Fluidized bed coffee roaster

A fluidized bed seed roaster comprising:

• a roasting chamber including an air-permeable member configured to support a volume of seeds thereupon;
• an air inlet disposed so as to introduce a stream of air into said chamber, through said permeable member, so as to pass through and fluidize said volume of seeds;
• and an air outlet disposed so as to direct said stream of air out of the chamber after it has passed through the volume of seeds:
• a blower operable to provide said stream of air;
• an air duct operatively connecting said blower with the air inlet of the chamber so as to direct the stream of air from the blower to the inlet;
• a heater associated with the air duct at a point downstream of the blower and upstream of the roasting chamber, said heater, when activated, being operable to heat the stream of air;
• a heater controller operative to control the activation of the heater so as to heat the stream of air in accord with a preselected temperature profile;
• a roast temperature sensor disposed proximate the outlet of the roasting chamber, said sensor operative to provide a roast control signal corresponding to the temperature of the stream of air after it has passed through the volume of seeds;
• a water injector, operable when activated, to inject water into the air conduit at a point upstream of the roasting chamber so as to cool the stream of air before it passes through said volume of seeds;
• and
• a roast controller in operative communication with the roast temperature sensor, the heater and water injector, said roast controller operable to deactivate the heater and activate the water injector when it receives a roast control signal indicative of a preselected air stream temperature.