An apparatus for roasting coffee beans comprises a roasting chamber for containing coffee beans. The roasting chamber is positioned within a resonant cavity of a waveguide. A microwave emitter produces microwave energy within the waveguide with one or more stable high intensity microwave regions within the roasting chamber to heat the coffee beans in the roasting chamber to a temperature sufficient to roast the coffee beans. A device configured to move the coffee beans within the one or more high intensity microwave regions is coupled to the roasting chamber.

A coffee preparation machine can include at least one sealed pod containing unroasted green coffee beans, a roasting system that accepts the at least one sealed pod, a grinding system, and a brewing system, where the brewing system, the roasting system, and the grinding system can be housed within a single self-contained unit.

A coffee preparation machine can include at least one sealed pod containing unroasted green coffee beans, a roasting system that accepts the at least one sealed pod, a grinding system, and a brewing system, where the brewing system, the roasting system, and the grinding system can be housed within a single self-contained unit.

A separation apparatus for separating an unwanted substance from an extraction target includes a forming unit configured to form a separation chamber through which the extraction target passes, and a suction unit communicating with the separation chamber in a direction crossing a passage direction of the extraction target and configured to suck air in the separation chamber. The forming unit includes an inlet for the extraction target, which communicates with the separation chamber, and an outlet for the extraction target, which communicates with the separation chamber, and the air is sucked from the outlet into the separation chamber by suction of the suction unit.

A grinding unit (12) for selectively grinding beans (20), in particular coffee beans, is disclosed. The grinding unit comprises a plurality of storage containers (16, 18) for storing the beans (20) and a grinding module (14) associated to the storage containers for grinding the beans. The grinding unit comprises a plurality of shutters (28, 30), wherein each of the shutters is associated to one of the storage containers for feeding the beans from a selected storage container to the grinding module, wherein the shutters are movable with respect to each other to selectively feed the beans from the selected container to the grinding module. An actuation unit (46) is associated to the shutters for actuating the shutters and for opening and closing the storage containers independently. The grinding unit comprises a control unit (32) for controlling the actuation unit in order to open and close the selected storage container and for controlling the grinding module, wherein the control unit is adapted to start driving the grinding module after opening the selected container and to drive the grinding module for a predetermined time period or for a predetermined number of rotations after closing the selected storage container. The control unit is configured to determine said predetermined time period or said predetermined number of rotations, respectively, based on an opening time during which the selected storage container has been open.

A system and method for coffee bean processing that includes a bean refinement chute with a bean grind inlet and a refined grind outlet; a filter system integrated into at least one surface within the chute; a vibration system operable in an active state that agitates bean grinds during progression from the bean grind inlet to the refined grind outlet; a refined grind chamber positioned adjacent to the refined grind outlet and thereby collects refined grinds; and a filtered grind chamber positioned beneath the filter system and thereby collects filtered grinds.

The present invention proposes a method for controlling a roasting process of coffee beans comprises sampling a first batch of coffee beans and a second batch of coffee beans from said coffee beans during roasting (S12; S42); detecting a surface colour of the first batch of coffee beans (S14; S44); grinding the second batch of coffee beans and detecting a powder colour of the second batch of coffee beans after grinding (S16; S46); and controlling the roasting process at least partially based on the detected surface colour of the first batch of coffee beans and the detected powder colour of the second batch of coffee beans (S18; S48). The present invention also provides apparatus using the above described method.

The present invention proposes a method for controlling a roasting process of coffee beans comprises sampling a first batch of coffee beans and a second batch of coffee beans from said coffee beans during roasting (S12; S42); detecting a surface colour of the first batch of coffee beans (S14; S44); grinding the second batch of coffee beans and detecting a powder colour of the second batch of coffee beans after grinding (S16; S46); and controlling the roasting process at least partially based on the detected surface colour of the first batch of coffee beans and the detected powder colour of the second batch of coffee beans (S18; S48). The present invention also provides apparatus using the above described method.

The invention concerns an apparatus for roasting coffee beans comprising: a vessel (1) to contain coffee beans, a heating device (12) to heat coffee beans contained in the vessel, a control system (180) operable to control the heating device and configured to apply a roasting recipe (R) providing the temperature T.sub.@t1, T.sub.@t2, . . . to be applied at discrete successive times t.sub.1, t.sub.2, . . . , respectively, wherein for a customised quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, the control system is configured to obtain at least the quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, and the control system is configured to get access to at least one series of roasting recipes (R.sub.i, R.sub.i+1, . . . ) adapted to the roasting of different successive pre-determined quantities (M.sub.i, M.sub.i+1, . . . ) of beans of same type and to said pre-determined quantities Mi, Mi+1, . . . , and based on said accessible series of roasting recipes (R.sub.i, R.sub.i+1, . . . ) adapted to the roasting of different successive pre-determined quantities (M.sub.i, M.sub.i+1, . . . ) of beans of same type and based on said obtained quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, the control system is configured to determine the roasting recipe (R) to be applied on said obtained quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel.

The invention concerns an apparatus for roasting coffee beans comprising: a vessel (1) to contain coffee beans, a heating device (12) to heat coffee beans contained in the vessel, a control system (180) operable to control the heating device and configured to apply a roasting recipe (R) providing the temperature T.sub.@t1, T.sub.@t2, . . . to be applied at discrete successive times t.sub.1, t.sub.2, . . . , respectively, wherein for a customised quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, the control system is configured to obtain at least the quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, and the control system is configured to get access to at least one series of roasting recipes (R.sub.i, R.sub.i+1, . . . ) adapted to the roasting of different successive pre-determined quantities (M.sub.i, M.sub.i+1, . . . ) of beans of same type and to said pre-determined quantities Mi, Mi+1, . . . , and based on said accessible series of roasting recipes (R.sub.i, R.sub.i+1, . . . ) adapted to the roasting of different successive pre-determined quantities (M.sub.i, M.sub.i+1, . . . ) of beans of same type and based on said obtained quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel, the control system is configured to determine the roasting recipe (R) to be applied on said obtained quantity m of coffee beans introduced inside the vessel.