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The merits of thermocouples vs. RTDs (resistance temperature detectors) for coffee roasting applications is often debated. The good news is that whether you lean towards thermocouples, or if you prefer RTDs, we've got you covered.

Back when we started RoastLog, there weren't a lot of off-the-shelf hardware solutions for recording roast profiles. So like any engineer worth their salt, we decided to build something!

While response times for thermocouples are more rapid than RTDs, one criticism of TCs is accuracy. RTDs are generally considered more accurate (+/-0.1 deg C) than TCs (+/- 1.0 deg C). No matter which type of sensor you choose, our experience tells us that each has its pros and cons, and that there's no wrong choice.

RTDs have begun to grow in popularity among roasters. Pairing the Phidgets device — we recommend the VINT Hub — with RoastLogger Web, makes for a very easy setup. You'll need the following items:

Once you're hardware setup is all done and you're ready to dive into RoastLog, check out our Getting Started collection of articles and don't miss the Getting Started with RoastLogger article, in particular.