Fall 2021 Issue

THIS ISSUE: COFFEE & TECHNOLOGY

FALL 2021 | Vol. XXXIV No.7

Techtalk

CONTENTS FALL ISSUE 2021

06

THE VIEW

08

CHILLING INNOVATIONS

Technology Marches On KERRI GOODMAN & JAKE LEONTI

Cold Coffee and the Race to Convenience JAKE LEONTI

10

CHANGING THE PLAYING FIELD Automation in Specialty Coffee JAI LOTT

12

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“WET CLEANING” Helping to Ensure Food Safety KARL SEIDEL

COFFEETALK MAGAZINE

Advertisers { INDEX } Add A Scoop / Juice Bar Solutions Inc

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Artisan Coffee Group LTD (800) 683-2876 | CSSSI.COM 7

Baskets-n-Bags

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KERRI GOODMAN kerri@coffeetalk.com { 206.686.7378 x1 }

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR

JAKE LEONTI jake@coffeetalk.com { x2 }

JUSTIN GOODMAN justin@coffeetalk.com { x3 }

ADMINISTRATION

PRINT DESIGNER

(575) 649-6642 | BASKETS-N-BAGS.ORG 13

Bühler Inc

(763) 847-9900 | BUHLERGROUP.COM 13

Cablevey Conveyors

(641) 673-8451 | CABLEVEY.COM 3

Costellini's

(877) 889-1866 | COSTELLINIS.COM 13

Don Pablo Coffee Roasting Company

(305) 249-5628 | DONPABLOCOFFEE.COM 13

Fres-co System USA Inc.

(215) 721-4600 | FRESCO.COM 9

Grounds for Health

(802) 876-7835 | GROUNDSFORHEALTH.ORG 15

Java Jacket

(800) 208-4128 | JAVAJACKET.COM 11

Primera Technology Inc.

MARCUS FELLBAUM fellbaum@mac.com

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(800) 797-2772 | PRIMERALABEL.COM 13

Texpak Inc | Scolari Engineering

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Visstun Cups & Containers

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THE VIEW

{ Technology Marches On }

Cof eTalk Magazine

-41.2710849,173.2836756

KERRI GOODMAN & JAKE LEONTI

{

R

ecently I saw a meme that resonated. Technology has always been near and dear to my heart. From the late 80's when I discovered the joys of word-processing on a Mac Plus (rather than my Selectric) when Whiteout no longer ruled my world.

Thus began my 30+ year journey.

Word-processing turned to 'desktop publishing' to graphic design and, in 1994, magazine publishing. Our

{

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H

ere’s why I’m excited about this issue...

It is time to take notice of Tech in coffee. Coffee has been attractive to many investors over the years due to its high margins and consistent market growth on the retail side. In the last decade, we saw significant investments in acquisitions and consolidations with the mergers or purchases of several high-ticket companies. These acquisitions included Peet’s, Blue Bottle, La Colombe, and Caribou Coffee to name a few. They all had high price tags which showed 2021 | FALL ISSUE

achievements have always been rooted in a passion for embracing new ways of thinking and doing. Our website was launched in 1994 (before CocaCola), and digital images changed our world. We have often been at the "bleeding edge," looking for creative ways to help our clients communicate their messages and connect with their customers. And the journey continues.

We are proud to feature this technology-focused issue and look forward to the life-long journey of learning.

growing value in the coffee industry.

That being said, these were all predictable investments that had low risk and a solid promise of returns. These are the kind of investments we are used to seeing in the coffee industry.

A new trend has emerged in coffee investments. Groups are investing in technology and innovations that are about to form the future of the coffee business. Rather than the safe investments of proven long-term companies with a robust infrastructure, investors are turning toward small startups with inspired new ideas, products or

processes that haven’t fully proven themselves yet, but look like the future of coffee. This is a considerable shift and shows even greater confidence in our industry and opportunities for growth in many directions. Companies like Demetria raised 3 million dollars this year for giving green coffee a chemical fingerprint. Cometeer raised 35 million for an innovative frozen product, while Blank Street raised 25 million for a game-changing retail model after less than 12 months in operation. Perhaps Big-Tech is that intangible next wave in coffee everyone has been waiting for.

COFFEETALK MAGAZINE

CHILLING INNOVATIONS { Cold Coffee and the Race to Convenience }

{

JAKE LEONTI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, COFFEETALK / CEO F+B THERAPY

I

ced coffee continues to be a massive driver in coffee sales. According to Allegra's World Coffee Portal, the iced beverage sector showed sales of $10.4bn at the US branded coffee shops in 2021, achieving an impressive 7.3% growth.

These statistics are not a shocker as cold brew has been leading development in this sector for the past ten years and provided the most significant boost. Any time there is market growth of this size consistently year after year, people start to notice, and innovations begin to boom in an effort to get in on the action.

We have seen innovations in cold brew over the years. Most are simply trying to speed up the process of the long extraction cold brew requires.

These adaptations are not creating something new so much as trying to change something that already works. One of the more exciting innovations comes from Elemental Beverage in Watertown, MA, just outside Boston. The SnapChill system developed by inventor and engineer David Dussault takes coffee from its brewing temperature of 204 degrees and cools it to 38 degrees in less than a minute. This alone is an impressive accomplishment. The coffee remains preserved after canning by reducing the temperature rapidly while keeping the liquid free from oxygen. The usual issue with hot coffee served cold is that you lose all the subtle aromatics, and the iced coffee tastes stale. This effect typically occurs because at a specific temperature (about 158 F), the volatile aromatics of coffee are released and with it the complex aromas we all cherish.

Additionally, exposure to oxygen causes oxidization which is responsible for the perceived stale flavor in

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aging coffee. The process of oxidation occurs faster in higher temperatures.

So, when Dussault's invention is cooling the liquid, it avoids these issues by passing the coffee through a long and narrow coiled tube surrounded by cooling agents. By increasing the surface area, the fluid can cool faster while remaining protected from oxygen. The entire process happens so quickly that all the original flavors and aromas are preserved.

The Elemental method sounds like a very industrial large-scale system, which it was; however, it has all been boiled down to a small countertop unit. There is one currently sitting on the countertop of George Howell's Washington Street café in Boston.

Stopping in to test it out, I was skeptical on the onset. I ordered bright Kenyan coffee to be prepared as a pour-over and then pass through the SnapChill system. The machine itself didn't look impressive and seemed kind of big and clunky to fit into most coffee shops which is the case with most prototypes. However, once the chilled liquid made it back to me, I was

thoroughly impressed. Aromas of berries and citrus fruit filled my olfactory, and they were met with an equally vivid flavor upon my first sip. Having worked on product development and launch for cold brew products globally, I have tasted and scrutinized iced coffee on a level that most will avoid. Experiencing the vivid nuance of a Kenyan coffee and the aromas of a hot coffee while sipping cold liquid confused my brain. It was an extra step and may not appeal to everyone; however, the experience was exceptional.

Connecting with David on a call to discuss his excellent innovation also caught me off guard. David is the classic likable character from Medford, Mass., complete with a Boston accent. He grew up working on HVAC systems with his father and brother and learning the heating and cooling trade. As a young adult, Mr. Dussault graduated from MIT specializing in thermodynamics and continued to work in thermal innovations and building prototypes.

When I asked how he came up with the idea, I couldn't have received a better response. "My founding partner, Michael Corrado, that grew up down the street from me, says, 'Hey Dave, my beers warm. I want my beer to be cold but immediately like a microwave but the opposite. Why doesn't that exist?"

I audibly laugh at the telling of the story. Dave is still working on thermal innovation but can't stop thinking about what Michael said. So he begins deconstructing the problem and realizes it is a simple thermal problem.

Mr. Dussault in no way claims to be a coffee professional but, more accurately, a technology guy. "People who make hot coffee put all their care and expertise in making this. I want to capture that. I don't want to change the brew time or extraction, or water content. I knew that if COFFEETALK MAGAZINE

I could capture what the experts were doing, then it will work."

water that had to be diluted; it was always touch and go, which is why cold brew came into existence. With the SnapChill system, David solved it."

This is when David reaches out to one of the foremost authorities of Specialty coffee that also happens to be in Boston, George Howell. David tells it, "He basically, in one sense, designed it. I'm an engineer, and there is ultimately one way to do it. Geoge gave me all the parameters to define, and I cooled it down in under a minute."

George's enthusiasm for SnapChill does not surprise me, as his mission is always to capture coffee's pure essence and terroir. George proclaims, "We need to expand the number of people drinking coffee at home without milk." SnapChill has allowed a perfectly brewed coffee to be captured immediately after brewing. Another recent innovation that is attempting to solve the same problem differently is Cometeer.

Based in Glouster, MA, Cemetery was founded by Matt Roberts, who was also a coffee pro and a tech pro. Matt's approach was to brew coffee into a concentrate, captured it in a capsule, and then cryogenically freeze the coffee using liquid nitrogen and turn it into a stable puck. The consumer then pops the capsule into their cup,

George disagrees and gives full credit to David. "No, David designed it and built it; that's all his credit. We were right behind him and tested it out. Our enthusiasm gave him the feedback and encouragement to keep going."

George continues, "David came up with this amazing machine, and we tried it out, and I was just blown away by it. This is a problem that all specialty cafes have faced. You couldn't make great iced coffee. You either had to use too much coffee or too little

adds hot water to unlock the stored flavor for a fresh-tasting coffee.

George Howell was one of the first people Matt reached out to as an advisor. George continues, "We were at the beginning of that. Their process can produce a very clean cup of coffee. They are developing that technology in quantity as we speak."

George and his team offered support in the early testing days and now have their product in puck form.

Some might wonder why a Specialty coffee expert and aficionado would allow their coffee to be in a capsule.

But, when Mr. Howell explains it, it is simple to understand.

"If we (in Specialty coffee) want to get beyond the small minorities of farmers that are benefiting from >>

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CONTINUED on PAGE 11

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CHANGING THE PLAYING FIELD: { Automation in Specialty Coffee }

{

JAI LOTT | BLANK STREET

T

he Specialty coffee industry has embraced technology since its inception. From fully manual espresso machines like the La Pavoni, to full service, four-group commercial machines with built-in scales and grinders that are WIFI or Bluetooth-enabled.

When making coffee, for me the goal should always be to remove as many variables as possible. Simply put, the fewer things you can mess up, the better your coffee will taste. It’s science.

Coffee tech is now so advanced that a robot – i.e. super-automatic espresso machine – can do everything a barista can do with consistency and excellence. From stabilizing your dose, to grooming the grinds, to tampering perfectly flat, to extracting at an exact time target, to giving you the perfect yield – all with just the press of a button. Furthermore, super autos will steam flawlessly silky milk straight from the refrigerator into your pitcher.

So, you can pour your latte art to your heart’s content and sleep well at night knowing your drink will taste fantastic every single time. There are several super-autos to choose from, but at Blank Street we prefer the Cadillac of them all: the Cameo e2 by a Swiss espresso system called Eversys.

At Blank Street, we’ve embraced technology to flip the traditional specialty coffee model on its head.

By operating with super-automatic espresso machines instead of manual ones, we’re able to reduce our labor and increase our customer service, which translates directly to tips.

Really good tips. And really good tips mean happy Baristas, and happy Baristas means employee retention, which is a major challenge to all

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foodservice businesses, especially now.

We also choose to offer a condensed menu of specialty coffee and tea and a small selection of takeaway food items. Between our limited menu, our automation, and our small location footprint, we’re able to dramatically reduce the overall buildout cost typically needed for a specialty coffee shop. Our average retail space is 300 square feet – about a quarter of the size of an average café. By claiming a small footprint, we’re able to fit into any neighborhood at a reduced rent. The two most significant costs to any coffee shop are labor and rent, and we have managed to reduce both while improving customer satisfaction. These are the key innovations to the café business model.

While technology has been game-changing for the specialty coffee trade, it doesn’t come at a cost to customer experience. Human connection is still an integral part of one’s daily coffee routine, and coffee tech only enhances that. With the super auto machines taking care of the many steps of making an espresso drink, baristas are free to focus on their customers. This is a paradigm shift. Gone are the days of the cliché misanthrope barista who angrily bangs their bubbly pot of milk as a bid for attention, so everyone gathers around to admire their latte art, while they pretend not to notice. Instead, excellent coffee and perfectly textured milk are guaranteed, so the barista can put all that energy toward human connection.

Blank Street is not the first company to sell coffee out of a small footprint using super-automatic espresso machines. But we are the first third waver to make a play with this model and scale. Many specialty-coffee COFFEETALK MAGAZINE

CHILLING INNOVATIONS Continued from page 9 executives would sneer at automation in general. However, the advancement of the equipment is what has made this possible. I love manual machines – I love the smell and the noise of the ritual – however it can take several days to train someone to do just an okay job on a manual machine, and hundreds of gallons of milk to make a decent latte. Between our automation and our mobile order-ahead app, our locations can run smoothly with just one or two employees, not five or six.

And we’re able to provide a product that’s consistent day after day.

Here’s where things get interesting: technology has improved to the degree that automated coffee is so good, artisan coffee houses can rethink their approach to this business and start playing on the same field as the big boys. Game on.

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Specialty coffee for their efforts, their time, and expenses, we need more people to be drinking coffee without milk. The people that are drinking coffee without milk are the ones that will set the farmers free."

This argument makes a lot of sense as the more consumers appreciate quality coffee, the more they are willing to pay for that coffee, and the more farmers will be paid for their crops.

As Margherita Beale writes for Forbes, Cometeer is "looking to capitalize on the pandemic-driven rise of at-home coffee drinkers and tap the rising sales of specialty coffee that are expected to increase to $85 billion by 2025."

And it appears that Cometeer has capitalized with its recent raising of $35 million earlier in October.

The investment shows significant

confidence in the value of bringing Specialty coffees to the majority of consumers rather than the niche.

This expansion is a positive step for the industry and potential for the entire value chain. As George puts it, "Until more coffee drinkers are converted to drinking it without milk, we need it to be more convenient."

Elemental Beverage and Cometeer are both certainly creating a more convenient way for the average consumer to enjoy an expertly prepared coffee in their homes.

FALL ISSUE | 2021

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“WET CLEANING” { Helping to Ensure Food Safety}

KARL SEIDEL | MARKETING DIRECTOR, CABLEVEY CONVEYORS

{

C

offee roasters can significantly improve food safety compliance and system reliability with systems that can be quickly and effectively f looded with water, f lushed, rinsed, cleansed, and thoroughly sanitized without disassembly.

This “wet cleaning” process can be accomplished via tubular drag conveyor systems, which gently move product through a sealed, enclosed tube using a drag cable and circular discs pulled through on a loop.

Since a complete and thorough cleaning can be accomplished without disassembling the system, the entire process only takes 20-90 minutes. This can substantially reduce downtime during production changeovers and eliminate the need for unnecessary additional dedicated conveyor lines. Additionally, regular cleaning can be set to run on an automated basis for coffee roasters conveying a specific product.

To resolve potential food safety and downtime issues, a growing number of specialty coffee roasters

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are replacing pneumatic conveyor systems with tubular cable conveyor systems with automated wet cleaning capability. In the coffee processing industry, the system can convey up to 2000 cubic feet per hour of materials with numerous layouts using multiple inlets and outlets.

The cable conveyor’s wet cleaning process internally cleans the tube in several steps, starting with a water rinse followed by a foaming agent, a sanitizing rinse, and a final water rinse. Once the system is thoroughly flushed out, drying is achieved by attaching urethane wipers to the tubular conveyor’s discs, which “act like a squeegee” to remove residual water.

The conveyor can be integrated with the coffee roasters’ distributed control systems (DCS) to automate the cleaning process. The system is essentially self-cleaning by automating the cleaning, so it is convenient to let it run through the cleaning process as employees take care of other tasks.

cleanliness of the equipment and the cleaning process as it occurs.

For added food safety, coffee roasters can choose to add a unique inspection option that enables the running of a small, lighted camera system internally through the tubes, with video viewable on a smartphone via an app.

Usually, this level of inspection is performed on an as-needed basis to verify further or document cleanliness.

This clear tube system is transparent except where the clamps are located, so coffee roasters can visually view the cleaning process at any time. In addition, the internal camera system enables seeing “every nook and cranny from the inside.” This, along with regular ATP testing, provides coffee roasters with the confidence that they are reliably meeting all QA and food safety standards.

Transparent tubes can be chosen as an option for the conveyor system to provide greater visibility into the

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