The LINK is a coffee sample roaster, created with a focus on technology, practicality, and affordability. Its purpose is to empower easy sample roasting in all areas of the coffee industry: producers, exporters, buyers, roasters and Home Roasters
This is the product we use in our coffee roastery for quality control and green coffee purchasing coffee. It is by far the best sample roaster we have used, and that's not 'best for the price'. While the Link is a professional level product it also works as the perfect home roaster. You can achieve processional quality coffee at home, and with a 100g capacity, its easy to roast up a weeks worth of coffee.
Our green offering is going to massively expand, which will give you the opportunity to explore the worked of coffee roasting and experience the highest standards of coffee.
PURCHASE INCLUDES FREE GREEN COFFEE STARTER PACK 4 X 250G SELECTION OF GREEN COFFEE FROM OUR ROASTERY
So many consequences come from the success or failure of the roast in the coffee quality assessment and purchasing. It’s a crucial point in the process that can make or break a deal as it dictates how the buyer perceives the quality of the sample. Too often, the poor quality of the roast is the cause of many great coffees being left overlooked on cupping tables.
Necleus realised that the industry has a massive problem that nobody is trying to address: sample roasting. They wanted to dedicate their time to finding a way to solve this, with the aim to make quality sample roasting technology not only affordable, but consistent and easy to use all over the world.
The solution was the ‘LINK’ – named as a bridge or connector between the Producer-Exporter-Buyer and the User.
For professionals in coffee-producing countries, the LINK roaster has several unique features that enable easy and consistent roasting. This includes altitude calibration and a custom-built algorithm that predicts and recommends tailored profiles based on volume per weight, density, and process. By inputting this information, anyone can roast, no matter where they are.
Welcome to an exciting new world of coffee roasting!
- Stock: In Stock
- Model: LINK
LINK Features
The two companies that developed the LINK – Nucleus Coffee Tools and Kaffelogic – worked on an updated PC board to hold all roast profiles. Each Roast Profile is represented as a number, eg. 206.5
The LINK Unit comes with 700+ profiles that are exclusively accessible through the LINK software. These core profiles have been developed to have a solution for all types of coffees you could encounter on your coffee journey. This algorithm was refined over the last several years through various origin and competition travels. On these trips, the profiles were not only designed but also extensively tested and refined to ensure they would generate a globally performing roast for cupping.
The 700+ roast profiles for the LINK system are divided into different ‘Profile Packs’, which are determined by the roast goal (Cupping, Filter, Espresso or Omni). Each Profile Pack is designed to achieve different results depending on the roast goal.
When selecting profile with the LINK App, a Profile Pack will automatically be recommended and will be determined by the data entered into the app.When using the Advanced Dial-In feature on the LINK App, users are able to customise their roast profile by selecting a Profile Pack, the time of first crack (FC), and the start profile to base the roast from.
Within the LINK, a Nucleus Coffee Tools-specific firmware reformat allows the user an option to customise a batch size between a select range of 50g to 100g.
The custom batches increase in 1g increments and calibrate the fan based on the input, so it can run off the same core profile sets, regardless of green input between that range. Selecting your batch size is the final step in the process before the roast commences, and can be adjusted using the + and – symbols on the LINK roasting unit before hitting start (the centre, triangle button).
We do not recommend roasting more than 100g of coffee per batch, as this will effect the quality and effectiveness of the roast profile.
The LINK App uses a variety of data to determine and recommend roasting profiles. One of the key elements is Density measurement, which is done using the Density Tube that comes with the LINK roaster.
Watch the video below to see how the density measurement works.
Within the LINK, an Nucleus Coffee Tools-specific firmware reformat allows the user an option to customise a batch size between a select range of 50g to 100g.
The custom batches increase in 1g increments and calibrate the fan based on the input, so it can run off the same core profile sets, regardless of green input between that range. Selecting your batch size is the final step in the process before the roast commences, and can be adjusted using the + and – symbols on the LINK roasting unit before hitting start (the centre, triangle button).
We do not recommend roasting more than 100g of coffee per batch, as this will effect the quality and effectiveness of the roast profile.
The LINK app also has an “Advanced Dial-in” function that can be utilised after the initial roast to further refine the profile selection of specific samples.
For example, if the initial roast of a coffee was slightly off perfection, or wasn’t quite what you wanted to achieve, the Advanced Dial-in system will analyse all relevant information from that roast and will suggest a more appropriate profile.
DTR stands for three things: “Development Percentage” (D), “Time of roast” (T), and “Roast degree” (R).
DTR was designed to be a reactive intelligence bot, automatically adjusting to the different variables of each roast when the first crack is logged. The DTR override system will adjust the termination at the exact development % and range of temperature increase range outlined. This means that if a 1st crack is lodged early or late, the overall parameters of the roast will remain the exact same.
In the LINK’s fourth operating firmware update, Addis, we provided the ability to have recommended roast profiles for a range of non-Arabica coffee species.
When profiling with the LINK App, the All Species Selection mode accounts for the variation in density, size and behaviour in various coffee species, and provides customised recommendations for fan adjustments.
The ‘Advanced Arabica’ feature of the LINK roaster’s Addis update allows you to adjust the LINK App in order to receive customised recommendations for fan adjustments for different screen sizes of Arabica coffees.
This feature, activated in the Preferences area of the LINK App, is useful when roasting similar coffees of various screen sizes, such as African coffees.
The Heirloom Cupping’ feature of the LINK roaster’s Addis update allows you to accommodate for Heirloom varieties of coffee when entering a new cupping sample entry into the LINK App.
This feature will provide recommendations for adjustments to ensure consistency when roasting the same heirloom/landrace coffee in different batch sizes.
More information about LINK
Nucleus Coffee Tools is a company of innovators and dreamers with more than 90 years of collective experience in the specialty coffee industry.
Founded in 2019 by Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, Nucleus Coffee Tools aims to pioneer new and innovative solutions that add value to the industry and elevate the experiences of coffee lovers around the world.
We have several products distributed and shared worldwide, from our renowned sample roaster, LINK, to several brewing and coffee preparation tools.
In the last few years, we have had several very successful collaborations across many areas of the coffee sector, including:
- 1st place, World Brewers Cup Championship 2021, 2024 (LINK roaster)
- 5th place, World Barista Championship 2021 (LINK roaster)
- 1st place, German Brewers Cup Championship 2024, 2022, 2021 (LINK roaster)
- 1st place, Polish Brewers Cup Championship 2024 (LINK roaster)
- 1st place, Austrian Brewers Cup Championship 2024,2023 (LINK roaster)
- Official sample roaster, World Coffee Roasting Championship 2024-2027 (LINK roaster)
- Official sample roaster, Korean Coffee Roasting Championship 2024 (LINK Roaster)
- Sponsor and official roaster, Producer & Roaster Forum 'Global Roasting Contest' 2024 (LINK Roaster)
- Official sample roaster, Indonesia Roasting Championship 2024 (LINK Roaster)
The LINK App allows roasters of all experience levels – from beginner to expert – to accurately and comfortably select roast profiles, and begin their sample roasting journey. The app is available for free on all popular application stores for smartphones.
Within the LINK App, users are able to input information about coffee samples in order to receive recommendations for roast profiles, fan speed adjustments, and more. These recommendations can then be input directly into the LINK roaster.
Through the LINK App, users can utilise features such density tube integration, select the desired process and variety, and rely on their mobile device to aid them in custom-built profiling as they navigate the roasting experience.
LINK Studio is a free live-roasting software, available for PC and Apple computers and tablets. It enables users to connect to the LINK roaster to watch the performance of their roasts in real-time, make customisations to their sample roasting profiles, and much more.
Via the LINK Studio, users are able to monitor variables of the roasting experience, including Rate of Rise (RoR), bean temperature, power source, development percentage, first crack (FC) zone, and more.
The LINK Studio can also be used to export or alter roast profiles, update operating firmware, and customise a wide range of variables for each roast.
Dimensions Roaster
- 120mm (W) x 120mm (L) x 450mm (H)
- Military grade carry case: Approx. 51.2cm (L) x 24cm (W) x 54cm (H)
Material
- Powder coated steel roast unit with plastic fittings
- (Nylon PA66)
- Aluminium roast chamber
- Double layer borosilicate glass hopper, with plastic (Nylon PA66) moulded body parts and replaceable silicone seal
Available power
- Hertz: 50/60
- Voltage: 110V-130V / 220V
- Power plugs: A/F/G/I
Waterproof
- Roaster: No
- Carry case: Water resistant exterior
The LINK roaster and accompanying LINK Studio are built on specific firmware. This is permanent software that is programmed into both into a read-only memory.
Since the release of the LINK, there have been multiple updates to this firmware in order to provide more accurate roast profiles, extend profile packs, and add new features for LINK users to utilise in their roasting experience.
With each firmware update, users are provided with a prompt in the LINK Studio (when connected to the internet), and are able to update with ease. Each additional firmware update builds upon previous updates – however, these previous updates remain accessible to users in the LINK Studio, should they wish to use them.
Previously, these updates were referred to as ‘versions’ and assigned a numerical value – Version 1 (V1), Version 2 (V2) and so on. In upcoming updates to LINK firmware, these versions will move to a Operating System (OS) based program, and will be identified by different names (eg. Yemeni, Cauca). These names refer to different coffee-growing regions, places and cultures in the world, in honour of the diverse and wonderful global coffee community.
