The 9 Best Home Coffee Roasters of 2024

Best Overall

Kaldi Motorized Home Coffee Roaster

$586 at Amazon

This roaster delivers the look, feel, and final product of a coffeehouse-worthy machine, and our tester found it worthy of the top spot on this list. It will transform your at-home coffee experience, unearthing the optimal flavor notes in every batch of beans. A high price tag makes the item a long-term investment, but the features and performance are worthwhile.

The stirring drum holds up to 250 grams of coffee beans, though 200 grams is the recommended amount per batch. Fully motorized, all you have to do is place the roaster over a gas burner for heat to be evenly and thoroughly distributed across the raw coffee beans. Our tester said the entire process took 15 minutes or less.

This isn't a beginner's machine, and our tester noted the setup process is tricky. However, once you get over the learning process, it's easy to use. Cleanup is also simple. If you are looking for a truly professional experience, this is the machine for you.

Other features include an easy-to-read thermometer, a probe rod, and a reliable chaff holder. If this machine isn't quite the right fit, measuring 14.1 x 8 x 22.1 inches, Kaldi also manufactures a high-quality mini roaster that is smaller in size and slightly cheaper.

Type: Motorized | Capacity: 200 grams | Weight: 10 pounds | Dimensions: 17.3 x 6.3 x 14.57 inches

Best for Beginners

Fresh Roast SR540 Coffee Roaster

$209 at Amazon View on Coffeeroastco.com

The Fresh Roast SR540 turns raw coffee into a delicious, ready-to-brew batch of beans, and the whole process takes just 10 minutes. Our tester appreciated the slim, simple design and found it both easy to use and fun. Simply turn a knob to select between nine levels of heat and hit go. The item is easy to use, yet it comes with a few advanced features, like a real-time temperature reader and the ability to cool beans once they're finished roasting. The moderate price tag makes this a worthwhile investment, particularly for those new to home coffee roasting.

Depending on your coffee-roasting needs, however, the size of the product might be a considerable drawback. It holds just 4 ounces of coffee beans, which works great for personal use but may be a bit small if you want to roast a lot of beans at once. Aside from that, the Fresh Roast SR540 is highly reviewed, affordably priced, and a great way to upgrade your at-home coffee.

Type: Electric | Capacity: 120 grams | Weight: 5.84 pounds | Dimensions: 6.75 x 6.75 x 12.875 inches

Best Budget

Nuvo Eco Ceramic Handy Coffee Bean Roaster

$33 at Amazon

Nuvo's ceramic coffee bean roaster lets users make coffee via the old-school fire-roasting process. All you have to do is place the item over a gas stove, camp fire, or electric cooktop for an average of 15 minutes (though times do vary) to produce richly roasted coffee beans. Be aware that it is not compatible with induction cooktops, however. The manual, handheld item can roast up to 70 grams of beans at once; this is a smaller capacity than most electric roasters but still enough to brew several cups of coffee afterward.

While the grip does protect your hands, it’s wise to wear gloves while using. The hot roaster should not be placed on a cold surface or immersed in water. Even though it's a serious tool, the item is attractive enough to use as a décor item when it’s not roasting beans, so you can leave it on display rather than hiding it in the pantry. Plus, it comes at a budget price.

Type: Manual (stovetop or gas burner) | Capacity: 70 grams | Weight: 0.8 pounds | Dimensions: 5.2 x 4.9 x 9.57 inches

Best Large Capacity

Mixfin Home Coffee Roaster Machine

$140 at Amazon

Mixfin's Home Coffee Roaster not only has one of the largest bean capacities you can find, it's also one of the most affordably priced machines out there. It holds a whopping 750 grams—roughly 1.6 pounds—of your favorite coffee beans. Customers give the item especially high marks in durability and value for money, suggesting that it's a sound long-term investment for coffee lovers who want to craft their favorite caffeinated drink from step one.

This roaster is also extremely user friendly. The inside is lined with non-stick material for easy cleaning, and it's simple to adjust the temperature thanks to a dial that goes from zero to 240 degrees. Flip the switch and in just 30 minutes you'll have rich, home-roasted coffee beans—or, as an extra perk, you can roast various nuts.

Type: Electric | Capacity: 750 grams | Weight: 6.2 pounds | Dimensions: 11.8 x 13.4 x 6.7 inches

Best Splurge

Hottop KN-8828B-2K+

View on Coffeebeancorral.com View on Prima-coffee.com $1,800 at Roastmasters.com

The Hottop KN-8828B-2K+ is one of the most advanced coffee roasters designed for home use today. Owners can adjust essential aspects of the roasting process like time, temperature, and fan speed with the well-marked dials on the side of the machine. An LED screen shows the settings as you adjust them. When you find specifications you like, the Hottop can save up to three roast profiles. This is especially helpful if you like to roast the same types of coffee beans, so all you have to do is choose the right profile and press start.

One of the most unique aspects of this roaster is that it has a USB port that users can connect to with their laptops. After downloading a third-party software—most reviewers recommend one called Artisan—you can control the machine and track the progress in real time. This feature allows coffee lovers to get the most out of their beans, especially if they have previous roasting experience. If you choose not to use the software, it's easy to check on the beans through the front-facing window.

This device can roast up to 300 grams at a time, although 250 grams is recommended for optimal results. That's a larger capacity than most of the roasters on this list but not by a wide margin. What you're really paying for with this high-end machine is the ability to roast with accuracy and consistency, rather than making enormous batches at once.

Type: Electric | Capacity: 300 grams | Weight: 20 pounds | Dimensions: 19 x 10 x 14 inches

Best Tech

Sandbox Smart R2 Coffee Roaster

View on Roastmasters.com

Home roasters are far behind other coffee appliances when it comes to their level of automation, but the Sandbox Smart R2 is a step in the right direction. It connects to Bluetooth and lets users adjust several roasting parameters, like fan strength and drum speed, on a handy app. The app also logs previous roasts, making it easy to compare results and pinpoint what you like.

One major difference between the R2 and its predecessor the R1 is that the newer model has a large 550-gram capacity. That's more than a full pound of raw coffee beans that you can roast in a single batch. Naturally, the R2's dimensions are bigger than most other roasters on this list, but aesthetically it's sleek and modern, which sets it apart from some of the dated, stainless steel contraptions out there. Another pleasant touch is the attention paid to noise suppression, as the R2 is quieter than average when in operation.

While it's designed for home use, the price is no small commitment. It could likely be the priciest coffee gadget you own. Those who do pull the trigger on the R2, though, will enjoy its consistency and convenience.

Type: Electric | Capacity: 550 grams | Weight: 26.5 pounds | Dimensions: 15 x 10.8 x 12.9 inches

Best Design

Dyvee Gas Coffee Roasting Machine

$219 at Amazon

This sleek, lightweight roaster only needs to be placed over a gas stove to get your morning coffee started. It's primarily made of stainless steel, but the drum is made of sturdy quartz glass, which lets you see the beans change color as they roast. A wooden handle provides an elegant touch as well.

The roasting process for this item is more hands-on than that of electric models, but it gets the job done nonetheless. As a silver lining, the manual turning offers more control over the beans. It has a fairly large capacity, holding up to 400 grams of coffee beans, but 200 to 300 grams per batch is recommended for optimal use.

Keep in mind that the purchase does not include a gas burner, even though one is featured in photographs. Customers also recommend outside use, as this roaster can get smoky.

Type: Manual (stovetop or gas burner) | Capacity: 400 grams (200 to 300 grams recommended) | Weight: 11.46 pounds | Dimensions: 14.96 x 8.27 x 8.46 inches

Best Handheld

Cafemasy Coffee Bean Roasting Net

$20 at Amazon

Coffee lovers looking for a simple and affordable home roaster should check out Cafemasy's Coffee Bean Roasting Net. The item requires more hands-on effort than higher-tech options, but usage is very straightforward and only takes around 10 minutes per batch. Plus, it's a great way for beginners to learn about coffee roasting.

It's recommended to roast over open-flame burners and to consistently shake the beans during the process to avoid burning them. The bottom of the basket is grooved to help beans turn over and change position more easily. While the item can hold up to 100 grams of coffee beans, the brand says the ideal amount per batch is only 50 grams. As a result, it takes a few roasting sessions to prepare enough beans for a full pot of coffee—although, this is a sufficient amount for non-electric brewing devices.

Type: Manual (stovetop or gas burner) | Capacity: 100 grams | Weight: 6.5 ounces | Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 2 inches

Best Alternative Roaster

Wabash Valley Farms Stainless Steel Whirley-Pop Popcorn Popper

$50 at Amazon $50 at Target $50 at Wayfair

Many popcorn makers can actually be used to roast coffee beans, so they are a wonderful low-budget alternative. This stovetop popper won’t offer you temperature control or smoke suppression, but it’s a dual-use item that does the job well.

Since you can’t control the smoke, you should use this outdoors for coffee roasting or have an open window and a fan ready to remove the smoke and odor. Stir the beans constantly to ensure even roasting and listen for the popping sounds to gauge the roasting stages. You can open the lid toward the end of the roasting time to judge the roasting color. This popper will roast about one cup of beans per batch.

In our Lab test for popcorn makers, this machine produced movie-theater-style popcorn so, if you are looking for a multiuse option for coffee roasters, this is a great buy.

Type: Manual (stovetop or gas burner) | Capacity: 6 quarts | Weight: 2.4 pounds | Dimensions: 16.5 x 9.5 x 8 inches