Abstract: A coffee densifier is disclosed having an elongated housing having a chamber 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 shaft driven by a motor, the shaft extending along a longitudinal length of the mixing chamber. The densifier has a plurality of paddle-less pins fixed to the mixing shaft and configured to agitate a bed of coffee within the mixing chamber.

Abstract: A coffee densifier is disclosed. The coffee densifier comprises an elongated chamber, a densifier motor, a shaft, a plurality of densifier members, a discharge door actuator, a densifier motor load sensor, and a controller. The plurality of densifier members are fixed to the shaft and configured to polish a plurality of coffee particles of the ground coffee within the elongated chamber when the plurality of densifier members are rotated by the shaft through the ground coffee within the mixing chamber. The controller configured to signal the discharge door actuator to move the discharge door to increase or decrease a density of the ground coffee exiting the chamber through the discharge opening when the densifier motor load is outside a predefined densifier motor load operating range.

Abstract: A method of controlling coffee density exiting from a coffee densifier is disclosed. The method includes the steps of feeding a ground coffee into a mixing chamber having a discharge door. A mixer motor load on a mixer motor driving mixing members agitating the ground coffee in the mixing chamber is measured. The discharge door is moved when the mixer motor load is outside a predefined mixer motor load operating range.

Abstract: A coffee densifier is disclosed. The coffee densifier comprises an elongated chamber, a densifier motor, a shaft, a plurality of densifier members, a discharge door actuator, a densifier motor load sensor, and a controller. The plurality of densifier members are fixed to the shaft and configured to polish a plurality of coffee particles of the ground coffee within the elongated chamber when the plurality of densifier members are rotated by the shaft through the ground coffee within the mixing chamber. The controller configured to signal the discharge door actuator to move the discharge door to increase or decrease a density of the ground coffee exiting the chamber through the discharge opening when the densifier motor load is outside a predefined densifier motor load operating range.

Abstract: A coffee processor having a grinder and a densifier is disclosed. The densifier comprises an elongated housing having a mixing chamber 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 driven by a mixing motor, the mixing shaft extending along a longitudinal length of the mixing chamber. The densifier has a plurality of pins fixed to the mixing shaft and configured to agitate a bed of coffee within the mixing chamber. An automatic coffee density control system is also disclosed. A 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.