German roasting equipment giant Probat has commenced sales of its electric P05 E roaster in the United States.
The company says the P05 E, which has been available in Europe and Asia since last year, is fully analogous to the gas-heated P05 III model in terms of features, controls and performance. The machines are also physically and visually identical from the outside.
“It is a fully newly developed electrical heating system, with electrical regulation so that you really get to do the same fine-tuning like you could do with a gas burner,” Probat CTO Thomas Koziorowski told Daily Coffee News of the heating solution, which was developed over a six-month period with a partnering company. “Together with the electrical hardware and the innovative software, we got the same flexibility and process control like a gas-heated shop roaster. The only point of difference is that you need a three phase connection.”
The P05 E is the second major electric release to come from the 150-year-old German company in recent years, with the first being a 200-gram Electric Sample Roaster revealed in Milan in 2019. Both the P05 E and the Electric Sample Roaster were publicly displayed for the first time in the U.S. at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston earlier this month.
(Find DCN’s complete 2022 SCA Expo coverage here.)
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Targeting the smaller commercial roasting segment, Probat originally introduced its new generation of roasters under the P Series banner with a digital launch in 2020.
The P05 E machine is designed to accommodate batches ranging from 1 to 6 kilograms (2.2-13.2 pounds) with hourly capacity and space requirements identical to the gas version.
Koziorowski told DCN the electrification of P Series machines will continue with an upcoming 12-kilo-capacity P12 E, which is currently in development. A P25 E remains under consideration, depending on responses to the first two electric P machines on European and North American markets, according to Koziorowski.
Koziorowksi noted the war in Ukraine and its impacts on gas prices throughout Europe illustrate one reason some roasters might consider switching to electric solutions. He also referenced in-house studies that showed a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions from the electric roasting solution, a fact that might appeal to roasters interested in reducing their carbon footprint or “getting more sustainable with the whole roasting process.”
Sales of the Probat P05 E have launched with a price of $34,500 for a machine fully equipped with multiple thermocouples, fan and drum speed controls, a stainless steel finish and polished front components. The lead time on new machine orders as of the Expo is roughly 16 weeks, according to the company.
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
Can I get price quotation of the product Probat P05 E machine. thank you!