Probat discusses the advanced technical features of the newly released P01, the latest and smallest member of its P series of shop roasters.
Roasting machine manufacturer Probat is heralding a new era of test roasting and recipe development with its P01 shop roaster, successor of the Probatino and youngest member of the P series. According to Probat Head of Shop Roaster Sales Jens Roelofs, the P01 was the missing machine in the series.
“While we had introduced the P05, P12 and P25 shop roasters in late 2020 and have been selling new machines since then, the Probatino had not been upgraded for 10 years, so there was a certain need to update this line of machines. Equipped with the same inspiring technical features, the new electrically powered P01 is in almost every aspect a miniature version of the larger members of the P series roasters,” says Jens.
With a recommended batch size of one kilogram, its roasting capacity is four kilograms per hour, requiring eight to 20 minutes per roast. Jens says the P01 is the ideal choice for trying out roasting profiles and perfecting small roast batches, thus offering indispensable support in quality control and product development processes.
“The P01 was specially designed for smaller operations as well as for test roasting and profile development. The P01 is perfect for producing, tasting, and optimising smaller quantities of roast coffee. Despite its compact dimensions, it benefits from the advanced control systems of the P series,” he says.
The web-based control system of the new shop roaster enables the safe and automatic reproduction of stored settings via recipe management. The roaster’s unique electric hot-air blower also allows for the same flexibility as a gas burner.
“Compared to other electrical heating devices that have a lack of performance and flexibility, this new device can achieve the same roasting results as a gas heated machine,” says Jens.
“As with all our roasters, the P01 comes with a separate cyclone that separates the chaff from the airflow, ensuring fast and safe intermediate cleaning.”
To help master roasters get the most out of their beans, the P01 comes standard with various thermocouples and variable drum speed control.
“Thermocouples for measuring supply air, product, and exhaust air temperature enable optimum control over the roasting process for constant and reproducible roasting results. This makes the P01 intuitive, user-friendly, and ready to go,” says Jens.
“Not to mention the iconic look can be individually designed according to personal preference by adapting the colour of the roasting machine body, the hood, as well as different front design parts, guaranteeing uniqueness for every roastery.”
When unmistakable design meets high-end technology, Senior Marketing Manager Madlon Peter says it needs to be celebrated with a special highlight. The limited First Edition features nine machines from three different series each containing a unique design by David Salinas from coffee design company Department of Brewology, making every roaster in the First Edition truly one-of-a-kind.
“The P01 First Edition was introduced in collaboration with David Salinas, alongside the market launch. David created nine exclusive one-off pieces, hand-painted machines that build a bridge from the origin of coffee to the smallest roaster in the P series in three different themed worlds,” says Madlon.
All themes revolve around vital steps along the coffee value chain, named Harvest, Geometric, and Tropical. David dedicates the three exclusive designs of the Harvest series to the elementary process of picking coffee. The artworks of the Geometric series illustrate the life cycle of coffee in a creative way, considering the seasonality of coffee cultivation. From seed to cup, the Tropical series skilfully combines tropical floral elements with graphics depicting typical preparation steps.
“David had told me ‘the people on the other side of the coffee chain often go unrecognised’, so the Harvest series was very important to him. He wanted to bring inspiration to the coffee industry and represent all elements of the coffee world,” says Madlon.
“As these are the first P01 machines ever built, David’s work is very special to us. We loved the designs and wanted them right away.”
Jens adds that the P01 fills a market gap for modest-sized roasters or cafés seeking a small-scale roaster.
“We know the hospitality industry has taken quite a hit over the last few years, and many may not be roasting at the capacity they once were. The P01 is a great solution for companies who only roast small amounts each day. Being able to roast and sell their own coffee can make them unique compared to other cafés,” says Jens.
“We also have bigger roasters who are looking for a smaller machine to develop profiles to create special blends and roast small capacities of very expensive or rare coffees. The machine is quite flexible in that it can be set up anywhere.”
Having been in the market for more than 150 years, Jens says Probat’s customers understand that the German- based roaster is committed to crafting exceptional roasting machines.
“Probat’s state-of-the-art machines are well known for consistency and reliability. Our customers trust that we can supply them with machines which can be used on a daily basis, and can produce the same profiles every day, day in day out, which in turn helps them sell a constant quality to end consumers,” he says.
Probat’s mission, Jens says, is to ensure its customers always achieve the best possible coffee quality.
“We always listen to customer feedback and are in close contact with our consumers to ensure we’re meeting market demand. We visit our worldwide partners on a regular basis to keep our ears and eyes open to understand what’s going on in the market,” he says.
“Within the last few years, the requirements have increased significantly when it comes to software and controls. Having additional sensors and temperature controls to monitor more information during the roasting process means the P01 provides unlimited creative potential.”
Guests were able to learn more about Probat’s creative potential at its Connecting Markets Symposium 2022. This took place from 21 to 22 September in Emmerich, Germany, at the company’s headquarters on the occasion of the opening of the new factory. Leaders and executives of the international coffee industry came together to share their knowledge and discuss the main topics of the event, digitalisation, and sustainability.
“We really loved planning the symposium, which was framed by a supporting program, what we call Experience Sessions. These are a set of presentations of our latest technological innovations where attendees can get actively involved. The highlight for sure was the roasting demonstration on our first hydrogen powered P05 shop roaster,” Senior Marketing Manager Madlon says.
In this session, people cupped coffees roasted on natural gas, electrically and hydrogen-operated roasting machines to directly compare roasting results, which Probat claims are exactly the same in terms of taste.
“We were really excited about this innovation, to host the coffee family at our headquarters in Emmerich and to literally connect markets,” says Madlon.
For more information, visit www.probat.com
This article appears in the October 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
