Roaster Tips: How to Scale Up Batch Size Without Wasting Coffee

In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, we dive into a practical roasting challenge many home roasters face: scaling up batch size without wasting coffee. Stephen Burnett and Catherine Mansell respond to a listener question from Greg, a longtime DIY roaster who recently upgraded to an Aillio Bullet R2 and is looking to move from 250-gram batches to the Bullet’s sweet spot of 1.5 pounds—without burning through pounds of coffee in trial and error. Catherine breaks down what really changes when scaling a roast, focusing on the critical role of preheat temperature, thermal mass, and how to maintain similar roast curves as batch size increases. Along the way, they talk Kenya AA as a use-case, share realistic expectations for profile translation, and offer guidance that applies not just to the Bullet, but to thoughtful, data-driven roasting in general. As always, the episode blends hands-on technical advice with real-world experience, making it valuable for home roasters leveling up and professionals refining their process. Got a roasting question of your own? Send it to [email protected] NOTES: Follow Our Instagram Account @RIY_POD CHECK US OUT HERE: Coffee Bean Corral YouTube Coffee Bean Corral Website Current Crop Roasting Shop Website Rancher Wholesale Website