Advances in computer technology over the last 15 years have led to a significant evolution in combustion calorimetric instrumentation and methodology. Today highly automated combustion calorimeter systems are commercially available, that free the operator from many of the tasks related to manually handling the bomb or other system components. In addition to the obvious time savings offered by these automated systems, test results are much less dependent upon operator technique since the instrument itself performs the majority of the tasks in a repeatable manner. This paper will highlight some of the more innovative aspects of the Parr 1271 and 1281 calorimeters, contrasting them to more traditional approaches, where applicable.