Popcorn poppers are definitely a great option for getting started! The batch size is the only downer. As for the Behmor:

Pros

• Large capacity: Well, relative to others of a similar price point. You can do up to 1lb, but I typically do 0.9 or a little less to make sure I can take the roast a bit darker.
• Ease of use: It is really straightforward to use. After doing a handful of roasts I felt confident I was going to get a decent output.
• Durability: I might just be lucky, but my Behmor is still in tip top shape after 11 years. You do have to stay on top of cleaning, but it’s just a quick spray of simple green with a microfiber cloth and running it through an empty roast.
• Smoke suppression: While not entirely smoke free, the Behmor dramatically reduces smoke output.

Cons

• Lack of control: Tied to the ease of use, there isn’t much fine tuning to be done. I believe this has been significantly changed in the newer model - which allows fine tuning and tweaking on heat, etc., in addition to the roast profiles.
• Cooling: It can take a bit longer than I would like to cool the beans. They cool in the roasting chamber as opposed to a tray. I end up opening the door when I go into cooling, which helps a ton but negates the smoke suppression system.
• Roast Time: The roast time runs longer on this than most, around 17-18 minutes for a pound. I’ve worked around this a bit by roasting a little under the setting amount.

Overall I love it and have been really happy with my coffee. The new Behmors look really slick too.