A coffee apparatus and method of densifying coffee

摘要

A coffee processor having a grinder and a densifier is disclosed. The densifier comprises an elongated housing (260) having a mixing chamber (213) configured to receive ground coffee. The mixing chamber has an inlet end opposite a discharge end. The discharge end has a discharge door. The densifier has a mixing shaft (250) driven by a mixing motor (220), the mixing shaft (250) extending along a longitudinal length of the mixing chamber (213). The densifier has a plurality of pins (231, 232, 233, 234) fixed to the mixing shaft (250) and configured to agitate a bed of coffee within the mixing chamber (213). An automatic coffee density control system is also disclosed. A mixer motor load sensor is signal connected to a controller and configured to report a mixer motor load to the controller. The controller is configured to signal a discharge door actuator to move the discharge door a predefined distance to increase or decrease the mixer motor load when the mixer motor load sensor reports a mixer motor load value that is outside a predefined mixer motor load operating range or setpoint.