A Primo Xr roaster with Roast Master software. Courtesy photo.
Commercial coffee roasting equipment manufacturer Primo Roasting Equipment is rolling out a new in-house software system called Roast Master.
Available through an annual license, the software is used for designing, programming, storing and automating roasts on Primo’s flagship line of Xr commercial roasting machines.
Through Roast Master, users can adjust drum speed, airflow and gas live through computers or other connected devices. The software also allows users to design profiles in Roast Master while disconnected from the roaster, then connect to the roaster for automatic execution.
“Roast Master effectively matches your roast profiles and will adjust the machine’s settings accordingly, throughout the roast,” Primo Roasting Equipment Co-Owner Christian Longnecker recently told Daily Coffee News. “Our software communicates with the machine allowing you to control every feature available on your laptop or tablet. You’re able to dynamically build and create your roast profiles with Roast Master, which can then be imported into the software to automate the roasting process.”
Naturally, users can also store manually led roasts for automated repetition later.
“The dynamic build allows you to roast while it records all data from every instrument of the machine,” said Longnecker. “Once that roast is completed and you confirm you like it, you can save it and then import that same profile, and the machine will mimic it every time. The software reacts to different variables and the roaster adjusts accordingly.”
The new application is the first and only software solution capable of automating Primo machines, according to the company. To function, the system requires an additional linear proportional gas valve. The company is licensing the software to users for an annual fee of $250.00, plus a one-time cost of $3,500 for the necessary valve.
“We have plans on improving the software once or twice per year through user feedback,” said Longnecker. “The $250 annual fee will renew your license for the following year and give you the most updated version of the software.”
Currently only available for Windows operating systems, Roast Master versions native to Android and Apple will be available before the end of the year, according to the company. Users can use the current version on Mac laptops using Apple’s Boot Camp Assistant.
In addition to the Roast Master launch, the company is currently growing its physical footprint in Santa Ana and beyond.
“We have a lot of stuff happening over here as usual,” said Longnecker. “We are actually going to be moving into a larger building soon. We will be at the San Diego [World of Coffee] show in 2026 with our entire lineup.”
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