Kaldi New Wide 400 - My first true coffee roaster!!!

[@xeniavader]

great vid. My second Behmore just died, each lasted 3 years.... I'm done with that. My new Kaldi wide is setup and ready to go. wish me luck!!!! this video will be helpful... will play it while I kill my fist batch.

[@alexwalshaw]

Ah, sorry to hear about your old machine! Was it the motor that died or something else went bad? In any case, I hope you enjoy! It's a pretty user friendly roaster, so I hope you get on well!

[@michaelkammeyer]

Hey I just want to say it's been fun following your home coffee journey since your La Pavoni videos last year. As someone working towards my first home spro setup it's been informative and gets me excited to continue my own coffee adventures.

[@alexwalshaw]

Thanks so much! It's been a lot of fun documenting it for me as well. I'm sure that there's more affordable setups to get into espresso than mine have been, like another used La Pavoni, maybe another manual vintage lever or something like a Flair. Or other compact machines like De'longhi's Dedica, pretty good for what they cost and easy to modify from what I've seen. Lots of ways to get into it :) thanks for following along

[@CajournoOddity]

very cool and interesting keep those informative videos coming !

[@fromtheflightdeck252]

Very good to see you learning coffee roasting

[@AvocatDude]

I just purchased my KALDI Wide 400 and I opted to also get the cooling station which pulls the chaff out of the roster and also acts as a been cooling station. And watching this video I also realized that I purchased the exact same burner from gas One that you have. Anyway thanks for taking the time to do the video I’ve been home roasting for 20 years most recently for the last 10 or 15 I’ve been using a Hottop roaster but that machine has seen better days and I’m excited to move on to a better semi commercial type drum roster. I just found out that while artisan is compatible with both Mac and PC it will not run on the iPad tablet which is really unfortunate so I’ll probably just use the digital readout on the center temperature thermometer

[@alexwalshaw]

Thanks for commenting! Yeah I opted not to buy the cooler as I figured I could build one myself, but have yet to do it. But I agree it's a great semi-pro machine which has definitely helped me gain experience in the professional sense too! If you have a PC, I'd suggest you try that too as it's far less buggy from what I understand. Best of luck with your new roaster!

[@edwarschilka8411]

Man it looks cold in your garage! You've probably learned this by the time I'm posting. Delta B will be your ROR ( rate of rise) an important bit of data for your roast. Artisan will plot the ROR curve as you go through the phases. Do you have a fan and control over with that roaster? I'm using a hottop 2+ and envious of the quicker response of gas. Also, if you can stabilize your garage temp (environment temp) you'll control one more factor in getting consistency roast to roast.

[@alexwalshaw]

I've learned that yes! But thanks for clarifying :) so far, I just do natural airflow, and I'm definitely experiencing the inconsistencies of that in the higher weight doses. Looking to design my own airflow system as it costs less and I want something with a bit more permanence than the one Kaldi makes (at least this is my understanding of it right now). Once I have an exhaust system, I will likely move my roasting indoors to a ventilated room so I can get more consistent atmospheric temperature as you said!

[@jerryhubbard4461]

To get an early flavor check of the roasted beans, chew a couple of the fresh roasted beans you are weighing right now. Easy chewing, they will crack your teeth if you are not careful.

[@jenspmaudal4453]

I got the none digital thermometers with mine, but they are useless so i have the thermocouple arriving soon. I will use it a bit more before making mods, but i will make a succer 3000 for shore

[@alexwalshaw]

yeah the analog ones aren't particularly helpful in this instance I think :/ if you know how to mod it to fit thermocouples though, it'll definitely be a big upgrade! And yeah if you're using a shop vac, it's an effective and cheap way to cool beans! Good luck!!

[@json8172]

Nice work, would love to have a Kaldi. One day.

[@alexwalshaw]

considering the amount of machine you get for the money, I think it is one of the most cost effective prosumer roasters out there! Very similar to my Mara X; part of why I bought them is the ability to use them in a very small scale business scenario as well should I ever be able to manage that!!!

[@json8172]

​@@alexwalshaw for sure. Still learning roasting and enjoying my popcorn poppers. Once they die though :)

[@alexwalshaw]

@@json8172 I've also seen people making bread makers into roasters. A seriously cool step up from popcorn machines as it is still hot air/fluid bed based!

[@json8172]

@@alexwalshaw yah im aware - I got my popper on a speed controller, and can get some pretty darn good results for what I have. I can do about 1pound in a hour rotating between two popcorn poppers. Its ok for one person.

[@alexwalshaw]

@@json8172 That's a lot of coffee! awesome that you handle that workflow so well

[@TalZion]

I'm trying to decide if I should order a Kaldi but I could barely find any information on this roaster, so your video is greatly appreciated! How loud would you say it is? It's hard to tell from the video.

[@alexwalshaw]

I know what you mean, I barely found a thread or two on the homebarista forums haha, so I had to do a fair amount of digging. Though I am quite new to roasting, please ask me any questions if you need help! But honestly, it's not that loud! I think the microphone picked up a lot more noise than my ears did, the motor is relatively quiet and doesn't make much noise, so when you put beans in , it's inaudible! When the beans are tumbling around the drum, it's obviously much louder but again it really isn't that bad, especially since you shouldn't really push over 250-300g range for consistency's sake. Usually it isn't a whole lot of beans in there, so the noise levels are pretty tolerable, enough so for me to roast outside at night and not piss my neighbors off haha :)

[@TalZion]

@@alexwalshaw Thanks! I'm new to roasting as well, currently using my oven and trying to decide whether to get a GeneCafe or a Kaldi. It seems to me like the Kaldi will produce better roasts but the GeneCafe will be easier to use. Seeing as these machines can last many years (the kaldi will probably last longer) it's really hard for me to decide which 1 I'll be happier with long-term. Anyway, thank you for your response!

[@alexwalshaw]

@@TalZion funny you mention that, I actually owned a genecafe very briefly. It's a fluid bed roaster, so it's not really comparable as to how it roasts, but one of the issues I had is that it's cooling cycle is a bit too long. Although the Kaldi is in a whole different price point, it's comparable to prosumer batch roasters, so if you were to move up to a professional roasting environment in the future, the learning curve would be minimal. Another recommendation would be a Hottop roaster, probably one of the more well known roasters for the home. only the B2K+ has out of the box artisan support, but rigging up a Phidget seems quite easy per reports online.

[@TalZion]

@@alexwalshaw the hottop is a bit out of my price range currently 😅 I'm not sure why I assumed a drum roaster is generally better, after reading online it seems pretty subjective, although pros of the kaldi seem to me that it's more modular with the external heat source, and less likely to break down. I guess I'll think this over some more. If only I'd known coffee was such an expensive hobby.. 🙂

[@alexwalshaw]

@@TalZion I see. In that case, I can recommend that you scour ebay occasionally and see if someone is selling a Hottop. I've found several over my time researching roasters for below their MSRP. I think drum roasters are just the tried and trusted method for roasting coffee for a long time. The machines are mechanically quite simple, so they are quite robust too :) you can also try looking into popcorn popper roasting, that's quite an amusing and affordable way into home roasting too! Lots more information on that out there! Best of luck. :)

[@jc-ih5rn]

Hi Alex. Very candid and informative video. Not sure if you can do a video of kaldi roaster roasting small batch of beans; say 200 or even 150g?

[@alexwalshaw]

Thanks! yeah it was completely unscripted, I just wanted to document my first roast on the machine! I have a lot of different green beans in my kitchen cabinet, some of which are more pricey small bags, so I definitely plan on recording some small batch roasts as well as trying to push the machine to its upper 400 gram limits with a less valuable bean! Thanks for watching it, I hope to cover this machine in much greater detail soon :)

[@oriongameplays8509]

I'll give you a pro tip considering you have the roaster in a non-climate controlled area of the house; the starting temp and moisture level of the beans will vary from roast to roast too much to get consistantly results... which is fine once you learn how to adjust for it. However, when learning to roast I would recommend a more stable atmosphere. 👍

[@alexwalshaw]

Noted! Yeah I just wasn't sure where to roast with all the fumes from the burner and the gas that the coffee will give off without adequate circulation, so I went to the garage to make sure I had nothing but fresh air. I was definitely concerned about the ambient temperature as well as the humidity (or lack thereof), and with summer there was a bit more consistent weather but I definitely hear what you're saying. At the moment, it's the best I can manage, but I'll try and work towards something better when possible

[@oriongameplays8509]

@@alexwalshaw you can roast inside, even in a small home if you you open a window or 2. The only thing to worry about there is the fire alarm going off. 👍

[@alexwalshaw]

@@oriongameplays8509 certainly the concern considering I'm doing natural draft at the moment 😅 Planned to build my own cyclone exhaust system but have yet to get around to it. All good points though, I'll keep it in mind

[@jenspmaudal4453]

Hi, great videos. Can you tell me how you connect thermocouple and PC/Artisan and what Lind og cable you use Jens

[@alexwalshaw]

Thanks so much! my Center 306 came with a 3.5mm serial connector to USB cable! I use that wire that comes off the Center thermometer and plug it in to my computer and set it up by going to te devices tab and selecting Center 306, since it's a pretty common thermometer for roasting I guess it is in the software by default. I had trouble finding this particular cable for purchase online, but mine came with that wire. Hope that helps.

[@bhgant813]

Where did you order this? Not having much luck finding one in the US.

[@alexwalshaw]

I ordered my unit on eBay, but to my knowledge you can buy one from Kaldi directly, the shipping is the only thing to consider at that point as it's comes from Korea..

[@atomdiehm5886]

Thanks so much for uploading! I just started my own coffee roasting journey with a Kaldi Fortis. Did you have difficulty setting up artisan scope with the 306?

[@alexwalshaw]

Very cool :) in my experience, no, I just found the center in one of the menus for thermometers!

[@atomdiehm5886]

I've gotta troubleshoot connecting to artisan, but it shouldn't be too difficult. Are you still roasting? :)

[@alexwalshaw]

@@atomdiehm5886 I am, yes. Admittedly, I haven't looked too deeply into the settings of artisan. I just found a menu with a long list of supported devices and the 306 was on there. Since the roast process is quite manual with these machines, unlike that of a hottop with fan speed and electric drop, I don't use artisan for anything other than plotting the temperature data. I'm certain the 306 is supported, and I turned to the forums for my answer to configure it. I'm sure the answer lies out there somewhere, I'll have a look at my setting during my next roast and let you know what I find.

[@jenspmaudal4453]

Hi, Are you using Windows 10 ? Everything worked fine with my Artisan and Kaldi until my Windows did an update, now it vant recognise the driver

[@alexwalshaw]

yes I am on W10, but since this is an open source software, and every MAJOR windows update is more or less a totally different build of windows, I wouldn't be surprised if my drivers totally misbehave too. I haven't roasted recently, so I can't tell you if I'm having the same issue, but I hope they straighten it out soon!

[@chunky3833]

did you go from pan roasting to this in less than two weeks? very nice

[@alexwalshaw]

I guess so! But in truth, buying a roaster has been on my mind for about 6 months now. I've been researching in the background for a while, trying to find the best machine for the money. I tried pan roasting purely for the fun of it to get an idea for roasting and seeing how it works, that's all.

[@samuils]

Hi, where did you guys go to buy this beauty? I cant seem to find an official US dealer, do you have a link by any chance?

[@alexwalshaw]

Found mine on eBay from someone based in Korea selling them. You can also buy direct from Kaldi on their website but be weary of the large cost of shipping as it'll ship from Korea I think.

[@samuils]

@@alexwalshaw Thanks for the reply, do you by any chance have their official site, the link I mean?

[@alexwalshaw]

@@samuils m.eng.homecaffe.net/product/kaldi-wide400-coffee-roaster/142/category/1/display/4/ To my knowledge, this is their website. All other Kaldi roasters, both larger and smaller than the 400, are sold there as well.

[@samuils]

@@alexwalshaw Thank you!

[@acadiaoceanadventures5958]

Hey Alex, great video ! Can you explain / describe a bit the compatibility of Artisian ? Does this machine have a USB connection to do so ?? Wicked Thanks Chris

[@alexwalshaw]

Yeah so Artisan doesn't have a premade setup thing for the Kaldi Wide, but it does have one for the Fortis (the slightly larger one.) I did not use that premade option, as under the "Config" drop down, there is a menu called Device, where I selected my Center 306 Thermometer and it recognizes the data coming from it. That's it! Since I ordered my Wide 400 with the Center 306, it came with a 3.5mm jack to USB, which is a cereal to USB wire, but should you decide to use something like a Phidget or other thermometer that reads from thermocouples, so long as Artisan has it in its large list of supported thermometers, you should be okay! Hope this helps! Please ask me any more questions you have!

[@acadiaoceanadventures5958]

@@alexwalshaw Wow, wicked thanks for the feedback / info ! Super helpful as I am in my decision making process as to which model of the Kaldi to go for. Your video was great for a number of useful reasons !! Enjoy the roast brother and again thanks for sharing !!

[@alexwalshaw]

@@acadiaoceanadventures5958 yeah no problem! Glad to share info on it as there seems to be so little out there. Good luck.

[@brewpilot8958]

Did it come with the right plug to use in the US? Also, how long do you find a 1 lb propane tank to last with this?

[@alexwalshaw]

It has a foreign plug, but comes with the correct US adapter! It's a pretty standard barrel connector power supply, so finding a correct length US power cable isn't that difficult. So far I've done 3 roasts and it's lasting fine, haven't done enough to kill it that's for sure. I think someone on the forums said they get around 20-30 roasts out of a tank like this, but I don't know how much that applies to others as it will likely vary from burner to burner.

[@마라붕]

I'm so curious how did you connect with artisan my artisan do not show me the roaster's temperature

[@alexwalshaw]

I'm pretty sure you have to go to devices and select center 306 as this roaster isn't standard and built into the software like the Fortis. Mmm, to be honest it's been a long time since I set it up but it goes something like that! Sorry if I'm not so helpful 🥺

[@마라붕]

@@alexwalshaw enough! I shouldn try that thank you for answering 😊

[@alexwalshaw]

@@마라붕 anytime! Good luck!

[@afigs1339]

Hey Alex, where did you purchase the roaster? I'm looking to buy one as well but I'm not sure if I should go through an ebay posting I saw or through their website that's linked in their Instagram bio. Thanks for the information!

[@alexwalshaw]

I bought mine on eBay as well actually! But I think you can buy directly from Kaldi themselves from homecaffe.net, I purchased mine new on eBay expecting to dodge some of the massive shipping and tax fees that come with buying a roaster that's located on the other side of the globe, but it ended up costing a rather similar figure to the price on their own website, so for the sake of warranty it'd probably be smarter to buy direct unless something new has come up since. In any case, the Kaldi company and owner are really friendly so you can email them for any major specific questions you may have, they will get back to you. Hope the info I gave you helps a bit!

[@afigs1339]

@@alexwalshaw Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I noticed the ebay was slightly more expensive, but the listing on homecaffe.net doesn't include the shipping cost so it does make sense if they end up around the same price haha Nice, I'll definitely get in contact with them if I have any questions. Thanks.

[@xcnmch8239]

Hey man, your kaldi new wide has sight glass, what series ? My friend had that kaldi with no sight glass 😢

[@alexwalshaw]

I'm not sure what specific series it is, but in my understanding it was the newest one. I can look into that for you though, product number etc.

[@xcnmch8239]

@@alexwalshaw oh okay, thankyou ✌️👍

[@mimitan3952]

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@glloyd9707]

Good work. Kinda koldie night for roasty

[@urusmountainperuviancoffee4771]

I noticed your car plate color, are you based in Connecticut? I am in MA and also looking to get a small commercial roaster to start with this coming year. Feel free to reach me to help each other out on this journey and by the way, nice first time roasting video!

[@drinksunbear]

what cable is needed for linking up with the roast software?

[@alexwalshaw]

it's a serial to USB cable. basically, a 2.5mm jack to USB, but the USB is quite chonk so I think there's some conversion electronics in there. it came with the Center306.

[@drinksunbear]

@@alexwalshaw I have the same roaster arriving in a couple days it has the Center 306 as well it looks like, so maybe I will be all good

[@alexwalshaw]

@@drinksunbear You should be! I remember in doing my research I was asking the same question as you since not much has been documented about this roaster, but yeah the cable is a serial to USB! enjoy the roaster! are you using it natural draft or did you get the cooling/exhaust box too?

[@drinksunbear]

@@alexwalshaw I use a strainer on top of a small circular fan

[@alexwalshaw]

@@drinksunbear alright so quite similar to myself! You should be fine :)

[@jenspmaudal4453]

Thanks for your reply. I got the Wide 400 first and are waiting now for the Center306 to arrive, incl the cable i Hope. I am a newbee at this, but find it great fun. The Kaldi 400 is great, built like tank. Yesterday i did ny first succesful roast, brazilian coffee, tastes fantastic, a full city roast. I find that 300gr batches works well on the 400 Again thanks Jens

[@alexwalshaw]

I see. Do you have thermocouples installed on the roaster already? You'll need those digital thermocouples to connect to the 306 in order to output that data to a computer. It's a good roaster for sure, I think the natural draft is it's limiting factor for that 400g capacity, so I am building a custom airflow system to exhaust air from the roaster and generate a better convection process inside the roaster. I know kaldi makes an exhaust box of their own, but it costs too much to have something that mechanically simple sent to the US, so I am building my own.

[@afigs1339]

@@alexwalshaw Post a video when you are done building it! I just got my Kaldi Wide400 after it being stuck in customs for almost a month

[@alexwalshaw]

@@afigs1339 oh wow, that's a pain. I can't remember how long it took for mine to arrive but it wasn't that long. I hope it arrives for you soon. I will definitely film something once I am finished with it!

[@AdmiralSym]

First

[@huky5002]

Hi! ET and BT sensors are reversed

[@Stevesbe]

400 g is not much