Variac for gene cafe

Dan

Hello,

I’ve been roasting on the gene cafe for about 4 months now and am ending up with a few scorched roasts. The dimmer mod looks like a really helpful way of improving the roasts, but I don’t have a huge amount of spare time or aptitude for DIY, so would prefer to spend it roasting than modding the roaster.

I’ve seen a suggestion of using a variac to adjust the voltage into the machine as another solution but not seen much discussion on the topic.

My question is whether using a variac is a (more expensive) shortcut to the same result of modifying the heat input?

Any thoughts welcome!

Dan

DavecUK

Dan A Variac will work but I can remember I think it slows down the motor that spins the drum as well (which runs of rectified AC via a transformer). The slowing of the motor is a problem. I have a Variac (Zenith/Claude Lyons) they are expensive, heavy and for the Gene the cheap Chinese ones won’t do. They may say 8 or 10 amp, but they are not. I have one of the Chinese units as well and it weighs half what mine does and my big Variac is 8 amp.

The gene draws about 5 amp…

The dimmer mod is the easiest way to do it and I came up with it 15 years ago, just because it doesn’t affect motor speed…only the heating element power. It also allows you to use a 230V element if your in the UK. There is a wide range of voltage control units on ebay now instead of modding a light dimmer, and they work very well, especially with a little heat sink and the correct value potentiometer.

In fact this would be ideal wired only to the heating element….https://tinyurl.com/25twjjdr

And of course you need a power measuring wall plug

Dan

Many thanks Dave,

That’s super helpful. I was wondering about drum speed so this is useful.

I’ve purchased the item you link to (it says its a 220v, is that enough for the UK?) and will grab the wire and male + female spades. Which seems like everything I need. Much simpler!

DavecUK

Dan I’ve purchased the item you link to (it says its a 220v, is that enough for the UK?) and will grab the wire and male + female spades. Which seems like everything I need. Much simpler!

The chinesium stuff always seems to say 220V, but the stuff I have had works fine on 240V in the UK, which likes to pretend it’s really 230V. It’s a nonsense isn’t it.