Quality Improvement and Emission Reduction with Smart Roasting Automation: The Fresh Roasted Coffee Example

[Cengiz Özemli]

## Quality Improvement and Emission Reduction with Smart Roasting Automation: The Fresh Roasted Coffee Example

Andrew Oakes, owner of Fresh Roasted Coffee, adopted a production approach that prioritizes sustainability and consistency as he grew his business. The technology that enabled him to achieve these goals was the Loring Smart Roaster.

### The Traditional Roasting Problem

Traditional coffee roasting methods use gas-fired drum roasters and require a separate afterburner to incinerate the smoke and chaff residue produced. This device consumes its own fuel, adding a hidden burden to operating costs. Furthermore, the roasting process contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions; coffee roasting is responsible for over 15% of total emissions, releasing an average of 0.54 kg of CO2 for every 0.45 kg of coffee.

### Loring Smart Roaster and Closed-Loop Technology

The Loring Smart Roaster eliminates the need for an external afterburner with its patented single-burner convection design. Smoke is incinerated within the machine by reusing its own heat. This closed-loop system provides up to 80% fuel savings and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the device is less affected by ambient temperature, reaching the target roasting temperature faster and with less energy consumption.

### Fresh Roasted Coffee's Sustainability Approach

• 84,000 square foot facility in Pennsylvania equipped with 3 different Loring models
• Annual roasting capacity of approximately 1.36 million kilograms (3 million pounds)
• 1300 solar panel system on the facility's roof generating 753 kW of power
• A large portion of electricity needs met by solar energy
• Energy management connected to the grid, providing reliable support in winter months
• Transparent data sharing with monthly sustainability reports

### Quality and Consistency Process

Fresh Roasted Coffee manages quality in its production process based on engineering principles. The Roastmaster optimizes roasting profiles developed in the lab with a small Loring machine and, once approved, uploads them to the full production line. This ensures that every machine and operator works with the same parameters, guaranteeing quality and taste consistency. This method reduces waste due to human error and ensures consistent product output.

### A New Standard in the Industry

Andrew Oakes approaches sustainability not merely as an effort to meet an industry standard, but with the goal of setting a new one. To this end, early investment in clean technologies, solar energy integration, and comprehensive data reporting lead to economic and environmental success.

Oakes' vision is to view sustainability in the coffee and general food sectors not just as a cost or marketing issue, but as a solvable design problem, and to advance with real solutions in this area.

This perspective demonstrates that it is possible to manage expertise and scalability together. The infrastructure chosen by Fresh Roasted Coffee serves as an example for many producers in the industry and shapes future production models.