Episode 48 - A Deep Dive into ROEST and Modern Roasting Technology with Tom Hopkinson - Part 1

Dec 10, 2025

Tom Hopkinson, Head of Coffee and Customer Success at ROEST, shares his journey from an inexperienced café owner to a coffee roasting expert. He discusses the evolution of ROEST's sample roasters, emphasizing the shift from manual to automated roasting driven by data. Tom highlights the advantages of air roasters and the importance of customer feedback in design. The conversation touches on innovative roasting technology like the P3000 and its modular features, along with the benefits of small-scale roasting for quality control.

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INSIGHT

Old Machines, New Data Paradigm

Fundamental roaster forms barely changed over a century, but data logging shifted practice.
Combining more sensors with tightly controlled air systems simplifies consistent roasting.

ADVICE

Pick Serviceable, Customer-Led Machines

Prefer machines that expose diagnostics and are serviceable so users can fix issues themselves.
Choose roasters designed around customer workflows and measurable data, not just features.

ANECDOTE

Reversed Drum Changed Heat Transfer

ROEST's Ultra reverses drum rotation so beans sit directly over incoming air for better heat transfer.
That change lets the Ultra roast much faster with lower inlet temperatures and fewer scorch defects.

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In this first of two episodes, I sit down with Tom Hopkinson, Head of Coffee and Customer Success at ROEST, and dive deep in to coffee roasting. Tom found his way into coffee by opening a café with no experience at all. The café lasted less than a year, but his fascination for coffee only grew. He went on to work at Prufrock, where he learned the fundamentals of coffee, before moving to Dublin to focus on roasting. Later, he continued his journey in Berlin, working with The Barn and Five Elephant, and writing courses and educational content for Barista Hustle. Two years ago, Tom decided to settle down and moved to Norway to join ROEST.

My collaboration with ROEST began about 12 years ago, when one of the founders, Sverre, presented his master thesis to me and Morten Wennersgaard (of Nordic Approach.) Sverre's goal was to develop a 1 kg home roaster, but both Morten and I did not see a commercial need for a roaster like that. At the time, we were both frustrated with the limitations of the traditional sample roasters in the market and wanted to contribute to the development of something better. We therefore recommended Sverre to develop a modern sample roaster. Some years later the p100 sample roaster was launched in the market and it has been a huge success ever since.

In this episode, Tom and I talk about how the ROEST sample roasters have evolved from those early prototypes to what they are today. We discuss the technological improvements, the shift from manual to more automated processes, and how these innovations have made consistency in roasting more achievable than ever before. Tom also shares his perspective on what sets ROEST apart from other sample roasters and how the company has helped influence the wider roasting industry.

Tune in if you are interested in roasting, roaster technology, and the thinking behind one of the most influential sample roasters in today’s coffee world.

This is Part 1 of 2, and Part 2 is coming soon.

Learn more about ROEST on their website here: https://www.roestcoffee.com/

Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.