I’ve spent hundreds of hours roasting, grinding, and brewing coffee. I’ve used every item on this page and I recommend them without equivocation. This is the stuff I use.
Keep in mind, however, that these items run the gamut from high-end to bargains. My goal on this is to recommend equipment that is priced well and maintain a high quality standard. Sometimes that means expensive gear, but not always. Buy what you can afford and don’t spend a lot of money if you’re just getting into this hobby.
Coffee Roasting
Drum Roaster – The Behmor 1600 is my favorite roaster. I’ve had one for years and never had a problem. Get one from Sweet Maria’s (link here).
Air Roaster – Hot air roasters are a good way to start home roasting. The roaster I started with, the iRoast, is no longer made. The modern version is the Fresh Roast SR540. It’s available from Amazon. (link here).
Cast Iron Skillet – The Lodge brand has become synonymous with cast iron because of its quality. You can get one relatively cheaply (link to check price on Amazon) and it’s useful in the kitchen beyond just coffee roasting.
Coffee Grinding
Burr grinders achieve a more consistent grind by pressing coffee beans between two metal burrs like cogs on a gear wheel. With the Rancilio Rocky Coffee Grinder, you can adjust the distance between the burrs to go from a very coarse grind for cupping to a fine espresso grind. I’ve had this grinder for years and I use it every day. It’s a little pricy ($379), but it’s definitely been worth it for me. Order it from 1st in Coffee (link), or from Amazon (link to Amazon).
Coffee Brewing
Pour over – Pour over brewers, or manual brewers, come in a wide variety of sizes. Bodum makes several versions, all of which are functional and sleek. You can usually pick one up for less than $20 (link to check price on Amazon).