Löfbergs Takes Grind Particle Analysis to the Bar with CPA Launch

The Coffee Particle Analyzer (CPA) from Swedish coffee company Löfbergs.

Full-service Swedish coffee roasting company Löfbergs has introduced a new smartphone-connectable optical measuring tool designed to give coffee shops greater precision in determining particle size in coffee grinding.

Grinding is considered one of the most important variables affecting the quality and consistency of brewed filter coffee, espresso or any other method of preparation. As such, numerous manufacturers have turned their attention to particle analysis of ground coffee, either through the more traditional method of sieving, or through the process of laser diffraction.

With a product called The Sifter (formerly named Rafinio), the Canadian company Kruve brought particle refinement into the high-end home segment, though more advanced particle analysis technology is typically applied within larger industrial operations, such as in single-serve-pod-filling or in bulk grinding at huge volumes.

Löfbergs is attempting to bridge those two segments with its particle analyzer — named CPA (Coffee Particle Analyzer) — providing a compact, connected grind-refinement solution for individual coffee shops, restaurants and other retail environments.

The company said the CPA is the result of a major R&D investment (amount undisclosed) in partnership with Swedish coffee equipment manufacturer 3Temp, maker of the Hipster batch brewer. While Löfbergs is not going into specifics about how the analyzer works, it says it includes a wireless connection to smartphones, tablets or computers. Small samples of ground coffee are placed in a gauge, and seconds later results are displayed on the user’s digital device.

“The development work has been going on for two years and it is great to finally be able to present this news,” Löfbergs CEO said in an announcement of the CPA release today. “It is a result of our ambition to secure the good flavor, and will lead to more people drinking a better tasting coffee. This will strengthen our position on the market in Sweden as well as internationally, and will hopefully lead to more and new business.”