Pearl Mini: The Kyle Ramage of Roasting Equipment

Besides saving copious amounts of time, what are the advantages behind Sovda’s color sorter, the Pearl Mini? 

There are over 120 million people employed in the coffee industry around the world and the ones who have the most risk are also the ones that receive the least amount of benefits—the farmers. Coffee farmers were actually the true driving force behind creating the Pearl Mini. 

Coffee farmers are at the mercy of weather and try as they might, they cannot always control how their crops will turn out. And yet, it benefits both the roaster and the farmer to nurture a consistent, long-term relationship. So how do roasters do that when this year’s crop was particularly Quaker-y?

That’s where the Pearl Mini comes in.

“People always know when they see the Sovda, that we're committed to coffee quality because we're willing to throw away coffee and make our coffee cost more so our quality can be higher. Which has really proved its dividends—especially in espresso extraction."
                                                - Kyle Ramage, Co-Founder of Black & White Coffee Roasters

Not only does the Pearl Mini mitigate risks for roasters and farmers when crops fail, but it allows roasters to actively pursue modern processing methods and to purchase from the world’s up-and-coming coffee regions.

Interested in finding out more about our roasting equipment?

Kyle Ramage, who took 1st place at the 2017 United States Barista Championship, speaks on the benefits of the Pearl Mini at his roastery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“I have a friend in Laos who produces coffee and they are seeking to produce high-quality anaerobic, natural coffees in Laos.” Ramage said. “And because I knew that I could sort that coffee when it arrived, even if they didn't have access to some of the better density sorters, I knew that I could make that coffee into a coffee that was tasty once it arrived here in the US. I was able to give them the confidence to go into the next year's production to produce—in theory—more." 

Listen to our full interview with Kyle Ramage as he talks about how color sorting has increased the quality of his coffee and opened the door to stronger relationships in the supply chain.