In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen from Coffee Bean Corral and Catherine of Current Crop Roasting Shop tackle a question many home roasters have wondered about:

Should you preheat your roaster — specifically the Gene Cafe?

Listener Ilona writes in after purchasing several origins and noticing that some roasters swear by preheating, while others skip it entirely. Stephen and Catherine break down:

What preheating actually does inside a drum roaster

How thermal mass affects roast progression

When preheating can help (and when it may not matter much)

The difference between intentional preheating and simply roasting back-to-back

How your goals for the cup should influence your decision

If you roast on a Gene Cafe — or any home drum roaster — this conversation will help you think more intentionally about your workflow, consistency, and roast development.

Whether you're chasing brighter acidity, better momentum into first crack, or just more repeatable results, this episode gives you practical insight without overcomplicating things.

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