Fully Automatic Smokeless Coffee Roasting Machine System

[trbb]

Just a quick note to say The Roasted Bean Boutique now offers a Fully Automatic Smokeless Coffee Bean Roasting Machine System which requires no specialist skill and can be installed almost anywhere.

In-house coffee roasting has just become an affordable reality for all Coffee Shops, Delis, Farm Shops etc

We believe we will revolutionise the coffee market and allow the small independent coffee shop to take on the big chains by allowing a real competitive difference through coffee roasting in-house - your customers can see, smell and tatse fresh daily roasted coffee!!!!

 

[Fresh Roaster]

Just curious... How does it compare to the Fresh Roast System?

 

[trbb]

The Roasted Bean Boutique Comparison to Fresh Roast Systems

Hi,

Fresh Roast Systems use colour of the coffee bean to determine whether the roast is correct. It also (as far as I can make out) is pre-programmed at the factory and you just load the bins with green beans and press a button, everything is automatic.

There is also a big debate as to whether colour by itself is a good enough indicator of bean readiness. If the roast chamber is too hot then the colouration of the beans on their outside will show the beans are ready - BUT - on the inside, the bean will not be ready.

The Roasted Bean Boutique is automatic and smokeless BUT user override is available throughout the roasting cycle. This means that the operator can make small/large changes as the orast progreses. You can still hear 1st/2nd crack, you still get the aroma and you can view the beans in the roast chamber. So while the Rosted Bean Boutique system can operate fully automatically it also allows manual override on-the-fly.

As a Master Roaster who requires quality, I would always want manual override.

 

[Alun_evans]

TRBB- I have tried coffee roasted on similar types of machines here in Indo (1 Taiwanese, 1 Korean.) I found in both cases the coffee seemed to lack brightness and a fully developed cup profile. I am not sure whether this is a result of the pre-programmed profiling orthe roast process itself?

This is not a direct criticisim- as I do know that the computer system on these roasters allows a solid effort for those not familiar with the process of roast profiling. My question would be woud you see these types of roasters ever being used by experienced roasters, or are they pretty much designed for new comers to the industry?

 

[trbb]

would automatic coffee roasters be used by professionals

Hi Alun,

My answer to you has to be a definite yes.

BUT

I would need to qualify this.

A coffee shop relies on providing its customers with a quality and CONSISTENT product.

I believe that from The Roasted Bean Boutique point of view we can provide a coffee shop just that, with the added bonus of customers being able to "see", "smell" and "taste" their coffee being made "in front of them".

This is a very powerful business/marketing tool and should encourage word of mouth advertising and customer loyalty.

So being able to give customers a consistent, qulaity, "good tasting coffee" with an added bonus of "seeing" it being made/roasted, is one definite advantage over other coffee shops, and certainly the Roasted Bean Boutique roasters can offer this.

In automatic mode you will of course lose a little of the finest points that the bean has to offer (this is true of any automated process over a manual process when it comes to any "artistic" interpretation).

So can the Roasted Bean Boutique roasters in manual mode give a good roast - YES, the operator has full control to within 1 degree of temperature and one second of time of both bean and roast chamber characteristics. So a Master Roaster (in my opinion) would be able to get a good result in manual mode (ie: making on-the-fly changes to the roast profile).

So the bottom line is (for me) automated roasting using the Roasted Bean Boutique roasters gives a good finish to a day-to-day bean type, but manual operation would be advised for say a Blue Mountain Bean in order to really bring out the bean's qualities.

Thanks, Tony, (TRBB)

 

[Alun_evans]

Thanks Tony for that. For sure, learning to roast on a drum roaster has to be among the worlds greatest mysteries. I remember whe I was leaning to roast many years back, it was nigh near impossible to learn the trade. Whilst there are many more options now to learn, as there are more people roasting, it is still pretty difficult to find a real quality roaster to apprentice to. I am suprised someone has not written a comprehensive book on roasting- not insulting Kenneth Davids here, but I mean a commercial drum roasting book, rather that one focused on home roasting. I think, in general, understanding the real fundementals of roasting are lacking today. In many ways perhaps machines such as the TRBB are the way many smaller opperators are following- you are right the "theatre" is there for sure. Here there are a growing number of machines in the market, as there are in Singapore and Malaysia- mainly becasue (I guess) the programming is easier than actually suceffully learning how to produce a quality roast on a manual drumroaster.

 

[trbb]

Adding theatre to the Cafe experience

Alun absolutely - adding theatre to the coffee drinking experience is key for creating a "business difference" and I also agree with you that there may be a danger of "dumbing down" of the roaster artistry.

Just like any computerised machine, the output is only as good as the programmer/operator. I do not mean to imply that solid roasting eduaction/training is not needed by the operators - indeed at TRBB we have adopted a training program for our users from the basics to advanced roasting and cupping.

Maybe a technical book on small commercial roasting is a good idea, I will have a think about this. Of course, I dont want to give away trade secrets ) but I think you are correct in saying such a book is lacking. Maybe I will consolidate my roasting/cupping educational courses and write sonething - collaboration on such a project would be welcome (any volunteers ????)

 

[Alun_evans]

Haha, I think there would be a few contributors who would raise their hands to participate in such a project. The future of coffee so much depends on producing...well...good coffee! On a recent visit to a country that 10 years ago was reknown for the quality of its roasted product, I was a little dismayed at what I was seeing in the cup (not roaches in the grinds mind you!!). Generally I think specialty coffee as a boom has been a two edged sword. Perception is it is indeed easy to roast, meaning ar has been effectively removed from entry to the business for many- however reality is while roasting may not be difficult, roasting above average quality requires some knowledge. This means, in my view, that the general quality of coffee, in the country I visited, is not as good as it was a decade ago- although there are now far more choices open to the consumer. Obviously, longterm, the danger is average quality will slow down consumption...not good for the industry all the wa back to the growers where I live.

I think that a buffer exists somewhat- as there is a potential landslide of consumers coming online in South Asia and China. Inthe short-medium term these countries will not be too concerned with quality, more with branding... as they collectively make up 70% of the worlds population! However in the longterm I think roaster education is imperative to industry strength and integrity