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Chinese coffee equipment and technology company DiFluid recently launched a portable green and roasted coffee analysis system called The Omix, intended for use at coffee farms, roasteries or other points along the coffee chain.
An array of sensors embedded within the Omix measure water activity, moisture, density, screen size, expansion rate, temperature, humidity, altitude and roast level. Data is stored locally on the device, and can be exported to DiFluid’s companion app called DiFluid Café.
A foam-padded hard-shell carrying case is included for travel, resulting in a 3.5-kilogram (7.7-pound) package. The retail price for the base Omix is $1,899, while the Omix Plus, which includes the roast level sensor, sells for $2,599. Shipping is slated to begin this month.
The Omix follows the 2023 release of a suite of coffee brewing and roasting focused products from the Chinese brand, which was founded by entrepreneur Linus Peng in Shenzen in 2021.
One of the key features of the Omix is a “chilled mirror hygrometry” (a.k.a. chilled mirror dew point) method for determining water activity in under 30 seconds while maintaining the product’s relatively small size and light weight.
“We’ve devised a unique structure to ensure that our chilled mirror hygrometry has its own dedicated space, completely isolated from other sensors,” the company told Daily Coffee News via email. “Our approach utilizes cutting-edge techniques, such as our in-house designed ultra-compact motors and highly integrated optical detectors. This not only guarantees exceptional accuracy within a compact form factor but also maintains cost effectiveness.”
The Omix can be applied to fresh or dried coffee cherries, parchment coffee, green coffee and roasted whole bean or ground coffee. Algorithms within the device automatically detect the type of sample, which is intended to simplify the user experience.
The product is also designed to detect and omit “sample noise,” according to the company, such as gaps, chaff and other outliers.
Sensors can specifically test for moisture content, estimated true density, gap rate, screen size, expansion rate, roast level and sample temperature. In addition, the device monitors the current ambient air pressure current air pressure, altitude, humidity and temperature.
Officially revealed online on May 1, the Omix also appeared at the SCA Expo in Chicago in April, and at World of Coffee events in Dubai, Shanghai and Busan. DiFluid is bringing units to the World of Coffee event in Copenhagen later this month.
DiFluid told DCN the next project in development is a coffee roaster.
“Our product development follows the logic of ‘how to make a cup coffee,’” the company said. “This encompasses stages from green beans to roasted beans, focusing on the data needed at each step. You can think of it in four parts: plant, select, roast, and brew. Our goal is to build a digital platform and all our tools are designed with this purpose in mind.”
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Howard Bryman Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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