Fluid Bed Coffee Roasting

What is fluid bed coffee roasting?

When you sip a cup of coffee, you’re not just tasting the bean — you're tasting the method behind the roast. And when it comes to preserving the purest, cleanest expression of a coffee’s origin, fluid bed air roasting rises above the rest.

Unlike traditional drum roasters, which use heated metal surfaces to roast beans much like clothes tumbling in a dryer, fluid bed roasters use only hot air to levitate and roast the beans. This convection-based process ensures the coffee doesn’t scorch on hot surfaces, resulting in a cleaner, more aromatic cup free of the bitterness and tar-like flavors that can arise from contact with hot metal.

☕ Taste the Coffee, Not the Roaster

The defining difference in fluid bed roasting is that the air does all the work — not the metal. This method was pioneered in the 1970s by Michael Sivetz, a chemical engineer and coffee industry consultant who was dissatisfied with the inconsistent and often harsh results produced by conventional roasters. He created the Sivetz Fluid-Bed Roaster, the first practical commercial air roaster, and changed the game for specialty coffee.

Thanks to his innovation, air-roasted coffee is known for:

  • Intense aromatics
  • A cleaner, smoother taste
  • Lower acidity and bitterness
  • Clarity that highlights origin and bean quality

🌬️ How It Works

Fluid bed roasting suspends the coffee beans in a stream of hot, pressurized air, keeping them in constant motion. This results in:

  • Even heat distribution
  • No scorching or charring
  • Rapid and efficient roasting

Because the beans don’t touch a hot metal surface, there's less risk of over-roasting or uneven development, leading to greater consistency in every batch.

🌱 Better for the Planet

Aside from flavor, fluid bed roasting is also more eco-friendly:

  • More energy-efficient: Heats up and cools down faster than drum roasters
  • Cleaner emissions: Less smoke, fewer harmful byproducts
  • No afterburners needed in many cases, reducing fuel use
  • Efficient chaff removal reduces fire risk and keeps roasters clean