The creation of a Program on the Hottop KN-8828P-2 coffee roaster can be a bit of a challenge to the coffee perfectionist. The reason is that it was not designed with the "coffee geek" in mind. It does have the potential to create an excellent roast without a lot of detailed hands-on manipulation during the roast, but to receive all that the coffee has to offer, or to create a specific taste that you desire in your coffee, you have to enter a program designed for a specific end product. That can be a challenge because, to some extent, each of the Segments is interdependent. As an example, what happens during Segment 4 affects what will happen in Segment 5. If the target temperature was achieved in the last minute in Segment 4, the control circuit turns off the heat and then when the machine enters Segment 5 it will take time to recover to try to achieve the next programmed temperature.

    For those interested in more advanced roasting profiles we have done some detailed testing and logging of data to create some roast programs that you can use. They not only work well on their own, but they are also excellent foundations. With minor programming changes they can be used to create your own profiles.

    All these programs are designed to be used with 250 grams of green coffee. As always, always follow the instructions in the owners manual.

    This creates a delightful light roast in about 11:30 to 12:30 that is excellent for pour over using coffees from Colombia, Brazil, and other South and Central American coffees. The slower start is to compensate for the shorter roast time and lower final temperature. This gives the beans a little more time at lower temperatures. With quality beans it gives an excellent balance of acidity, no bitterness at all, and a wonderful natural sweetness. Add the beans at the "Add Beans" signal. Watch the time on the display, and eject the beans about thirty seconds to one minute after first crack ends for a "City" roast. That should be about one minute or more before second crack starts. For most coffee drinkers, this will be a lighter roast than they probably have ever seen, and it will offer up tastes they have never experienced!

    If you use one, or maybe two "Plus" times to the above roast you get to a City+ roast which is just a bit before the beginning of second crack. This should be about ninety seconds to two minutes after the end of first crack. The final display temperature should not be over about 406 to 408, or even a few degrees lower. This is a "City+" roast.

    I mentioned using these progams as a starting point, and this is a good example. After you use this a few times, try adding programmed time to Segment 7 and Segment 8, and raising the temperature (either in the program or on the fly) to those two segments o see how it affects the taste of the coffee. Start by making slight changes to Segment 8 only and see how that works for you and your coffee. As an example, change Segment 8 to 406 and 2:15.

    This next program is designed for a medium-light roast for drip or pour-over. It works well on coffees from South and Central coffees as well as Kona. Basically, any mild, sweet, and well-balanced coffee.

    Add the beans at the very beginning of "Segment 2" and allow the roast to continue as usual, paying attention to continue the roast at the Safety Signals. If necessary, manually eject the roast about ten to twenty seconds after the very first few clicks of second crack. Total roast time will be about 12:30. The beans should exhibit a shiny surface, but there should be no oil spots on them. This would be called a "Full City" roast.

    This final program was designed with espresso in mind, but depending on the coffee or blend you are roasting and how far yo take this roast, it can also make for a tasty press pot with the above-mentioned coffees as well as Sumatran, Kenyan, Kona, and other coffees. Add the beans at the beginning of Segment 2, and about fifteen seconds after first crack begins use the control panel to lower the target temperature to match the currently displayed temperature- that is to say, adjust the target temperature to the current temperature at that time. If necessary, add "Plus" time as necessary, but eject after about five or ten seconds after second crack becomes active. This would be a "Full City+" roast.

    The above program can be modified by changing the parameters for Segments 6, 7, and 8. This is for those who desire a darker roast:

    Be wary about roasting too dark, much past this point, and you are roasting away flavor and losing a lot of the quality you paid for in most coffees.

    Remember that you should consider any program as just a starting point. The best roast is the one that tastes best to you, but do not be afraid to try a roast that you have never experienced.