Coffee supply chains: Bühler and IKAWA explore roasting capabilities to bolster product development

08 Aug 2023 --- UK-based coffee roaster creator IKAWA and Swiss technology group Bühler are partnering to close the gap between micro- and medium- to large-scale coffee roasting.

The collaboration aims to explore the potential for product development between IKAWA’s sample roasters and Bühler’s RoastMaster series. 

Bühler and IKAWA came to the coffee marketplace following different paths. Bühler has an industrial background with more than 50 years of coffee engineering competence and has worked with many medium and large roasters to set up coffee processing plants globally. 

Bühler’s RoastMaster series comprises four sizes with throughput per hour ranging from 70 kilograms up to one ton. 

Digital roasting 
IKAWA is leading the adoption of digital roasting, making sample evaluation easy and accessible. The company entered the coffee stage in 2010 as a start-up and is today well known throughout the global coffee supply chain for its precise, app-controlled and user-friendly micro-roasting technology, aimed at helping coffee businesses make better and quicker purchasing decisions. 

The IKAWA Pro Series comprises the Pro50, Pro100 and the brand-new Pro100x, which includes the industry first IKAWA humidity sensor. 

Bühler’s RoastMaster series comprises four sizes with throughput per hour ranging from 70 kilograms up to 1 ton.With both Bühler’s integration across the coffee supply chain and IKAWA’s global presence in the specialty coffee market, they are well-positioned to team up for innovation in a market with space for development.

“Partnering with IKAWA and strengthening our presence in the coffee roasting market is a key step for Bühler in many ways. Working together with IKAWA will help us take new perspectives and create innovative ideas to address the needs between micro- and medium- to large-scale coffee roasting,” says Michael Blatter, head of market segment coffee at Bühler.  

Andrew Stordy, founder of IKAWA, adds: “Bühler brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in engineering and manufacturing. This experience will complement the user-centered approach to design we have become known for in sample roasting.” 

Notably, Bühler is ramping up its capabilities using digital processing systems. Last September, the Swiss equipment manufacturer showcased one of its latest digital services, branded MontBlanc, which measures and recommends to beer producers the appropriate fan speed for kilning their barley. The technology was displayed at the Drinktec trade show in Munich, Germany. 

Research sessions 
Aligned with their approach to coffee systems, IKAWA will lead the first phase of user research by inviting professionals from the roasting market to participate in feedback and testing sessions. 

“We aim to deeply understand the goals and challenges users face in production-scale roasting and to use this to inform design solutions that improve what is already available in the market. To do this, we need as many people as possible to get involved by sharing ideas and taking part in user testing,” Stordy explains. 

Edited by Elizabeth Green