Shop-Size Roasters

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By Dan Shryock

It was time for a change. After a successful career as a professional cyclist, Christian Meier was looking for something that equaled his passion for cycling.

His new direction was as close as his morning coffee. Meier loved coffee and already was roasting beans as a hobby, something he started during his riding career. His wife Amber had experience working in cafes in Vancouver, B.C. They talked it over and decided to roast beans on a larger scale and open a café in Girona, Spain, their adopted home.

“After I did the Tour de France (in 2014), Amber and I went through a ‘what’s next’ period,” Meier said. “My professional goal was the tour. But now what? We decided it was time to do something for ourselves.”

Girona is a popular cycling destination and “cyclists love coffee. They go hand in hand,” he said. “We thought (a café) would be a great opportunity.”

They bought a Joper BPR-3 roaster and opened the La Fabrica café in 2015. A year later, once Meier retired from the professional bike circuit, they opened a second shop called Espresso Mafia. That dictated an upgrade to the Joper BPR-15. Now, instead of spending hours each day training, he focuses on how to roast the best coffee possible.

The Meiers’ story is not unusual. The growth of specialty coffee has turned many consumer connoisseurs into roasters seeking to make a perfect cup. And while there are no available industry studies, the growth of specialty coffee roasters is evident.

“Anecdotally, we’ve seen growth,” said Heather Ward, the Specialty Coffee Association’s market research manager. “There are always new roasters popping up. We get a lot of inquiries from people entering the industry.”

One way to track the growth is roaster sales.

“We have been noting a steady increase in our shop roaster sales for the past five years with sales figures still going up globally,” said Jens Roelofs, head of sales and service shop roasters at Probat. “There is an increase in interest in specialty roasters mainly due to the fact that consumers’ demands shift more and more towards high-quality coffee roasted in small batches.”

“Apart from this, it is quite interesting to also look into people’s personal stories. There are a lot of shop roaster owners amongst our clients who used to be engaged in completely different professions until recently,” Roelofs said. “In order to bring a change to their lives, they decided to turn towards coffee for a living, and this happens quite often. Probably because it enables them to slow down a bit.”

Investing in a roaster can be expensive and start-up entrepreneurs often select smaller units – up to 30 kilos – that allow for more flexibility as they roast custom batches of beans.

“Micro (roasters) and small shops buy the 1-kilo or 3-kilo size,” Joper Roasters’ Joao Paulo Pinheiro said, noting that nearly 70% of his company’s sales are shop roasters. “When our clients come back, it’s to buy a bigger roaster.”

Engineering and technology continue to evolve the small roaster. Here’s a sample of what’s on the specialty roaster market heading into 2018.

Probat

Probat offers three roasters in its Probatone specialty segment – the Probatone P5, P12, and P25.

“The P5 is the most popular of the Probatone series because it allows for the production of several hundred kgs per week while at the same time being small when it comes to its batch size (5kg),” Roelofs said. “Apart from this, the P5 doesn`t need a lot of space due to its relatively small size. It fits into even the smallest salesrooms.”

Other highlights:

- All three Probatones are equipped with a touch panel enabling roastmasters to control the complete roasting process and profiles at any time.

- Burner performance temperatures can be precisely controlled, and the roasting profile can be altered accordingly.

- All Probatone roasters are equipped with a detached cyclone for chaff separation. This makes cleaning and maintenance easier.

Learn more: www.probat-shoproaster.com

Neuhaus Neotec

Neuhaus Neotec’s Neo-Gourmet batch roaster is new to the specialty roaster market. With the Neo-Gourmet, the company “is developing a new roaster generation which enables smaller and specialty roasting companies to profit from the advantages and the flexibility of hot-air roasting.”

The Neo-Gourmet line of roasters – at 15, 30 and 60 kg per batch - is designed for specialty companies and start-ups looking for smaller batch volumes. The compact roaster adopts the hot-air steam roasting process of the Neuhaus Neotec RFB roaster.

Other highlights:

- Manual settings allow the roastmaster to develop programmable profiles.

-  A unique chamber allows roasting by heated air without moving mechanically driven devices inside the chamber.

- Roasting times can be adjusted faster than in conventional processes, ensuring short roasting times for light or longer-term roasts.

Learn more: www.neuhaus-neotec.de

Joper Roasters

Joper takes pride in its cast iron roasters. “We preserve the cast iron [concept] because we think it’s still the best material,” Joper’s Joao Paulo said. “It gives better flavor and it maintains temperatures.”

Joper offers several small roasters within its Base Shop Roaster (BSR) and Base Profile Roaster (BPR) product lines. Both provide automatic controls and roasting profile systems yet appeal to experienced professionals who wish to control the process. BPR roasters also feature Brigus roasting profile software suitable to any kind of coffee. Brigus controls both the burner and the roaster fan speed as well as a variety of other functions.

Other highlights:

- BSR roasters range from 1-25 kg capacity per batch. BPR roasters are available from 3-25 kg capacity per batch.

- The BSR and BPR roasters all operate on natural or propane gas. The BSR-1, 3, and 5 as well as the BPR-3 and 5 also can run on electricity.

- The largest roasters in these lines can reach 100 kg output per hour.

Learn more: www.joper.pt

IMA Coffee Petroncini

Petroncini, now part of the IMA Group, brings nearly 100 years of experience to coffee roasting. Its specialty roasters use much of the same technology found in its larger equipment. Central to the process is convection roasting.

The roasters are available in two sizes – TT5/10 (5-10 kg batches) and TT15/20 (15-20 kg batches) and feature both manual and automated profile controls.

Other highlights:

- The TT5/10 can produce up to 30 kg per hour. The TT15/20 totals as much as 60 kg per hour.

- Both models can operate using gas or electricity.

- Modulating burner allows a roastmaster to adjust the intensity of the flame throughout the process.

Learn more: www.petroncini.com

Coffee-Tech Engineering

Coffee-Tech Engineering produces its Ghibli R15 with two energy options for the specialty roaster market, one that operates on gas and another fueled by wood. The R15 features full professional profiling and a heavy-duty design for reliable operation that roasts continuously while cooling occurs outside the drum.

The company’s emphasis on engineering is revealed in a number of features including a drum housing that keeps the drum spinning true for the life of the roaster.

Other highlights:

- Ghibli roasters are equipped with efficient turbo gas burners providing a clean heating source and gas and emission efficiency.

- The Ghibli Firewood commercial roaster uses wood combustion and convective hot air, transferring heat and the wood’s aroma to the beans.

- The Ghibli R15 features a batch capacity of 3-15 kg with as many as four batches per hour.

Learn more: www.coffee-tech.com

Bühler Group

The RoastMaster 20 is made for start-up businesses and small-scale industrial operations with capacity ranges up to 70 kg of green beans per hour. The roaster uses convective heat transfer across the rotating drum rather than directing heat from below.

No matter the roasting stage, the variable drum speed and the sophisticated interior design of the roasting chamber deliver optimal bean distribution and an efficient interaction of the beans with the air.

Other highlights:

- The roaster is equipped with a fully variable burner for flexible energy input.

- The PLC control system maintains consistency during production but also leaves room for manual intervention when necessary.

-  Roaster features data export via USB port, online data transfer to external third-party process monitoring software and remote HMI visualization and process control.

Learn more: www.buhlergroup.com

Loring Smart Roast

The Loring S15 Falcon is a convection drum roaster that offers 15-kg coffee roasting capacity in a compact 38-square-foot space. This roaster is designed for new roasting companies entering the market, smaller-scale operations, and those with space constraints.

The need for an afterburner is eliminated by Loring’s innovative single-burner design. Fuel and operating costs are reduced by up to 80%.

Other highlights:

- Touchscreen automation, vacuum elevator loading, auto hopper and auto roast chamber door are all standard.

- A stabilized atmosphere within the roasting chamber allows roasts to be accurately repeated. Digital controls provide real-time roast management either on the touchscreen panel or remotely via iPad, smartphone or computer.

- Lower greenhouse gas emissions help businesses in cities with strict emissions regulations.

Learn more: www.loring.com