Sandbox Smart Roaster R2 400g [Review]
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- čas přidán 12. 08. 2022
- Is the R2 the best home coffee roaster on the market?
Maybe! But is it worth the asking price?
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**Charlie's R2 Roast Profile**
Code is [352n0Of5Kd]. Please open Sandbox Smart APP - Inbox - Sharing Profile - click + in the upper right and enter the profile code to download my profile.
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![Sandbox Smart R1 Roaster [Review]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M2mvi3Oy9kY/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how you get to the point, unlike so many other people giving advice on coffee roasting. You actually tell me just what I need to know without all the rambling and ranting nonsense. Keep it up, my young friend, and all the best to you! 🙂
Great review from someone clearly speaking with rich experience, very fair and on-point constructive critique.
Thank you for a great video. Always so helpful
Great review, very informative!
Great video Charlie, l really enjoyed it ☕
I'm glad you liked it!
Great review! I have the Hottop B roaster. When I purchased it 5 years ago it was the best sample roaster for domestic use. Would be fascinating to see your take on the hottop series
I'll try to pick one up!
Great review. Yea this roaster is a head scratcher
Well done, Charlie! I think you marked the pros and cons effectively where I could make a decision if I were to upgrade my R1 to and R2.
Question: I noticed you dropped a link if I were to buy it on Amazon and I noticed it’s 110v. Is the R2 in the video using 110v or was it configured to 100v?
Keep up the videos! Love the sense of humor and your honest review!
Thanks Ron, the link I sent on Amazon was 110v for the US, but on their website they have a 100v for Japan, which I think is the one I received. I guess this might have some impact on the roasting power but not much, mostly just heating and cooling times rather than total heat, so maybe slower to adjust.
No need to worry about 100v or 110, Japan has very stable outlets and they squeeze out more than 100v and never go under. US appliances are built to work with 10%-15% undervoltage so no worries at all
PS. I have a 220v Aillio Bullet plugged straight in to a 200v outlet here in Japan and am getting about 211v out with no problems in performance at all
Great review, thanks! Wanted to know how it compares to the bullet, I think I got my answer… And also “Put upable with” = tolerable 🤣
Haha yes that's the word I was looking for. I've been in Japan for too long, my words...
Thanks for your video, I have been struggling to get the results I want from the R2 although I'm pretty new to roasting. I tried your profile today and got some tipping on the roast. I'll adjust the power down, as it's likely different machine variations. Thanks for sharing it, it's a lot better looking curve than previous roasts, do you have any 200g profiles that I could work with? I Kickstarted this machine and many of the issues you noted are right on, along with my frustration at sandbox for not sharing control points on their advanced profiles because they are "intellectual property" even though I am paying for the VIP package. Thanks, would love to see some in depth profiles on the R2.
It's a good thing to learn how to dial in setting for the machine, beans and dose you are using. Every machine is different but I'm glad my profile got you off in the right direction. Try starting off with a good charge temperature and going manual, then noting down when you changed settings. Should help you become a better roaster as well!
YES. I use this and it needs some BIG updates. Note, you CAN re-roast a previous manual roast. It’s still annoying but it works. I still just find myself almost always using manual mode though. The presets are horrible with way too low charge temps. The BIGGEST issue is consistency in charge temps… sometimes if I set charge to 383F, by the time I see the preheat complete notification, drop the beans in, hit that ANNOYINGLY small checkbox and then wait for the temperature data to repopulate, it’s anywhere from 3-15 degrees hotter than what I set it. Usually if I preheat to 383F for example, after I drop in beans I’ll see the temp stabilize around 400F… but even then it’s just not consistent. Sandbox are you listening? You need to ALWAYS SHOW the current temp! Don’t hide it with a big pop up during charge, one of the most important moments we need to see temp… great review though!!
Yeah there were some issues with the app, which is such a shame because the hardware is pretty great!
@@homecafecharlie Did you ever email the company directly with these software-related issues? A firmware update could fix MOST of these. Been meaning to reach out, or even make a video to send them. If you are able to share their contact I'd love to send feedback so they can hopefully improve the app soon!
Would you recommend it to me? I want to start a very small cafe, have no idea about how to roast, but want to start somewhere.
Thanks Charles for such a thorough review. I'm currently doing a bit of research into roasters for home use, and Sandbox looked attractive, so I'm here :) Just one question, if I may: does it provide air RoR? or just bean RoR?
I have a roaster review coming soon that I think you'll really like. Best home roaster I've used to this point for the price, and gives you enough control to roast very good coffee. Will share updates soon
@@homecafecharlie Great! Looking forward to it mate :)
@@homecafecharlie Any update on the new review? 🙂
have you been losing a lot of beans in the gap between the basket and the door? I have
Great video, thanks for it!
Are you aware of the Kaffelogic Nano? I thought it was comparable to the R1, but I’ve not seen anyone putting them side by side so far.
(by “comparable” I mean regarding my own goals of learning how to roast with adequate control and logging capabilities, as a first small home roasting machine.) :)
I saw their Indiegogo page for the Nano 7. Looks interesting, maybe worth taking a look 😁
Thank you for the detailed review. It's a really tough price point - at well over £2000 (after import tax/duties etc) it's a definite no-go for me. You can get an electric Cormorant now for around £2000 - compatible with Artisan, 600gram capacity, aesthetically pleasing imo and more control of your roasts. Sure the Cormorant is manual however a good opportunity to learn. If The Sandbox was priced at £1500 maximum it may be worth a punt for me, but at well over £2000 it's just way overpriced for what it is imo.
I think they didn't know their market. It's a shame cos the hardware is pretty good, but the software is trying to be an autoroasting appliance, and honestly it's just hard to use if you know even a little bit what you're doing. 😅
Trying to turn a home appliance into a business tool is where this all went off the rails. This is like buying a Breville dual boiler coffee machine to service a cafe and whinging about the experience.
Hi charlie, i also own the r2 but it’s 220v version. I’ll try your roast profile. Will this work in natural processes beans as well? Would you please share the 300gr batch too?
Hey there. I think higher voltage might be a lot more powerful so I would adjust based on the power of your machine. Check out my recent video on how to roast and you'll be able to change my profile for your machines power. Maybe to start with reduce the power levels from my profile by 10-15%
I hope that helps. It's not about having a set profile, it's about adjusting for each coffee bean you roast so better to learn the principles than just use my profile (which may or may not give you good results as I suggested in the video)
thanks! will holdoff..... software and a browser based app is key.... for that reason im out....
Nice and helpful video, I have questions, i work in small cafe like 30cup a day from a latte to cortado etc..
However, the machine make like 400gm about 15 minutes, so if i make it work for 2 hours split or at the same time it may give 2kg of coffee, it is a good for us u think?
Because 30 coffee is about 540gm "18gm" so we need like 1kg a day
Ps: I'm new at rosting and I'm planning to be more good on it but we have limt budget so we get this machine.
Keep going i like ur videos❤
Thanks for the comment and great question. It might be helpful if you're okay with having the roaster running and just doing the profile in the background, and you just have to put the coffee in and take it out every 12-15 minutes. The cool down process is a pain though, so you need to wait for the cool down (10 mins or something) before you can use it again. For 1kg per day I would look at something like a Aillio Bullet, or maybe a Kaleido M2 (400g) which I am hoping to get a look at someday
As a long time home coffee roaster I really appreciate your organized approach to evaluating the machine. Unfortunately this machine may be doomed because it is too expensive considering what it doesn't offer. I really need a machine where I can record my profiles and note the best ones. I love Milan style espresso which is impossible to find in the US. I have long approximated the special flavor of the street corner coffee shops in Milan, with Central American, Brazil and African robusto beans. My biggest problem is that roasting a perfect roast requires constant supervision in my Swiss Roaster. Oh to have a app controlled roast that follows my custom curves.
Check out my recent video about the Santoker X3 master. For the size and volume of coffee it can do, plus the great app it is really a solid contender for my favourite roaster ever. I also have a video about the Kaleido M6 which can do bigger volume. The M10 is also good even for semi-commercial scale (I met a guy who is roasting speciality beans on it for his business). Roasting at home is fantastic and you can roast however you like!
Great objective review. I feel bad for non US people that can't get a Fresh Roast
Haha yeah I think I'll be stepping my roasting game up when I move back to the UK next month 😁
Good review. Bit of a let down as I had high hopes for the R2. I was expecting something like a budget Aillio Bullet, but it seems like it's only a big brother of the R1. If so, $1500 sounds more like it...
Totally agree. $1500 and it would be a great home roaster!
I have a gene and although it’s manual I feel it’s teaching me a lot about the process before I commit to a large investment. I would love to see a review of the bullet and hottop roaster if possible.
My gene profile
Batch 200gr
Preheat max temp for 10'
Insert FAST the beans and roast at max temp until the first crack, about 8:30"
As the first crack finishes, count 15"-30"(on your preference) and remove the beans
Cool them fast outside the drum with a fan, I use a closed sieve with a fan under, pointing up
I sold my Gene cafe a while ago and use the R1 for having more control and data, but for sure I'll do a Bullet review if and when I get one
@@homecafecharlie the bullet is a lot of money but it is very good looking, would look great on display
very interested in the alternatives
I have a video coming soon about a better option 😉
@@homecafecharlie Actually, I am looking for something in the price range of the Sandbox R1 or the Kaleido M1. Probably in case of the Kaleido M1 the artisan version. I want to be able to improve roasting and have a baseline of consistency. I actually grow some of my own coffee but not enough yet for my yearly consumption. So, now buying other green beans in addition.
Originally, I had a Jura coffee machine but it broke down. So, it is in repair but since I had to wait got a gaggia and a eureka grinder. I roast currently with a hand barrel roaster on a camping stove. But that doesn't bring me the consistency.
A roaster of a little bigger than the R1 could be good but if the roasting process is partly automated that size should be fine. I have the feeling that the R1 is too automated. For that reason I thinking about the Kaleido M1. Wonder if any other option would be suitable.
OK. I'm convinced. What home roaster would you suggest with 450 gram capacity and ability to adjust roasting and consistency.
Right now I'm using the Kaleido M6. Check my review on it and tell me what you think. The only issue for me is that it is quite hard to get enough development time for lighter roasts with this type of heating element (IR). For that you usually need a BIG piece of metal, which usually means gas heated and expensive.
I would really like a 1kg roster. I sold my hot top because the 200 gram charge was a bit small and I just found myself roasting almost daily.
Yeah I felt the same with the Sandbox R1. It's gonna take me a while to go through a kilo of coffee, but it would be nice to not have to roast multiple times a week just for personal use.
Looking for 500g roaster with full conrol? Get a Kaldi Fortis model. I've been roasting on the Fortis Grande with artisan for two years. build like a tank. Lots of heat and air. Can do anything👍
I just got a Kaleido M6 roaster I'll be doing some videos about shortly!
Nice review. So, to be honest - should I think about the Ikawa then instead of this roaster? Because it is really pricey and does not feel like the best match with app and manual roasting…
The Ikawa is a good roaster but it's also pretty small. I'm looking into the Kaleido M2 Pro which can use Artisan, and if I get ahold of one that would be the clearest comparison with the Sandbox R2.
@@homecafecharlie but Kaleido, comparing to R2 looks quite ugly, tbh. I get the software it uses, but overall it’s not for me - my home apartment can fit R2, but not Kaleido like machines.
Welp, it depends on each person - I guess, we’re all players here and if anyone of us go into some serious roasting, sooner or later we should think over serious roasting and buying machines worth thousands and have a dedicated premises for roasting. Meanwhile, home usually is the limit of all possible progress.
@@iGoFWDI am using ikawa. This is good enough for me and I have a lot of fun
I'll probably go for the IKAVA Home roaster myself.
Great presentation, I really liked the batch size, and I don't mean 400gr, but 300 in to get 250gr out, less is too small
As I said in another video, knowing bean temperature is the most important information when roasting
P.s. The R2 link at the description is for another product
Oh really! I checked it and it goes to R2 in the US. Maybe it isn't linking properly in other countries so I'll check
@@homecafecharlie At me, brings me at "cafemasy" coffee roaster
has the app changed at all?
So I liked everything for 5 1/2 months - except the VIP subscription for a monthly charge, which won't give you the details of the roast. Then it stopped working. I sent it for repair to the US shop they recommended. They advertise 1 year warranty. The shop said they repaired it and sent it back after 1 month. It's STILL not working - heating elements never turn on, just like when I sent it out to them. Sandbox in Taiwan simply told me, "Your roaster should be working" and refuse to do anything more about it, even after I sent them the video they requested. I spent $2500 on this POS. I've also spent over 5 years building a micro-roaster business that is now defunct without a roaster. It's up to you if you want to buy it, but at least you are warned!!!
Wow I'm so sorry to hear you had this experience. I haven't heard of this kind of issue but it sounds like the heating element gave out and they didn't replace it. This is normal for heat lamp based roasters and perhaps it happened faster if you were using it as a production machine, but if it's within warranty they should have replaced it and not ignored your contacts. I wasn't very nice about the R2 so they haven't responded to my messages either 😅
You live in Japan, get a jis set of screwdrivers! , all respect , I enjoy your reviews
It’s 550g capacity not 400g.
Another thing to concern: what happens if the app got removed or the company stops supporting it since everything is control via the app. If this happens, will the 2700 dollars machine be a lemon?
Yeah they say that but IMO that's WAAAYYY overestimating. At 400g you can do a nice roast in under 10.minutes but if you wanna roast light 300-350g is better to get there faster
I think there is a segment of people, unknown to us, who do coffee for the cool factor. I've known some people who roast their own coffee, and talk about it a lot, but have never heard them discuss technique. Just on how cool it is to make your own roasts.
It tasted like cardbord and old dry grass, very little actual coffee flavour, just burnt chaff.... Didn't actually tell them that, They were so proud.
We won't ever hear from these people as they aren't interested in improvement, maybe it is a culinary variant of dunning kruger effect
For a person like this, who has the money, I think it is a winner....
There's definitely an element of "look at me" in it. Their friends can just grin and bear it...
"Oh it's so good, it doesn't taste at all like grass or muddy water" 🤮
Can it measure the bean temperature?
The temperature probe is inside the drum, so it will give you an approximation of the bean temperature. Temperature probe positioning is a whole thing as well to get readings, but in my experience it was fairly accurate.
Onde consigo no Brazil?
Getting green beans is different depending on where you are living. In Japan it's hard to source because of import restrictions.
It's a big risk for me as a small channel to not be wholly positive about every piece of coffee gear that comes across my table, so I'd appreciate it if you would like this video so that it isn't all downside to me giving honest reviews.
Thanks so much and I'll update this comment if Sandbox improves the app. I got some great roasts despite my issues with it 😅
Maybe we can send my almost perfect wife on a date with your almost perfect machine and raise funds for kidney awareness. Hi, my name is Douglas and I have prostate racism.
Even if your channel sucks at least you did the right thing.
"some great roasts" for a $2500 box? sets the bar pretty low imho :)
The button is the safety requirement from UL
also your sharing profile code has expired
I mean the website says it roasts 550g
$2,700! is a big price to pay for this home roster.
Yeah that's what is a bit strange about it. If it were a slight upgrade to the R1 for maybe $1500, it would be an easy recommendation. But for $2700 why wouldn't you just spend a little more and get a Bullet?
note to ui software people: no matter how good the hardware is, users won't buy such a software dependent item. the MEs are cussing out the CEs, and with cause. maybe the CEs need to make some coffee?
I think the software developers on this project have little to no experience with roasting environments, and are approaching it like an appliance (microwave or rice cooker or something). Just not a good approach for coffee.
$2700, hard pass
Ridiculous price.
It is a lot, but comparable to roasters of the same volume. I would say it's an odd price point at this size, and I would just go bigger for slightly more.
Overpriced and not well designed. Feels cheaply made compare to other machines at this price point or under.
It didn't feel cheap to me, the hardware is pretty good and the heat is on point to roast good coffee. But yes it's not a cast iron box like the small scale commercial roasters 😅
Im 63 love coffee. Been intrested in roasting just for myself. Whats a good machine that i can grow into and enjoy.
Kaffelogic is one I'd like to try. I love my M6 roaster, I have a review on it. Been enjoying the coffee from it