Autonomous coffee roaster

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The global coffee industry has witnessed a surge in demand for premium-quality coffee, especially in upscale coffee shops, specialty coffee roasteries, and other elite establishments. As the appreciation for finer coffee nuances grows, so does the need for equipment that can produce larger volumes without compromising on quality. While our award-winning sample roaster has been instrumental in setting quality benchmarks, its capacity is not sufficient to meet the escalating demands of businesses that require larger, consistent batches of roasted coffee. Current roasting equipment are primarily made for commodity coffee where the roasting process has less impact because the raw material (green coffee) is roasted darker to avoid bad aromas. Addressing this gap, ROEST aims to develop an electric, autonomous coffee roaster tailored for small to medium volume production, perfecting the roasting process. By integrating smart mechanical solutions, a range of sensors currently not utilized for coffee roasting and advanced roast profiles based on in-house research and modeling, we aim to achieve unparalleled efficiency and consistency in the roasting process. So far we have successfully developed a prototype encompassing the basic roasting functions throughout 2022. This project has been initiated to develop an autonomous control system consisting of required equipment, sensor and control modules, as well as algorithms that will render the roaster fully autonomous, ensuring seamless operations. Without this module, our product functionality and performance may be comparable to other (smaller) specialty roasters on the market, requiring highly skilled and trained operators to monitor, analyze and adjust settings during the process. ROEST sees a clear need for an autonomous high-end roaster that ensures that every batch of coffee, regardless of the skills of the operator, not only meets but exceeds quality expectations, all while reducing operational costs for our customers.