NCT vs F-Series: Kaffelogic Profiles Compared by the Numbers
We measured all 8 F-Series and 24 NCT profile curves and compared them against 58 logged roasts. NCT profiles heat faster and call first crack about 10 °C higher, but they are not always the shorter roast.
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Most comparisons of NCT and F-Series profiles describe the two families in words: NCT is "short and decisive", F-Series is "gentle and forgiving". We wanted numbers. So we measured the programmed curve in all 8 F-Series and 24 NCT profile files in our roast profile library, then checked them against 58 roasts we logged on those profiles on a Kaffelogic Nano 7e.
The short answer: NCT profiles preheat harder, heat faster early, and place the first-crack marker about 10 °C higher. They are not reliably shorter roasts. What they shorten is the stretch after first crack.
If you want the background on what the packs are for, start with Nucleus Link (NCT) profiles explained. This post is only the measurements.
The curves, side by side
F-WSH 1500-2200 vs NCT Filter E vs NCT Filter D
The programmed curve from each .kpro file: bean temperature above, rate of rise below.
Loading roast curves…
Three things show up straight away. Both NCT curves climb faster in the first two minutes: at 2:00 they are 10 to 15 °C ahead. Filter E then stays about 12 °C ahead for the rest of the roast, while Filter D gives its lead back and from five minutes on tracks the F-Series curve within a degree or two. And the rate-of-rise lines cross: the NCT profiles start higher and fall sooner.
What the profile files say
These are medians across every profile in each family, read from the .kpro files. Ranges are in brackets.
| Measure | F-Series (8 profiles) | NCT Filter A–E (5) | All NCT (24) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preheat power | 845 W (790–870) | 1000 W (970–1040) | 975 W (600–1160) |
| Curve reaches 150 °C | 2:30 (2:23–2:40) | 1:57 (1:53–2:07) | 2:07 (1:34–3:54) |
| Curve reaches 200 °C | 5:29 (4:53–5:47) | 4:31 (4:24–5:32) | 4:51 (3:56–8:33) |
| Expected first crack | 207 °C (204–213) | 217.5 °C (215.5–219.5) | 217 °C (208–223.5) |
| Curve reaches expected first crack | 6:18 (6:04–6:27) | 6:41 (6:15–8:01) | 7:00 (5:36–11:30) |
| Rate of rise at that point | 7.7 °C/min (6.6–8.2) | 7.3 °C/min (4.8–7.6) | 5.3 °C/min (3.9–8.8) |
Two patterns matter more than any single row.
F-Series is one family. NCT is many. All eight F-Series curves reach their first-crack marker within 23 seconds of each other. The altitude and process variants change the temperatures, not the shape. The 24 NCT profiles span almost six minutes on the same measure, because Espresso and Omni packs are built for a different job than Filter packs. "NCT" tells you much less about a roast than "F-Series" does, so compare pack by pack.
NCT gets hot sooner but calls first crack later. The Filter packs are about 30 seconds ahead at 150 °C and about a minute ahead at 200 °C. Their first-crack marker sits 10 °C higher, though, so the curve takes slightly longer to get there: 6:41 against 6:18.
First crack is a setting, not a sound
The first-crack temperatures in our logs match the profile files almost exactly: 206.1 °C on F-WSH 1500-2200 (the file says 206), 217.6 °C on NCT Filter E (217.5), 215.7 °C on Filter D (215.5), 218.3 °C on Filter B (218).
That is because the roaster does not detect first crack. Each profile carries an expected first-crack temperature, and the log marks first crack where the measured curve crosses it. The same Ethiopia Sidamo "reached first crack" at 206 °C on one profile and 218 °C on another.
So when a guide says NCT profiles have a higher first-crack temperature, it is describing where the profile's designer put the marker. It also means anything computed from that marker, including development time, depends on the profile. For what first crack actually is in the bean, see first crack in coffee roasting.
What happened in real roasts
Curves are plans. These are medians from our own logged roasts on a Nano 7e: one roaster, six beans, mostly 100–120 g batches.
| Profile | Roasts | Level | Total time | Time after first-crack marker | Development ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-WSH 1500-2200 | 22 | 2.2 | 7:28 | 75 s | 16.3% |
| F-WSH 1000-1700 | 5 | 2.5 | 7:24 | 80 s | 17.4% |
| F-NAT 0-1200 | 11 | 3.4 | 7:37 | 97 s | 20.8% |
| NCT Filter E | 7 | 2.4 | 7:01 | 49 s | 11.7% |
| NCT Filter B | 4 | 2.2 | 7:46 | 55 s | 11.8% |
| NCT Filter D | 8 | 2.4 | 8:35 | 44 s | 8.7% |
Only Filter E was the shorter roast. Filter B ran 18 seconds longer than F-WSH 1500-2200 and Filter D more than a minute longer. The consistent difference is the last column: NCT filter packs spend 44 to 55 seconds past their marker where F-Series spends 75 to 97.
Same bean, both families
Six beans were roasted on at least one profile from each family. Scores are our own cup ratings out of 5, shown as the median with the number of roasts in brackets.
| Bean | Best F-Series result | Best NCT result |
|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia Sidamo (washed) | F-WSH 1500-2200: 2.25 (3) | Filter E: 4.5 (3) |
| Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (washed) | F-WSH 1500-2200: 2 (5) | Filter E: 4 (3) |
| Colombia ASOSPAC (washed) | F-WSH 1500-2200: 3.25 (2) | Filter B: 4.5 (2) |
| Honduras La Flor (washed) | F-WSH 1000-1700: 2.5 (4) | Filter D: 3.5 (2) |
| Kenya Gatugi peaberry (washed) | F-WSH 1500-2200: 3.5 (12) | Filter D: 4 (1) |
| Swiss Water decaf Brazil | F-NAT 0-1200: 4 (11) | Filter D: 3 (1) |
NCT came out ahead on four of the six, clearly so on the two washed Ethiopians. Kenya is too close to call on a single NCT roast, and the decaf did better on F-Series. These are small counts from one roaster's palate, and the Kenya and decaf rows reflect where we spent our batches as much as what the profiles can do. The full attempt history for each bean is in the roast logs, for example Ethiopia Sidamo.
How to use this
- Do not carry a level across families. A 2.2 on F-WSH 1500-2200 dropped at about 214 °C in our roasts; a 2.2 on Filter B dropped at about 223 °C.
- Do not compare development ratios across families. 8.7% on Filter D and 16.3% on F-WSH 1500-2200 scored the same median 3.5. The marker moved, not the roast.
- Pick the NCT pack, not the family. Filter E and Filter D differ from each other more than Filter E differs from F-WSH 1500-2200.
- For washed Ethiopians, try Filter E first. It is the clearest result in our data.
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Related Reading
- Kaffelogic Nano 7 profiles: library and download guide — what each profile family is and where to get it
- Nucleus Link (NCT) profiles explained — what each NCT pack is designed for
- Filter roast profiles — every filter-focused profile in the library
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between NCT and F-Series Kaffelogic profiles?
Are NCT profiles shorter roasts than F-Series?
Why is first crack at a different temperature on NCT profiles?
Which is better for washed Ethiopian coffee, NCT or F-Series?
Can I use the same roast level on NCT and F-Series profiles?
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