Idaho-based coffee roasting equipment manufacturer Coffee Crafters recently rolled out the Valenta 18 fluid-bed roaster, the second and largest machine in its new Valenta machine line.
Priced at $17,500, the 18-pound-capacity Valenta 18 (a.k.a. the V18) offers approximately double the capacity of the Valenta 8 (V8), which launched at the SCA Expo event in Portland last year.
The V18 shares many of the physical and performance-related traits of its predecessor, including the new roast chamber design differentiates the Valenta machines from previous models sold by the company since its founding in 2012.
“This new design creates a vortex of air that keeps the bean mass engaged with the heated roast air before evacuating the roast chamber,” Coffee Crafters Founder and Head Designer Ken Lathrop told Daily Coffee News. “[It offers] much more efficient heat transfer than a conical hopper.”
To keep users and facilities cool during extended use, Coffee Crafters applied extra insulation to the V18. Additionally, the Hermetheus Roaster Co-Pilot automation system that was offered as an option for V8 buyers comes standard on the larger model.
