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Friday 07 February 2025
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Brian Di Santo, Sweet Coffee Italia: “Sustainability should not be seen as a limitation but as an opportunity”

Di Santo: "We invite the entire industry to reflect on how we can work together to build a more sustainable and responsible supply chain. For us, this is only the beginning of a long journey, but we are convinced that every step towards change counts"

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Brian Di Santo, brand ambassador of the company Sweet Coffee Italia, based in Venaria Reale (Turin) and specialized in the design and production of induction coffee roasting machines, shares his opinion on the sustainable revolution in coffee roasting. Below, we share his analysis.

The importance of sustainability in coffee roasting

by Brian Di Santo

“After having had the honour of presenting the benefits of our new technology during a speech at the recently concluded Sigep Rimini 2025 event, I would like to share further thoughts on the future of coffee roasting and the importance of adopting sustainable solutions along the entire supply chain.

Coffee, one of the world’s most popular beverages, goes through a unique and complex transformation process, divided into three fundamental stages. The first takes place on the plantation, where the coffee is carefully grown and harvested; the second takes place during roasting, a crucial step that enhances the aromatic character of the beans; finally, the barista closes the circle, transforming the product into a true sensory experience for the consumer.

As Sweet Coffee Italia, a company specialising in the design and production of coffee roasting machinery, we believe that every link in this chain has a responsibility to contribute to more sustainable production. Over the past few years, we have focused our efforts on an issue that we consider fundamental: the future of roasting and its environmental impact.”

The methane problem in traditional roasting

Di Santo: “Traditional coffee roasting relies mainly on the use of fossil fuels, particularly methane, to generate the heat needed for the process. However, this practice presents numerous critical issues, both from an environmental and health point of view.

During the combustion of methane, especially when conditions are less than ideal, not only are large quantities of CO2 – a climate-altering gas responsible for global warming – generated, but also potentially harmful secondary compounds, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2).

Carbon monoxide is known for its toxic effect on the human system, interfering with the transport of oxygen in the blood and creating health risks. Nitrogen oxides, on the other hand, contribute to the formation of fine particulate matter and tropospheric ozone, exacerbating air pollution. This scenario led us to question how we can eliminate these risks and significantly improve the impact of roasting.”

Sweet Coffee Italia’s solution: towards fossil fuel-free roasting

Di Santo: “Over the past year, at Sweet Coffee Italia, we have conducted extensive chemical and physical tests on roasting processes using different technologies. We examined the emission levels and chemical reactions occurring during traditional roasting and compared them with our solutions based on electromagnetic induction electric systems. The results were surprising.

Our technology, which completely eliminates the use of methane, has been shown to eliminate direct CO2 emissions and drastically reduce the presence of toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Furthermore, the heat generated by electromagnetic induction ensures uniform and precise roasting, preserving the beans’ aromatic characteristics to the fullest.”

The scalability of electric induction roasting

“An important premise is that our electric heating has made it possible to scale up in terms of machine capacity, something that prior to our application with other electric systems, for physical reasons, was unthinkable to scale up to even the industrial ranges. Electromagnetic induction technology has unlimited scalability, adaptable to any size of roasting system.

It guarantees precise and energy-efficient heating, ideal for all production scales. These machines will offer the same advantages in terms of precision, energy efficiency and roasting quality, but will be able to handle much higher production volumes, meeting the needs of large roasting companies.”

The limitations of traditional electric roasting systems

“Traditionally, electric coffee roasting systems exploit two main heating modes: ohmic heating and the use of heat-blowing turbines. Both of these solutions, when applied to large production capacities, have significant limitations.

Ohmic heating, which relies on electrical resistance to generate heat, is inefficient when it comes to roasting large volumes of product. In fact, in order to achieve an even temperature distribution, a disproportionate increase in electrical power would be required, greatly increasing operating costs and reducing energy efficiency.

Heat-blowing turbines, on the other hand, require a huge amount of energy to maintain a constant, high-temperature air flow. As well as being energy-intensive, this system disperses a lot of heat into the environment, making the whole process less sustainable both economically and ecologically.”

A future for more responsible coffee

“This approach not only makes the process more sustainable, but also offers a significant improvement in terms of safety and quality. By eliminating fossil fuels, we have made possible a transformation that does not harm the environment and protects the health of operators and consumers.

This technological revolution is not just a technical advance, but a real paradigm shift for the coffee supply chain. Our vision is clear: we want to contribute to a future in which every coffee bean is processed with respect for the environment and for the people who grow and consume it.

We firmly believe that sustainability should not be seen as a limitation, but as an opportunity. Sweet Coffee Italia’s technology represents a concrete step in this direction: a way to allow roasters to do what they love – enhance the uniqueness of coffee – while minimising their environmental impact.

We invite the entire industry to reflect on how we can work together to build a more sustainable and responsible supply chain. For us, this is only the beginning of a long journey, but we are convinced that every step towards change counts.”

                                                                                                            Brian Di Santo

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