The complexity of coffee processing

Coffee roasting, at first glance, appears to be a simple process: applying heat to raw coffee beans. It is important to generate and control the correct temperatures at the right time, and then stop the process when the colour of the coffee is homogenous throughout the whole bean and the aroma has fully developed so as to appeal to consumers and connoisseurs. However, on closer inspection, the dependency of the changing temperature distribution in the coffee bean on the parameters governing the process, such as roast gas temperature, fluid flow conditions and material properties of the coffee bean are all important factors. The difficulty in mastering the whole process comes from the changes in nearly all parameters involved in the process; the temperatures, the material properties and the geometry of the beans.

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