Fresh Roast SR500 Review (Updated to the SR540): Is it the right roaster for you?

After their already successful SR500 (now discontinued), Fresh Roast has introduced a brand new automatic coffee bean roaster: the SR540. Is it an actual improvement? Could it be the roaster you are looking for?

We’ve reviewed it to make your decision easier if you’re sitting on the fence.

SUMMARY: The Fresh Roast SR540

• Great value for money
  
• 9 different heat settings
  
• Easy to use; perfect for beginners

The SR540 does a great job of agitating the beans and the new, wider roast chamber allows for a more even roast compared to the SR500.

– Sweet Maria’s Coffee

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The Fresh Roast SR500/540 Review

There’s a lot to talk about with the SR540, so we’ve broken it down into a few categories for this review. Here’s how it scored:

The Fresh Roast SR540 Review

• Features
• Ease Of Use
• Roasting Capacity
• Roast Quality
• Roasting Time
• Cleaning

4.1

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Features – 4/5

The Fresh Roast SR540 offers many improved features and new settings compared to the older model, the SR500. What we like the most about it is the fact that it’s brought the heat settings to a whole new level.

Check our full review and tutorial of the SR540 here:

You can also adjust the fan speed: the best technique is to start with the highest setting and then slowly turn it down to control it. The display (which is larger than the previous model) also tells you how long you’ve been roasting for, with a maximum of 20 minutes.

There’s a Run/Cool button that allows you to switch from blowing hot air to a 3 minute cool cycle that overrides the timer without interrupting the roasting process.

Unfortunately this roaster does not have a smoke suppression feature. While the top of the machine does a pretty good job at slowing down the smoke, make sure you roast in a ventilated area or underneath your stove’s hood fan (especially if you are going for a dark roast).

Ease of Use – 4.5/5

The minimalistic interface makes it a perfect starting point for beginners. This model has a single dial for fan speed, temperature and time, and handy default settings (fan speed 5, heat 9, and timer 6).

It also has a handle that makes it easier to use (and harder to burn yourself!) compared to the previous model. All-in-all, without much roasting knowledge, you should be able to achieve the roast profile you’re looking for when learning to roast with this mini home roaster.

Roasting Capacity – 3/5

Like its predecessor, the SR540 has a capacity of 120g, which is enough for about 2 litres of coffee at the SCAA’s “golden ratio” of 55g/litre. While the new and larger roast chamber didn’t increase the roasting capacity, it certainly improved the air flow as well as visibility. This costs it points for roasting capacity, especially if you brew larger pots of coffee.

Roast Quality – 4/5

The SR540 is a very efficient fluid bed roaster: thanks to the fluid motion of the hot air directed by the adjustable fan, it prevents the roasted beans from staying in the same position and burning, ensuring an even roasting process (1). Users are quite satisfied with the quality of the roast, especially at the price point of the SR540.

Roasting Time – 4.5/5

The SR540 only takes an average of 5-10 minutes to complete a roast, making it the perfect automatic coffee bean roaster for busy amateurs who don’t want to invest too much time in their occasional coffee roasting.

Cleaning – 4.5/5

As you roast the green coffee beans, they will expand and “shed their protective skin that is discarded as chaff, and usually this is an annoyance for coffee roasters as it’s seen as waste that gets everywhere due to its fluffy, light texture.” (2)

Luckily, this roaster comes with a handy chaff collector located on its top, simplifying the cleaning process after each roast.

Sweet Marias does a little run down of the difference between the SR540 and SR500

Don’t buy the Fresh Roast if…

You already own Fresh Roast SR500 – While we definitely recommend it if you are looking to upgrade from a popcorn popper, we don’t particularly suggest buying this newer model. Because the parts are not compatible and the roasting capacity is the same, we don’t believe that the new improved features justify the upgrade. If you already own the SR500 or if you simply want to be able to roast more than 120g in one go, we recommend switching to drum roasters. A bigger and more advanced model that could be right for you is the Behmor Plus roaster. You can also read our reviews on the best coffee roasters here.

You are ready to invest in a more professional roaster – We believe that the Fresh Roast SR540 is very good value for money. However, if you’d rather invest in a ‘fancier’ coffee roaster, we think the Gene Cafe might be the best option for you. This automatic coffee bean roaster has been around for over 10 years and is still a solid favourite amongst customers. Gene Cafe is known for its bean agitation, which is not caused by air, but by the rotation of the off-axis drum.

The Verdict

We believe that the Fresh Roast SR540 is a welcome improvement of an already established model. It’s the perfect introductory roaster for beginners who decided to upgrade from a popcorn popper or have never even roasted coffee before: lots of handy features, short roast time, easy to use, and very good value for money.

If this sounds like you – click here to see the SR540 on Amazon.

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Ready to roast and enjoy some high quality fresh coffee? Here are a few tips on roasting at home!