Is Infrared Coffee Roasting Better Than Conventional Roasting?

When it comes to coffee, which is better - infrared or conventional roasting? How do these methods differ? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques? More importantly, how do they affect the taste of coffee? For the answers to these questions, read the short article below. It will give you a clear idea of these techniques and help you enjoy coffee even more.     

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In conventional roasting, coffee beans are placed on a flat screen conveyor and the beans are roasted by blowing flame heated hot air from below. Another way to do this is to put the beans in a tumbler and blow the flame heated hot air as they tumble. But in both cases, the flame could burn the beans or fail to cook them evenly. This also causes the formation of natural coffee acids that are responsible for heartburn, indigestion and upset stomach among others. People with sensitive stomachs can’t tolerate these irritants.

To prevent this, some companies now use infrared roasting where the beans are roasted in small batches to bring out the desired flavor and aroma. With infrared technology, the beans heat quickly compared to those roasted by hot air. Due to the quick increase in internal temperature, the beans have less surface damage. They are uniformly heated and never burned. There is also a uniform and quick decrease in moisture, resulting in a perfectly roasted and delicious coffee bean. Furthermore, infrared roasting decreases the formation of citric acid, malic acid and formic acid that are naturally found in coffee beans.

Another advantage of infrared roasting is that it increases the aroma of coffee by over 25 percent than conventional roasting. Extracts of the infrared roasted coffee beans were found to be different from traditional roasting. They had a weaker acidity, producing a better tasting coffee without any bitter taste.

In closing, infrared roasting results in decreased acidity levels, an evenly roasted bean, and no burnt or bitter coffee taste. This low acid coffee is good for people with sensitive stomachs. Thus, infrared roasting is better than conventional roasting owing to its rich aroma and light acidity.