About Our Partners and Products

Bühler

Drum Construction - Solid single-walled carbon steel, steel ends

Roaster Type - Single-pass indirect flame gas/drum

Corporate Details - Privately-held family business

History - Founded in 1860, started producing coffee equipment 50 years ago. Complete revamp of roasters in 2010

Country of Origin - Switzerland

Manufactured in - Mechanical assembly in India, control panel and final assembly in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Controls - Gas, airflow, (variable speed blower, damper), drum

Probes/Data - Inlet air, drum speed, gas pressure/burner temp, bean temp

Data with Digital Output - All

Sizes - 20 kg, 60 kg, 120 kg, 240 kg, infinity (up to 4000 kg/hr throughput)

Fuel - Gas or propane

Data Capture - Compatible

Automation - Yes

Certifications - UL

Ancillary Equipment - Afterburners, color sorters, grinders, loader, destoner, etc. Full plant design/integration available

Customization - None

Warranty - Yearlong, manufacturer

Service and Support - First hour of phone support per case is free. Additional time after that hour will be charged at the rate of $14 per 5 minute increment. $180 hourly cost for tech visits. Free First Crack phone/email (backup, Level One support). Buhler services, $10M spare part inventory in Minneapolis, complete with customer account, CAD drawing of each part on your roaster, and overnight shipping availability.

Lead Time - 20 kg roasters in stock available for immediate shipping. Ask us about larger sizes (depending on size and complexity, 6-8 months or more, plus 6 weeks shipping).

Shipping - $1,000 - $1,500 typically

Price - Email info@firstcrack.com for a quote

Discounting - Not available

Rent-to-Own - Available

Non-new Options - First crack showroom model

Other Costs - Recommended $5000 service package (covers commissioning and startup, including one week of on-site Buhler Service Technician visits)

References - Available upon request

Payment Schedule - 100% pre-pay

Financing - For qualified purchasers, up to 60 months. Also potential leasing, via First America

Trade-Ins- Can discuss, case-by-case

Buy-backs (upsizing within brand) - Open for discussion

Installation - Performed by local mechanical contractor with Buhler support. Optional commissioning with Buhler present.

General Requirements - 220v single-phase power, appropriate gas pressure (7” water column), heat-rated ducting

Other - Buhler reinvests 5% of profits into R&D. By annual revenue, Buhler is the biggest company in coffee equipment. By age, Buhler is the oldest company in coffee. Buhler offers equipment for other related industries such as cacao, brewing, grain milling and more. Larger roaster have cutting-edge technology, such as in-roast color analysis. Buhler roasters use star-of-the-art low-NOx burners- the most efficient on the market. Buhler has formal facilities around the world available for partners to explore R&D ideas with Buhler. The team working on the roaster also works on Buhler products for aerospace, the US mint, the engine block division (BMW, Jeep and more), and more.

Visits - Available from Buhler and First Crack

Training/Education - Buhler Certified RoastMaster program, SCA classes, custom curriculum and consulting available on-site or at First Crack.

Proaster

Drum Construction - solid double-walled, one layer iron, one layer carbon steel. Domestic, non-recycled South Korean metal

Roaster Type - Single-pass indirect flame gas/drum

Corporate Details - Privately-held family business

History - Founded in 1989, started producing coffee equipment in 1991

Country of Origin - South Korea

Manufactured in - South Korea

Controls - Gas, airflow (damper and variable speed blower), drum (option on 15kg, standard 30kg+)

Probes/Data - Inlet air, bean temp, exhaust air (except on 1.5kg), fan speed (does not output to data capture), gas pressure (does no output to data capture)

Data with Digital Output - Thermocouples

Sizes - Sample (single-barrel electric), 1.5 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 15 kg, 30 kg, 60 kg, 150 kg

Fuel - Gas or propane; sample roaster electric; electric option for 1.5kg

Data Capture - Compatible

Automation - No

Certifications - CE

Ancillary Equipment - Afterburners, destoners, loaders. Full plant integration available for Industrial sizes

Customization - Color; adds two months to lead time, plus $500-$1300 (depending on model)

Warranty - Yearlong, manufacturer

Service and Support - Tech visits quoted on an as-requested basis. Spare parts stocked, available for overnight shipping.

Lead Time - Variable - ask us. 90 days, shorter if air freight, shorter depending on ordering service.

Shipping - $250-$1500 domestic (depending on size), international varies (depends if roaster is in a First Crack container or is shipped direct)

Price - email info@firstcrack.com for a quote

Discounting - Not available

Rent-to-Own - Not available

Non-new options - First Crack showroom model

Other Costs - None

References - Available upon request

Payment Schedule - 50% down, 50% prior to shipping, shipping billed separately

Financing - Not available

Trade-Ins - Not available

Buy-backs (Upsizing within brand) - Not available

Installation - Performed by local mechanical contractor, with First Crack remote support

General Requirements - 220v single-phase power, appropriate gas Pressure, heat-rated ducting

Other - First Crack has billed $1500 in Proaster tech visits since 2013, total. No customer has purchased a Proaster from First Crack and switched brands when needing a bigger roaster. Proaster offers products for related industries such as cacao. Proaster roasters have an incredibly compact footprint for their capacity, yet are ingeniously easy to clean.

Site Visits - Available from First Crack

Training/Education - Proaster Certified Special Coffee Roaster program, SCA, classes, custom curriculum and consulting available on-site or at First Crack.

Testimonials

“I love my Proaster! When I was starting Big Iron Coffee Co. I did a lot of homework on roasters. The response I got from many other roasters is that not all roasters are worth the hype and knowing that my favorite coffee roastery, Roseline, in Portland, OR, proudly uses a Proaster made purchasing our 10k Proaster a fairly easy decision. A bonus I was not expecting was the fantastic service I've gotten from First Crack. Not only are Collin and Bryndon knowledgeable about Proasters inside and out, they are always happy to help with any coffee roasting questions and have a lightning fast response time. When the time comes to upgrade we will absolutely be ordering another Proaster!”

— Bowen Rodkey, Big Iron Coffee Company

"I've always told people the most important part of making coffee is the people and First Crack understands that. Their customer service, friendliness, and responsiveness communicates that they as a company value the people they work with. The Proaster machines they sell are fantastic to roast on, reliable over sustained use, and easy to clean."

— Ike Bubna, New Love Coffee

Transitioning to new production equipment can be a very stressful process. Collin and the team at First Crack helped make the process as seamless as possible, and have been a pleasure to work with.

–Ben Turiano, Joe Bean Roasters