BERKELEY, Calif., USA and SEOUL, South Korea – Bellwether Coffee is announcing its partnership with Kijeong International to bring to South Korea the first-ever compact, ventless commercial roaster for less than the cost of an espresso machine.
This news follows Bellwether’s expansion into Japan in September 2023 and its growth into Europe in December 2023. The Bellwether Shop Roaster enables more retailers to serve fresher coffee at a fraction of the cost while reducing their carbon footprint. Bellwether’s lower-cost roaster was developed in response to the increased demand for electric coffee roasting worldwide.
“South Korea is at the forefront of the microroastery movement, with many cafes already roasting on-site, so our partnership with Kijeong International not only supports an existing culture around the freshest coffee, but transforms it into the lowest-carbon coffee by switching to Bellwether’s clean technology,” said Ricardo Lopez, Founder and CEO of Bellwether. “Specialty coffee is thriving in South Korea, and our ventless technology makes switching to electric roasting seamless, while also reducing costs and increasing profits.”
The Bellwether Shop Roaster is a small-format, high-throughput electric roaster that seamlessly fits into any retail environment, allowing all businesses, even those with limited space, to roast hundreds of pounds of coffee each week. The fully automated system is offered as a countertop roaster or with a Continuous Roasting Upgrade and includes access to the Bellwether Green Coffee Marketplace – a global library of expertly sourced coffees paired with custom roast profiles, allowing retailers to source and roast fresh, world-class coffee. Because retailers can roast more than 20 kgs of coffee in a single operation, they can reduce costs while crafting consistently fresh, high-quality, delicious coffee while lowering their carbon footprint.
“In the highly competitive specialty coffee market of South Korea, Bellwether’s Shop Roaster is a game changer due to its small format, high quality, and ventless design, which allows shops to easily set up their new machines and begin roasting immediately,” said Christina Cho, Managing Director of Kijeong International. “Introducing the lowest-carbon coffee is another way for our customers to differentiate themselves and is the future of the industry here in South Korea and beyond.”
Electric roasting is a powerful alternative to gas–powered roasting, which generates 15% of the industry’s carbon footprint. The Bellwether Shop Roaster cuts wholesale coffee costs in half and reduces the carbon footprint of a pound of coffee by an average of 87%, at less than a third of the cost of the Bellwether Series 2 Electric Roaster. Because the Bellwether system is simple to install and operate, anyone can roast the highest quality, most sustainable coffee. In addition, no gas lines, vents, construction, or training are required to set it up and start roasting.
