Freshly Roasted in Hong Kong
Before we began roasting our own coffee, we collaborated with over 50 top roasters worldwide. La Cabra, Onyx Coffee Lab, Man vs Machine, Tim Wendelboe, Solberg & Hansen. We are even the very first to bring Solberg & Hansen's coffee to Hong Kong back when they didn’t even offer official worldwide shipping.
Through this, we discovered a shared thread: the excellence of European roasting heritage. Driven to explore deeper, we went down the roasting rabbit hole, looking for what best suited our approach. The journey led us straight to Giesen—exactly what we were looking for.
2
Drum Roaster
3000+
Batches produced per year
13+ Tones
Green beans roasted per year
Giesen W6A
Filter roasting is about precision and clarity. Lighter profiles leave nowhere to hide, so we need a roaster that responds instantly and treats delicate florals, fruit and acidity with care. The W6A's smaller batch size makes it agile — perfect for dialling in microlots and chasing the most expressive version of a single origin.
| Batch size | 3-6kg |
| Heat system | Atmospheric direct-fire burner |
| Temperature range | 100 – 250 °C |
| Airflow control | 80 – 150 Pa |
| Pedigree | 10+ world champions |
Giesen W15A
Espresso demands body, even development and rock-solid consistency across volume. The W15A's larger, double-walled drum holds more thermal energy — giving a stable, momentum-rich roast that builds the sweetness and structure a great espresso needs, and the capacity to run consistent back-to-back batches of blend.
| Batch size | 7.5 - 15 kg |
| Heat system | High-performance burner + double-walled drum |
| Temperature range | 100 – 250 °C |
| Airflow control | 80 – 150 Pa |
| Built for | Consistency at scale |
Roasters & Roasting Styles
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between direct heat and indirect heat coffee roasting?
In a direct-fire (direct heat) drum roaster, the burner sits directly beneath the drum and heats both the drum wall and the air passing through it — giving the roaster both conduction and convection to work with. In an indirect roaster, air is heated in a separate chamber and then drawn through the drum, so the flame never touches the drum. Indirect roasting is effectively air roasting and runs at much higher air temperatures (often 400–500°C). We roast direct-fire because it gives us the most expressive, controllable balance of heat.
What's the difference between conduction and convection in roasting?
Conduction is heat by direct contact — the hot drum touching the bean — cooking from the outside in, like frying; it builds body and matters most at the start of the roast. Convection is heat carried by hot air over the beans, cooking from the inside out, like baking; it develops clarity and even roasting. A classic drum roast is roughly 70% convection and 30% conduction, and the skill lies in controlling that ratio.
Why does Studio Caffeine use Giesen roasters?
After working with 50+ roasters worldwide, we found European-style, direct-fire drum roasting best suited the Hong Kong palate. Giesen — handcrafted in the Netherlands — gives us precise control over burner power, airflow (80–150 Pa) and drum speed, all logged in Giesen Profiler for batch-to-batch repeatability. That control is how we protect sweetness and clarity at the same time.
Why use the W6A for filter and the W15A for espresso?
Filter coffee needs precision and responsiveness to preserve delicate aromatics and acidity, so we use the smaller, nimbler W6A (3–6 kg batches) to dial in single origins. Espresso blends need body, even development and consistency at volume, so we use the W15A (7.5–15 kg) — its larger, double-walled drum holds more thermal energy for stable, repeatable roasts across back-to-back batches.
What is our approach in coffee roasting?
It's less a fixed recipe than a sensibility: a clean, balanced cup with rounded sweetness and a syrupy body that avoids both under-developed sourness and burnt bitterness. It's the style we found resonates most with Hong Kong drinkers and holds up across both black coffee and milk-based drinks — and it's what our direct-fire Giesen roasting is built to deliver.