Technology

Brambati: A roaster for all seasons

In a period historians consider the late middle ages and early Renaissance, roasters once used shallow pans held over hot coals to transform small portions of green beans to brown. Over time, the demand for coffee increased and technology grew rapidly, leading to cylindrical-style roasters around 1650.

Roasting equipment has evolved a long way since the times of hand-held apparatuses and hot coals. The craft of roasting has morphed into a scientific artform where almost every molecular variable can be measured to adjust and optimise flavour.

Italian food service equipment manufacturer Brambati has been present for much of the modernisation of coffee roasting since its launch 75 years ago.

“The business was born shortly after the Second World War but has been making coffee roasters for about 40 years. Technology has evolved over time and to be competitive in the market, it’s important to evolve with it,” says Fabrizio Brambati, Owner of Brambati, which is also involved in manufacturing equipment used in pasta, confectionary, plastic, and chemical industries.

Brambati’s headquarters are located in Codevilla, approximately 60 kilometres from Milan, Italy. In 2018, it heavily invested in its facilities to create the Advanced Food Lab (AFL), a cutting-edge research and development centre.

The AFL, with its complete pilot plant, was designed to increase the brand’s scientific capabilities so it can continue to push the limits of technological advancements. It features a laboratory, 3D scanners, dedicated graphics software, and the infrastructure to conduct rigorous testing.

“We moved our headquarters from Voghera to Codevilla to exponentially increase our production capacity. Our company has plants operating in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, so we needed to upgrade our facilities to match our ambitions,” Brambati says.

“The AFL is a result of Brambati’s continuous commitment to search for innovation, where theoretical tests and trials are not enough, but instead, there is a need to test, confirm and support results with laboratory analysis.”

With the AFL and a specialised technical division putting Brambati at the forefront of roasting expertise, the company believes its competitive advantage lies in the flexibility of its catalogue.

“Innovation and flexibility are two of the core pillars that this brand is built on. We are constantly seeking to develop our processes and technology,” Brambati says. “We take pride in our products being adaptable and consistent. Our machines today are suitable for every kind of green coffee and are able to obtain results that every professional roaster wants.”

The flexibility of its roasters and equipment options cover all styles of coffee including espresso, mocha, filter, or the finer ground Turkish and Greek varieties.

The Brambati range varies from specialty coffee style roasters that process 20 kilograms of beans per hour to commercial quantity machines that process up to 3000 kilograms per hour.

“Our machines of all capacity are highly sought after due to their mechanical quality and also their style and aesthetic appeal. They are built to be highly efficient and reliable,” Brambati says.

“Our customers vary from multinationals to shop roasters. We have machines that can provide the solutions to any roasting needs.”

According to Brambati, the BR Model is the company’s most successful product. The fully-automated BR collection gives customers complete control over the roasting process, with the ability to adapt the roast profile to alter specific characteristics and flavour highlights.

“The BR Model is very sophisticated. It uses state-of-the-art technology and is fully automated. We showcased our BR5 roaster and BR6000 at HostMilano at our interactive stand, where visitors could sample the software and collect a sample roast batch the next day,” Brambati says.

“The user has a lot of tools to work with, both during the roasting process and the analysis phase to understand which parameters require adjustments to increase the quality of the final product. This fine-tuning can be performed in real-time during or after the roasting process.”

In addition to the automated BR line, Brambati has designed the more traditional-style KAR series.

KAR and BR series can be purchased as an ECO model, which means the machine is supplied with a high efficiency afterburner that reduces emissions. There is also an option for a catalytic converter, a device that reduces gases generated by the roasting process.

“We tried to create a machine with the highest possible energy efficiency that would save energy for end-users and reduce damage to the environment,” Brambati says. “Energy consumption, sustainability, and the environment are major issues. It’s important for companies like Brambati to support this and move towards an eco-friendly future.”

Brambati adds sustainability is a major goal for the company moving forward, as is continuing to explore new trends, advance its technology, and expand its reach further.

“We have sold roasting equipment all around the world and will continue to do so. In recent times, new espresso and capsule markets continue to grow,” Brambati says.

“The Asian market has been a particular focus for us, but we will maintain our focus on research and innovation.”

For more information, visit www.brambati.it

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