Coffee roaster method and control
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for pan roasting a mass of green coffee beans at rest by heat conduction from the pan bottom to the beans mass. A glass cover and smoke filter closes the roasting chamber. A radial blower operates at slow speed to draw ambient air and vacate smoke from the chamber to permit visual monitoring of roasting beans. Periodically, the fan can operate a high speed for a short time to mix or swirl the bean mass without substantial cooling them. The blower can sequence through high and low speed cycles until roasting completes and heating ceases. A high speed cool down phase removes remaining chaff, smoke, and quick cools the beans to preserve freshness. Electric power drives the blower and resistant heating element. The system enables the operator to use appearance, sound, smell, and time to determine roasting completeness.
1. A coffee bean roasting apparatus, comprising:
a roasting chamber including a surface for supporting a mass of coffee beans in one or more layers;
a heater under said surface;
a blower directed at the beans;
a controller connected to said heater and said blower;
said controller including a chip programmed to cause said controller to produce a plurality of combinations of bean done-ness by regulating the blower speed during venting and during stirring, said controller including a regulator to operate the heater and change the blower between a plurality of slower venting speeds and a plurality of faster stirring speeds to effect one or more vent and stir operations.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said controller includes a panel for actuating said chip, said panel including a plurality of switches that permit an operator to enter instructions to said chip, said controller being programmed to repeat cycles in the changes in the venting speeds and stirring speeds to obtain a desired roasting effect.
3. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said panel includes a start-stop switch that actuates the chip to start heating operation, a total time switch that actuates the chip to end heating, and an auto/manual switch that actuates the chip to enter an automatic operation or a manually determined operation.
4. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said panel includes select keys that actuate the chip to set a vent time and a stir time.
5. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said panel includes select keys that actuate the chip to set voltages which select blower speeds, and ramp the speeds over an infmite number of speeds.
6. An apparatus as in claim 4 , wherein said keys increment and decrement the times.
7. An apparatus as in claim 5 , wherein said keys increment and decrement the voltages.
8. An apparatus as in claim 3 , wherein said chip memorizes the times set for manually determined operation for setting into the automatic operation.
9. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said chamber is horizontally circular, and a filter surrounds the circular chamber.
10. An apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein said filter includes a HEPA or ULPA filter.
11. An apparatus as in claim 10 , wherein a pair of chaff screens are peripherally mounted inside said filter.
12. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said controller permits a plurality of choices of vent speed, vent time, stir speed, and stir time, to permit flexibility for roasting different types of beans.
13. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said chamber includes a transparent cover to cover the beans and permit viewing the beans.
14. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a bean roast done-ness determination device, said bean roast done-ness determination device including a transparent cover to cover the beans and permit viewing the beans.
15. An apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said blower is connected to a motor, and a second blower is also connected to the motor.
16. An apparatus as in claim 1 , further including a mechanical stirrer for the beans.
17. A coffee bean roasting apparatus, comprising:
a roasting chamber including a surface for supporting a mass of coffee beans in one or more layers;
a heater under said surface;
a blower directed at the beans;
a controller connected to said heater and said blower;
said controller including a chip programmed to cause said controller to operate the heater and change the blower between a slower venting speed and a faster stirring speed to effect one or more vent and stir operations;
the blower having a resonant speed and the controller ramps the speed of the blower up and down through the resonant speed of the blower to produce vibrations to induce the mass of beans to spread fairly evenly over the surface.
18. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said controller includes a panel for actuating said chip, said panel including a plurality of switches that permit an operator to enter instructions to said chip, said controller being programmed to repeat cycles in the changes in the venting speeds and stirring speeds to obtain a desired roasting effect.
19. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said panel includes a start-stop switch that actuates the chip to start heating operation, a total time switch that actuates the chip to end heating, and an auto/manual switch that actuates the chip to enter an automatic operation or a manually determined operation.
20. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said panel includes select keys that actuate the chip to set a vent time and a stir time.
21. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said panel includes select keys that actuate the chip to set voltages which select blower speeds, and ramp the speeds over an infinite number of speeds.
22. An apparatus as in claim 20 , wherein said keys increment and decrement the times.
23. An apparatus as in claim 21 , wherein said keys increment and decrement the voltages.
24. An apparatus as in claim 19 , wherein said chip memorizes the times set for manually determined operation for setting into the automatic operation.
25. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said chamber is horizontally circular, and a filter surrounds the circular chamber.
26. An apparatus as in claim 25 , wherein said filter includes a HEPA or ULPA filter.
27. An apparatus as in claim 26 , wherein a pair of chaff screens are peripherally mounted inside said filter.
28. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said controller permits a plurality of choices of vent speed, vent time, stir speed, and stir time, to permit flexibility for roasting different types of beans.
29. An apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said chamber includes a transparent cover to cover the beans and permit viewing the beans.
30. An apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said apparatus includes a bean roast done-ness determination device, said bean roast done-ness determination device including a transparent cover to cover the beans and permit viewing the beans.
31. An apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said blower is connected to a motor, and a second blower is also connected to the motor.
32. An apparatus as in claim 17 , further including a mechanical stirrer for the beans.