This is my second Gene. First one lasted 10 years and only finally died on me after leaving it outside in the rain more times than I can remember. A really solid unit. My review is less directed at consumers, than the manufacturer. Fire risk is real, if you don’t clean out the filter that captures the husks every 3-4 roasts (or more frequently to be extra safe), But in newer model they have installed safety feature that requires you to hit the time button when it hits 392 and 446 degrees to ensure you are tending to the machine, But nothing after that when any real risk would peak. This forces you to stare at the roaster for the first half of the roast when risk is the least and then no requirement when risk is highest (and you should be keeping an eye anyway to ensure you get your desired roast), Great product but engineers and lawyers need to sink up to actually reduce risk and make for less annoying experience.

I will probably raise to 5 stars after I get used to using this roaster. Definitely different than my Behmor. Getting used to temperature settings will take a bit of experimentation. Also the beans seem to continue to roast for a longer period after one goes to cool which tends to go past city or full city where I like my beans.

This is my first venture into the world of coffee roasting and it couldn’t be any easier with the gene cafe. Great results even on my first roast! It is as easy or complex as you care to make it. Setup cleanup and maintenance is simple. Well worth the money. Highly recommend!

Makes really goo coffee

I would highly recommend this roaster. The pros: light enough to move around into storage the electric cord is a good length of about 5-6 feet (so I can position it under my hood) it's quiet I can hear 1st and even 2nd crack (though I might have to put my ear closer to the chaff vent) I can see the beans I can adjust the time and temperature on the fly I can roast up to 250 g and end up with a very uniform roast. More could be done but depending on the bean the results may vary If you choose to use a makeshift ducting vent attached to the chaff collector you might not be able to hear 1st/2nd crack. I usually keep it off until I hear 1st crack then I slip it on as this is when it will really start to get smokey. I can hear 2nd crack pretty easy without having to remove the vent. The cons: It does need prewarming for about 5 minutes despite directions The cool cycle is not great - it takes about 10 minutes to get the beans to about 100-150 (depending on what temp you end your roast at). If i use the cool cycle my roast ends up a little on the flat end. This could be a problem with me I am not sure. I would like to hear how the cool cycle fares with other users. My fixes: I use a fan to cool the beans. Just as the beans enter the cool cycle I do an emergency stop dump the beans and place them in a colander on a fan. 250 g cools in about 2 minutes. (I do this part outside) Results: If this were to get stolen I would buy this again in a heartbeat. It's also about 5 pounds lighter than a hottop which matters for me.