shop roasters
Mill City Roasters
minneapolis-built North gas drum shop roasters with deep training.
minneapolis, usafounded 2012visit mill city roasters
mill city roasters, founded in 2012 in minneapolis, builds gas drum roasters aimed squarely at the specialty coffee shop and small production roaster. they've carved out a niche by prioritizing safety certifications (CSA, UL, CE, ROHS) and modular design that makes installation and maintenance more accessible than many imports. their north TJ series spans sample roasters to mid-sized production machines, all featuring double-wall stainless drums with a 3mm air gap that diffuses heat and reduces scorching risk. the machines ship with profile logging software, multiple thermocouple points (bean temp, environmental temp, inlet temp, drum temp), and digital drum pressure gauges. mill city emphasizes food-grade stainless throughout the contact path and designs for owner-operator serviceability, with clearly labeled electrical components and quick-disconnect fittings on cooling fans and stirring arms. they include pre-delivery support, space planning review, and setup calls with their team. the trade-off for all this documentation and certification is price: these machines sit above entry-level imports but below european marques. if you're opening a cafe or small roastery in north america and want a machine that meets local codes without hiring an engineer, mill city makes sense.
the machines
common questions
what makes mill city drums different from single-wall designs?
mill city uses double-wall stainless drums with a 3mm air gap between the inner and outer walls. this gap diffuses heat more evenly across the inner drum surface, reducing hot spots and conductive scorching even when you push inlet temperatures higher. the design also stores heat better than single-wall drums, improving thermal efficiency and recovery between batches. the construction is machined to within 0.025 inches, and the heavy gauge material resists warping if you lose power mid-roast or have a drum fire. you'll notice more forgiveness with aggressive profiles and better batch-to-batch consistency.
do i need an electrician and gas fitter to install these?
yes, but mill city designs to make their jobs easier. the gas train is CSA certified and includes a honeywell automatic ignition controller, external shutoff valves, and built-in safety limiters. electrical components are UL/CSA certified and clearly labeled inside the panel. models 20kg and smaller have detachable control panels so you can move the roaster through standard doorways. mill city provides space planning review before delivery and a setup video call to walk through your installation. you'll still need licensed trades to connect gas and power, but the documentation and support reduce headaches and permit delays.
how does profile logging work on these machines?
mill city includes their profile logging software with a usb connection to the control panel. you get four thermocouple readings: bean temp, environmental temp, inlet temp, and drum temp, plus a digital drum pressure gauge. the software logs these data points and lets you overlay previous roasts for comparison. on machines with the digital roasting system, you can adjust gas modulation and airflow from the control panel with push-button precision. it's not artisan or cropster, so if you need cloud sync or advanced analytics you'll run third-party software alongside it, but the included system handles basic profiling and record-keeping without additional cost.
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