Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Roasters

Astute roastmasters do their homework before diving into a capital investment. With decades of experience building specialist coffee roasting machines we've built up a bank of knowledge. We've been through many of the hurdles and pitfalls coffee roasters today and found solutions for these challenges.

Through our time in the industry, we’ve heard our fair share of questions, from beginners and experts alike. The following are answers to a few of the most frequent questions we receive. By arming yourself with the right information, you’ll be able to proceed with your coffee roasting journey accordingly!

what is the best coffee roasting machine available?

Okay, so we're a little biased here, but don't listen to us, ask the many owners of San Franciscan Coffee Roasters. They love San Franciscan Roasters and always say they are the best. You can read about them on our community page or or read the testimonials and coffee roaster reviews.

San Franciscan Roasters offer a variety of benefits that competitors' machines cannot, including:

Coffee Quality: San Franciscan roasters are built to bring out the finest nuances in each individual coffee. Our machines give roastmasters the ability to fine-tune their coffees by having the greatest versatility in both conductive and convective heat applications.
American-Made: Every San Franciscan roaster is built by hand in our factory in Carson City, Nevada. We only use 100% American-made parts in the construction of all roasters.
Unbridled Reliability: By using the highest quality, American-made parts, we guarantee that our roasters will last a lifetime. Our bearings, gauges, and steel are the optimal grade and thickness for heat transfer and longevity of the machine.
Easy Maintenance: San Franciscan roasters are designed for ease of maintenance. Parts are readily available both in the US and internationally. Many components on our roasters are removable so that the cleaning process is as easy as possible. A clean roaster ensures ideal capabilities, so we manufacture our machines to make cleaning less of an obstacle.
Incomparable Service: Our company has the best service in the business. From the manufacturing process through the lifetime of the machine, we are available to troubleshoot, answer questions and provide support. You can visit our factory in Carson City, Nevada to learn how to use your San Franciscan Roaster to its fullest potential!
Aesthetic Beauty: Not only are San Franciscan roasters robust and resilient, but they’re also designed and built with a classic look. This makes our roasters the perfect centerpiece of any coffee house or roastery.

What size roasters are available and how much coffee can they roast?

We offer five different coffee roaster sizes:

The SF-1 roasts 1 lb/500 grams of green coffee per batch, up to four batches per hour.
The SF-6 roasts 6 lb/3kg of green coffee per batch, up to four batches per hour.
The SF-10 roasts 10 lb/5kg of green coffee per batch, up to four batches per hour.
The SF-25 roasts 1 lb/500 grams of green coffee per batch, up to four batches per hour.
The SF-75 roasts 1 lb/500 grams of green coffee per batch, up to four batches per hour.

San Franciscan Roasters are continuous batch roaster – they roasts and cools at the same time. This enables them to manage four roasts per hour, reducing the overall roast time.

Does the San Franciscan Roaster Company offer worldwide distribution?

Yes. The San Franciscan Roaster Company is proud to be a global company. We ship our products all around the world.

What is the San Franciscan coffee roaster price?

As we hand craft the world's best roasters using 100% American parts, we do not compete on price so we don't advertise the price of our roasters. When you buy a San Franciscan roaster, you are buying a machine that will last a lifetime. Refurbished roasters are available and are a great alternative for those who can't afford a new roaster. We also offer finance on our roasters and so you can purchase a SF6 for instance, from just $546/month.

Are there available used San Franciscan coffee roasters for sale?

Certainly. San Franciscan roaster owners often trade in their roasters when they upgrade to a larger machine. We then refurbish those roasters and offer them for sale at a reduced rate. You can discover more about our used coffee roasters for sale here.

Are San Franciscan roasters covered by warranty?

Each San Franciscan Roaster™ is covered by a Lifetime Warranty on the materials and fabrication work performed by the Company. All roasters also come with guaranteed personal support for the roaster’s entire lifetime. This lifetime warranty applies solely to the materials and fabrication work performed by the Company. The warranty covers failures due to defects in materials or workmanship and is limited to repair or replacement of the defective parts.

All third-party components meanwhile, including engines, bearings, and moveable parts incorporated in the Roaster are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. Though they are built to last a lifetime and usually do.

While our roasting machines rarely face problems, our team is always available to troubleshoot and answer questions. Simply call or email us and our support team will provide the necessary assistance in a quick, succinct manner.

Yes, you can elevate your roasting by purchasing a training course with our certified instructors Mark Michaelson and Paris Kennedy. Training is conducted at our factory in Carson City, Nevada.

Coffee industry veteran Mark Michaelson, was the 2017 winner of the U.S Roaster Championship. Mark joined the San Franciscan Roaster Co. in 2023 as head of education and conducts regular training sessions for interested parties. Popular trainer, Paris Kennedy is a certified Q grader, who helped with the family coffee roasting business since childhood and has continued working in the industry.

We have also teamed up with Bald Guy Brewing to create the Coffee Roasting Institute, based in Boone, North Carolina. This is a paid, official SCA-certified premier training campus where you’ll be able to learn from certified roaster instructors.

There’s always something new to learn when it comes to coffee roasting. The San Franciscan Roaster Company strives to impart as much knowledge as possible to our clients. We are much more than a coffee roaster manufacturer. We’re here to help the community thrive!

Does the San Franciscan Roaster Company offer worldwide distribution?

Yes. The San Franciscan Roaster Company is proud to be a global company. We ship our products all around the world.

What is the San Franciscan coffee roaster price?

Are there available used San Franciscan coffee roasters for sale?

"Thoroughly impressed by quality of their equipment and the level of customer care"

"I have been thoroughly impressed by quality of their equipment and the level of customer care we received. They have friendly staff, helped us troubleshoot electrical issues with our unit, and were able to diagnose and solve the issue each step of the way (thanks Alex!). We appreciate Bill’s leadership and taking care of all customers. "

Chelsea Fountain
Rise & Grind Coffees, NC
(from Google reviews )

"Easy to clean, operate, troubleshoot....you name it"

We are a small batch roaster in Birmingham, AL, roasting on an SF-6. I couldn’t ask for a better roaster to roast on. I have roasted on many other brands and with the San Fran, I know what I’m going to get out of this machine every single roast and that it is going to roast coffee as well as I could possibly roast it. Easy to clean, operate, troubleshoot....you name it. But it’s built like a tank. It’s American Made so I know parts and service will never be an issue. And if I ever need to upgrade in size, I know that it holds its value. Not that I ever plan on parting with it. I never plan to buy any other roaster now besides a San Fran.

Bert Davis
Roaster @ Daysol Coffee Lab
BHM | AL
(from Google reviews )