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Blog Topic: Hobby Roasting

3 articles

Hobby Roasting

How Much Green Coffee Do I Need?

For every pound of finished coffee, you must add 3.2oz or 20% more green coffee to your drum for a medium roast.…

Jun 8, 2020 Read more →
Hobby Roasting

How Fast Can I Learn to Roast Coffee in an RK Drum?

Roasting Coffee in an RK Drum is Fun and Easy-to-Learn! Read About the General Learning Process and Get an Introduction to Roasting.…

May 26, 2020 Read more →
Hobby Roasting

What Size RK Drum is Right for Roasting Coffee as a Hobby?

Interested in Roasting Your Own Coffee, But Don't Know What Size Roaster You Need? We Discuss What You Should Consider When Selecting the Drum Size.…

May 15, 2020 Read more →

Overall rating of 419 1st-party reviews

4.9 Out of5 Stars

Mike V. - July 1, 2026

I started roasting at home w/ a small kettle setup and, after a while, was "gifted" an old 4 lb RK drum. After about a year of roasting/getting familiar w/ the smaller RK drum (and eventually "macking" it out w/ thermocouples and dataloggers), it was time to size up with the big-boy drum and the Roast Pilot kit. I'm still dialing everything in but Roast Pilot is a game-changer when it comes to...

As for customer service, Shane and Scott are super knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive and clearly love what they do.

Thanks, guys Mike V.

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

Thanks so much for the feedback. Especially on RoastPilot. It really is an absolute game changer, bringing our roasters up on par to any commercial offering! Thanks so much for the kind words and let us know if you have any issues! Shane

Richard E. - June 29, 2026

I purchased a $1500 6lb roaster in Sept25, my motor has stopped, can't get anyone to answer the phone, I need a replacement please! Call me Rick 720-436-1112

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

Richard, I'm sorry you had trouble with your motor. I'm hoping that us sending you a new motor got you up and running quickly. If you have a moment, let me know how things are working out. Happy Roasting! Thanks, Shane RK

Richard E. - July 23, 2026

Things are working great, thanks Shane

Tomy B. - June 21, 2026

Communication about shipping and any questions were answered very promptly and customer service was outstanding. The roasts are consistent and the coffee that I’m able to produce is tasting great. I am very happy I went with this setup!

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

We're so glad to add you to team RK! Let me know if we can help with anything!

Pete T. - January 28, 2026

I purchased a 4# drum and associated roasting equipment over a year ago and have been roasting just a little bit over a year now and everything still works great! I still have much to learn regarding the roasting process but I feel I'm getting better each time I roast, making little changes here and there. I have been playing with ways to control my temperatures better and recently went to RK Drums website and seen that they now have a controller that allows you to control your temperatures with the ability to trend your bean temperature as well. Its called Roast Pilot and its amazing! Got it installed and did my first roast yesterday using it and am absolutely blown away on how well it works! Shane and Scott really knocked it out of the park and very helpful with the installation of the kit. Shane and Scott have been amazing to work with as always, very responsive and happy to help in any way! Roast Pilot takes roasting to the next level and I highly recommend it! Thanks Shane and Scott, excellent work guys!

Response from the owner - January 28, 2026

Thanks Pete! I think you're the first to publicly weigh in on Roast Pilot. Thanks for your comments and we hope you enjoy it. Roast Pilot has been a dream for many. Thanks to Scott for bringing it to the platform!

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

Thanks so much Pete! really appreciate the review and feedback. Glad you're enjoying RoastPilot and some great coffee. We'll be here if you need us!

Yes Recommends

Pete Trosky - January 27, 2026

Yes Recommends

Susan W. Mowry - October 27, 2025

Have had my drum roaster since 2006 and it's still going strong!

Susan M. - October 27, 2025

Bought my RKDrum in 2006 while living in Kona, HI. Picked and processed a couple of hundred pounds a coffee a year. Started roasting with a small roaster that held about 8 oz. After going through several small roasters I came across RKDrums. I got a 4 pound drum and it worked like a charm. I also grew cacao and roasted that in the drum. Worked really well. We left HI and now live on the east coast. Did manage to bring about 80 pounds of green coffee beans with us. Haven't roasted in quite a while but I am about to start once again, just waiting for the rain to stop. Can't wait to have some Kona coffee!

Response from the owner - October 27, 2025

Thanks you for a great review Susan! We really appreciate it. Hey we now have a bean temperature an gas controller addon, very helpful for roasting cacao since bean temperature is so important. Finally got that sorted out! Check under Products-Wifi Roast Controllers

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

Thanks Susan! You know that with RoastPilot on your RK Roaster, you now can know the cacao bean temp, which was previously not possible. I'd love for you to try it on cacao and provide some feedback!? Thanks for the review!

Wendy R. - July 23, 2025

We’ve order numerous times from RK Drums and our experience is always great. Not only great customer service but their products are 10/10. We use many of their products for our coffee business.

Response from the owner - July 23, 2026

Wendy, thanks for the great review and many years of roasting with RK! Here's to many more!

Aaron F. - June 4, 2025

Hey! I bought my roaster a couple of months ago and I have to say that the customer service has been nothing short of amazing! Shane is always there when you have questions and quick to respond. When I received my roaster, the plastic around the motor windings was broken. I mentioned it to Shane and he shipped a brand new motor next day to replace. Shane and RK Drums go out of their way to make...

Response from the owner - June 5, 2025

Thanks Aaron! We're glad you had a great experience. Don't hesitate to reach out if you want 1-on-1 training during the roast, or if you have any other question. Thanks-Shane

Mike T. - May 27, 2025

It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. How much money have I saved? Like a BILLION dollars! How delicious is my coffee? ALL DELICIOUS. ONLY DELICIOUS. ALL THE TIME!

Seriously. My mom bought this for me for my birthday. So good. I will never go back.

Michael K. - December 8, 2024

I bought an RK Drum over 15 years ago. After a few BBQs and several rotisseries, I still use my original drum every 10 days or so. You can't beat a quality, fresh, home roast. My family and friends are addicted! Thank you RK Drums for making such a durable product!

Duane D. - November 18, 2024

Several years of highly successful roasting at home. Friends prefer my coffee over great local shops.

Response from the owner - November 18, 2024

Thanks Duane! So glad to hear you're getting great feedback from your coffee! Keep up the hard work!

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Blog Topic: Hobby Roasting

How Much Green Coffee Do I Need?

How Fast Can I Learn to Roast Coffee in an RK Drum?

What Size RK Drum is Right for Roasting Coffee as a Hobby?