee each week could plan two sessions producing 10 pounds each. That is a production target, not a machine output guarantee. Allow time for weighing, loading, cleaning, packaging, and recordkeeping as well as roasting.
Track green coffee weight separately from finished roasted weight. Beans lose weight during roasting, so buying 20 pounds of green coffee will not produce 20 pounds of roasted coffee. Measure your own yields when planning inventory and costs.
Compare the 1 lb and 2 lb Sonofresco roasters
| Feature | 1 lb model | 2 lb model |
|---|---|---|
| Green coffee batch capacity | 120 g sample batch or 1.4 lb batch | 2.8 lb batch |
| ADR profile control | Included | Available as an option |
| Fuel choices | Propane or natural gas | Propane or natural gas |
| Electrical supply | 120V / 60Hz | 120V / 60Hz |
| Dimensions, W × D × H | 19.9 × 12.5 × 26.8 inches | 20.6 × 14.6 × 29.5 inches |
The model names and green coffee input weights are different measures. Use the green batch capacities above when planning how much unroasted coffee to load.
Consider the 1 lb model when sample roasting and smaller production runs matter most. Consider the 2 lb model when you want to roast more green coffee per batch. Before choosing, compare your expected weekly demand with the time you can set aside for production.
Understand fluid-bed roasting and profile control
Sonofresco uses hot air to move and roast the beans in a fluid bed. Both models include automatic cooling and chaff collection. With Advanced Definition Roasting (ADR), you can save roast profiles and upload them over Bluetooth from a compatible PC or Mac.
A saved profile gives your team a starting point for repeat batches. Keep records of the coffee, green weight, roast settings, finished weight, and tasting results. When a new coffee arrives, compare it with your previous batch and adjust based on what you taste.
Plan the installation before ordering
Check the complete setup, not just the space occupied by the roaster. You will need room to work, handle green coffee, and clean the equipment.
- Select the gas configuration that matches your location.
- Review electrical requirements, clearances, and ventilation in the model manual.
- Discuss the installation with a qualified installer before committing to a location.
- Ask Sonofresco about the appropriate configuration if your installation is at or above 4,500 feet.
Review the roaster manuals and instructions and venting options while planning your space.
Build a budget around the whole roasting operation
Include the roaster, installation, green coffee, packaging, utilities, maintenance, and staff time. If you plan to sell bags of coffee, calculate costs using finished roasted weight rather than green weight.
Use the coffee roaster profit calculator to explore your assumptions. Treat the result as a planning estimate and replace assumptions with your actual costs and sales as you gain experience.
Choose coffee you can learn from and sell
Start with a manageable selection instead of introducing many coffees at once. Record how each coffee performs, gather customer feedback, and keep enough inventory to repeat successful batches. Expand the menu as your production routine becomes more predictable.
Browse green coffee beans for roasting to plan your initial selection.
Find the right model for your business
Bring your weekly roasted-coffee target, planned roasting schedule, and installation details to the conversation. Those details make it easier to choose a batch size and configuration that fit your business.
Compare configurations and current prices, or contact Sonofresco for help choosing your roaster.
