GREAT Price on Sweet Maria's top corn popper/coffee bean roaster

9 years ago

Today I was skimming Bed Bath and Beyond's website when I found the West Bend Air Crazy Corn Popper, on sale online at BB&B as long as supply lasts for $14.99.

(Just go to bedbathandbeyond.com and search for West Bend Air Crazy Corn Popper.)

Reviews on this as a popper aren't great, but. . . . This is the one that Sweet Maria's carries for $30 and says is THE best popcorn popper for coffee roasting. (Sorry, BB&B's is black, not red.)

Off I went to my wonderful local BB&B. I came home with TWO on order (one for me, one for a friend), free shipping, and my BB&B let me use two 20% off coupons, one on each popper, for a total of about $24 (including sales tax) delivered.

Ahh, don't we love such bargains, whether great or small!

Below is the link to Sweet Maria's site and their listing of the popcorn popper.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Maria's fav popper-roaster

Comments (13)

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
That IS a good deal. I've considered that one as a back-up. I've been using as old ProctorSilex Pumper for over a year now. It's been great. Gets full city roast in 6-7 min and dark roast in 9-10 depending on outside temp.
I've read they can all be a bit different, just slightly, depending on who applied the goop to attach the thermostat...or something like that. Yours will have a thermostat to prevent overheating, though that may prevent getting to the second crack. (the thermostat can be removed). -voiding the warranty but who cares. Also makes it dangerous for a meltdown but i roast on my deck just steps out the kitchen door where i can hear it and watch and use my phone timer.
I roast 4 batches back-to-back. Some models may need a resting/cool down between.
That give me 2 ball jar qrts roasted, so i roast about when one previous qrt left is tapped into.
A good rotation that works for us. The fresh gets the 2-4 days off-gasing/resting and used by days 4-8ish.
I ordered some beans a few days ago and saw they are selling that model now.
Thanks for the heads up!
bellsmom
Original Author
9 years ago
Sleevendog

Yes, I think the BBB price, especially with coupon, is a really great deal for a backup or first purchase.

Thank you for the info about your schedule. I haven't done this before, but I can roast my own beans for about half what I pay now, and I understand they will probably be better. The "roaster" will pay for itself after only 2 or 3 pounds are roasted!

One of the Sweet Maria videos warned that the process yields a lot of smoke, so best to do it under an exhaust fan or on a deck. I had planned to do it on the deck, which like yours is right outside the kitchen.

I am looking forward to trying it. Wish I could buy green coffee beans locally.
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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
Even ordering is still much cheaper. Roasting is no longer an expensive hobby as it once was.
The learning curve is not that great. Watching like a hawk the first time, especially breaking in a new popper...
I have mine on the deck table under the eaves on a full size sheet pan. The chaf(sp), spits out onto the tray, then a few minutes of spinning roasting, the second crack starts and gives off ALOT of really nice smelling smoke. But so important to do this outside!
Just takes a batch or two to find your preferred roasting time.
Turn off or unplug and pour into a mesh basket right away. It will burn if sits in the popper for just a few seconds. Shake, sing a little ditty, to cool down a minute, then i pop it into the fridge for five minutes.

-first time i might run a bit of popcorn through to get that 'new car' toxic smell out!
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
Oh, my gardening journal, one of those 10yr ones from LeeValey, has a note that i started this last year April 15th. I've ordered beans only 3 times since then and just again, so really not that often. Maria's has a sample variety pack and what we first ordered.

My local market has a big roaster and coffee section. The roaster is as big as an SUV.
I asked every visit since they opened last october, "hey, do you sell green beans?". Always a blunt "no". Until last time they said "sure!". They must have figured out that so many people were asking...(maybe all those people were just me asking). A good back-up, but the price is the same as roasted. The weekly sales are about 7.50lb, so not too bad.
bellsmom
Original Author
9 years ago
Below I posted the link to the BB&B page with the popcorn popper if anyone is interested. The link I posted first was to the evaluation of this as a coffee roaster.

Sleevendog, Thanks for the heads up on the value packs. I plan to order one. I think I will store the coffee in vacuum sealed mason jars.

Here is a link that might be useful: BB&B's $15 West Bend Air Crazy
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
Just keep it in the packages they are delivered in till you roast. One sample bag makes about two qrt ball jars if i remember correct. (it expands a bit when roasting.) I wrap the bag with label around the leading ball jar and hold in place with a rubber band so i know how to compare taste. Or make a note.
Out of 2 dozen varieties we have tried, only one we did not care for. And we did not label that one, go figure.
We don't get much involved in the delicate descriptive nuances, lol.
bcskye
9 years ago
Gee, I have an old West Bend Corn Popper that I haven't used for that in years and years. It has a white round bottom with a black top. I wonder if it would work for me? Okay, I've had no experience, even reading about it, on coffee roasting. What is the first crack and then the second crack? I'd like to try it.
bellsmom
Original Author
9 years ago
Bcskye
I haven't done it yet, but below is a link from Sweet Maria's website. They have good videos and lots of info for us newbies.

Be sure to click the link to "Hot Air Pop Corn Popper Instructions" in Step 1.

Thanks to Sleevendog, for introducing me to them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Maria's
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
A year ago i found my old popper after running across a video and discussions on a coffeegeek forum. I've been using a chemex drip method for a few years and was researching a new grinder around that same time.
I thought the home roasting was a bit nuts but keep the thought on a back burner...
Now it is just an easy task i do when i'm in the kitchen anyway. Usually a weekend morning where we are anyway together, planning our day.
I still have a favorite Costco bean, the yellow bag. I've even forgotten the name it's been so long. Took a few bags on our trip last summer. (but ran out and had to buy overpriced cans, gack!). Might have to pack a popper and green beans this summer.

Watch a few videos and decide if it might be worth it to you.
annie1992
9 years ago
That's how I started, with that same popcorn popper. IT didn't take long to graduate to my own roaster, LOL, but we had an interesting thread with pictures when I started.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
bellsmom
Original Author
9 years ago
Annie
Thank you for linking that thread. I somehow missed it last year!
I did search for threads related to poppers and coffee, but that one didn't come up. A coincidence that you first played with this exactly a year ago!

I can't find green coffee locally, so I ordered a sampler pack from Sweet Marias. Right now, neither popper nor coffee have arrived :-(

I intend to use my $11 popper until it dies, and by then I'll know if I want to splurge on a "real" roaster.

Can you comment on what kind you bought and how you like it?
bcskye
9 years ago
Annie, I read your thread from a year ago and all my questions have been answered except for whether or not to store the bean in an airtight container. Now I have to see on Monday if I can find some green coffee beans within a reasonable driving distance or will have to order them shipped in. Thank you!

A bit OT, DH had surgery on Weds. evening to remove eight really big, nasty cancers off the right side of his head and is doing well except he has a "lifted", swollen right eye that is like the coat of many colors. It would have been nice if they had shaved his entire head instead of just the right side in his opinion.

Madonna
bcskye
9 years ago
Just read the other post on here about storage so my question has pretty much been answered. Thanks!

Madonna

GREAT Price on Sweet Maria's top corn popper/coffee bean roaster

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

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GREAT Price on Sweet Maria's top corn popper/coffee bean roaster

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