What is a sample roaster?

A sample roaster is a small-batch roasting machine designed specifically for evaluating green coffee samples rather than production roasting. Sample roasters typically handle batches of 50-200g and are built for precision, repeatability, and speed of turnaround - allowing multiple samples to be roasted and cupped in a single session.

In the green coffee supply chain, sample roasters are used by importers, exporters, Q Graders, and quality-focused roasters at every stage of the buying process. A new lot arriving from origin is sample roasted and cupped before purchase decisions are made. Pre-shipment samples (PSS) are roasted and cupped against the offer sample to verify consistency. Roasters building a green coffee inventory cup their options side by side on the sample roaster to compare and select.

The Ikawa Pro is the most widely used precision sample roaster in the specialty industry - its fully programmable airflow and temperature control, small batch capacity, and reproducibility make it particularly suited to comparative cupping. Probat, Giesen, and other commercial roaster manufacturers also produce dedicated sample roaster models. For home roasters working with GCC's range, having access to a sample roaster - or at minimum using a consistent, small-batch profile on their home roaster - allows proper evaluation of each new green coffee before committing to a full production roast.