What makes a good, dedicated coffee roaster so much better?

Many start home roasting with simple and inexpensive solutions like a popcorn machine, heat gun, or older models like Behmor. It’s a fun and affordable way to get started, but when you experience a truly dedicated coffee roaster (e.g., with hybrid heating and app control), you quickly understand the big difference. A good roaster elevates your coffee from "okay" to professional quality – with better control, consistency, and flavor development.

At Home Roast, we are proud to be the official dealer of Santoker, and here is an explanation of what makes the difference.

Designed for precision and user-friendliness

Modern dedicated coffee roasters often combine direct fire (direct flame) with hot air for hybrid heating. This provides:

- Even heat distribution without hot spots.

- Better heat transfer to the bean's core (conduction + convection).

- The possibility of both light, fruity roasting and dark, rich profiles.

Many also feature app control with preset profiles, Bluetooth connection to Artisan software, and automatic control of Rate of Rise (RoR).

Comparison: Simple alternatives vs. dedicated roasters

	Popcornmaskine / primitiv hot air	Ældre drum-roastere (f.eks. Behmor)	Dedikeret professionel rister
Batch-størrelse	50-150g (mange små batches)	Op til 450-900g	50g-1kg+ (fleksibelt)
Opvarmning	Kun varmluft – hurtig, men ujævn	Elektrisk drum – langsom	Hybrid (direct fire + air) – præcis
Kontrol	Manuel, ingen logning	Forprogrammerede profiler	App + Artisan, fuld RoR-kontrol
Ensartethed	Ofte ujævn, risiko for scorched/baked	God, men lang ristetid	Meget høj – professionel niveau
Smagsresultat	Let body, ofte tynd smag	Balanceret, men begrænset	Fuldt spektrum: syre, sødme, body og kompleksitet
Røg- og støjhåndtering	Meget røg, høj støj	Indbygget filter	God ventilation, stillegående
Læringkurve	Stejl – meget trial & error	Middel	Nem start med app, dybde for avancerede

With simple methods, you often get quick but uneven roasts – difficult to control the development phase. Older models are a good step up but limited in flexibility.
A dedicated roaster provides professional control: precise RoR adjustment, no "crashes," and perfect development time.

The result in the cup

The difference is clearly noticeable in the taste: More complexity, sweetness, and balance. Fruity notes in light roast, caramel and chocolate in medium, deep body in dark – without baked or burnt undertones.

Is it worth investing in a better roaster?
If you roast regularly and want to get the best out of your green beans – yes, absolutely! A good roaster is built to last, offers freedom to experiment, and minimizes frustration.

At Home Roast, we have the entire Santoker series – from the compact X3 to the larger R models.
Feel free to contact us for advice or questions via chat or kontakt@homeroast.dk – we will help you find the right model. Take the leap and experience the difference yourself.