How to Roast Coffee at Home with the i-ROAST 2

Ever wondered how to roast your own coffee beans at home without spending a fortune or dedicating a garage to pro-level equipment? Most home coffee enthusiasts want control over roast levels—light, medium, or dark—but don’t need a commercial drum roaster taking up half the kitchen. There’s a compact, efficient solution that fits on a counter and still gives you real control.

The i-ROAST 2 is a 150g-capacity hot-air home coffee roaster that completes a full roast and cool cycle in under 18 minutes, with automatic controls and three roast program options—including manual customization.

What Is the i-ROAST 2?

The i-ROAST 2 is a hot-air home coffee roaster made by i-Roast. It’s designed for coffee hobbyists who want to roast small batches at home with professional features. This model roasts up to 150 grams of green coffee beans per batch and includes digital controls, automated roast and cooling cycles, and a glass roasting chamber for visibility.

Key specifications include: dimensions of 9 × 9 × 32 cm, a net weight of 2.7 kg, and operation at 230V / 1500W. It’s built for desktop use and suitable for experimenting with different roast profiles—from light to dark—on single-origin beans.

Key Features and Design

The i-ROAST 2 combines functionality with a sleek, streamlined profile. Its design isn’t just aesthetic; it’s practical for regular home use. Here’s what makes it stand out:

• Automatic roast & cooling: Fully automated roast-to-cool cycle, taking under 18 minutes total.
• Digital display: Shows both roast time and cooling progress in real time.
• Three program modes: Two preset roast profiles and one customizable option for tailored roasts.
• Observation window: Glass roasting chamber lets you monitor bean color changes during roasting.
• Instant cool-down: Press the COOL button to immediately start the cooling cycle.
• Chaff collector: Top-mounted chaff collector makes post-roast cleanup simple.

How a Roast Cycle Works on the i-ROAST 2

Using the i-ROAST 2 is straightforward. A typical roast goes through several stages, all hands-off once started:

• Initial drying phase: Heat increases gradually to drive off moisture. You’ll see steam as the beans warm up.
• Early colour change: Beans begin turning a light tan, then move into a cinnamon colour.
• First crack & development: As internal moisture escapes, the beans approach first crack and begin developing roast flavours. You can watch the surface darken toward a medium or dark shade depending on roast time.
• Cooling phase: Triggered manually or automatically, cooling lasts around 3 minutes, though residual heat may remain—you can use a fan to cool further if needed.

Throughout the process, you can observe bean colour and development through the glass chamber. The machine remembers your last settings, or you can customize each session using the ROAST and COOL buttons.

Sample Roast: Mandheling Coffee Beans

Here’s a real-world example using the i-ROAST 2 to roast Mandheling beans—a classic Indonesian single origin:

• Roast capacity used: 120g of green Mandheling beans (machine max: 150g)
• Pre-roast weight: 120g
• Post-roast weight: 100g
• Weight loss: 16.6% — typical for a medium-dark roast
• Roast time: 12 minutes
• Roast level achieved: Medium-dark (visible oil sheen, medium-brown colour)

The beans were sorted before roasting—only a few underdeveloped ones removed. No significant defects were found, though the beans were slightly aged (lighter in colour). After roasting, the batch was cooled, then hand-sorted again with minimal waste. The entire process—roasting and cooling—took under 15 minutes.

Why Choose the i-ROAST 2 for Home Roasting?

This roaster is ideal for coffee enthusiasts who want to experiment without committing to large batches or complex setups. It’s easy to operate, yet offers enough control to develop distinct roast profiles. Whether you’re dialling in a light Ethiopian or a dark Sumatra-style roast, the i-ROAST 2 gives you the tools to explore flavour development at home.

Its small batch size (150g) is perfect for single households or small sampling sessions. The automatic cooling system ensures consistent results, and the transparent chamber adds an engaging visual element to the roast process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much coffee can the i-ROAST 2 roast at once?

The i-ROAST 2 can roast up to 150 grams of green coffee beans per batch. In the provided example, 120g of Mandheling beans were used, yielding 100g of roasted coffee after a 16.6% weight loss.

How long does a full roast and cool cycle take?

A complete cycle—including roasting and cooling—takes under 18 minutes. In the Mandheling test, the roast itself took 12 minutes, with cooling adding a few more minutes (total time approximately 15 minutes).

Does the i-ROAST 2 have customizable roast settings?

Yes, the i-ROAST 2 includes two preset roast programs and one fully customizable program. You can also save your preferred roast profile and restart it quickly using the device’s memory function.

Is the i-ROAST 2 easy to clean?

Yes, the roaster features a top-mounted chaff collector for easy cleaning. The glass chamber allows you to monitor the roast without opening the machine, and spent chaff is collected in one central location.

What kind of coffee beans can you roast in the i-ROAST 2?

You can roast any green coffee bean type in the i-ROAST 2, including single origins like Mandheling, Yirgacheffe, or Ethiopia Humbera. It’s suitable for light, medium, or dark roast profiles depending on your preference.

What voltage and power does the i-ROAST 2 use?

The i-ROAST 2 operates at 230V and 1500W. Make sure your power supply matches this specification before use.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Home Roasting

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s PWN Golden Mandheling for a classic heavy-bodied Indonesian profile with herbal and earthy tones—perfect for practising medium-dark roasts. For contrast, their Ethiopia Humbera offers bright citrus and floral notes ideal for light roasts. Both beans are high-quality greens well-suited for the i-ROAST 2’s 150g capacity. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.