The Hidden Costs of Electric Roasting: Practical Guidance from Roast Summit 2025

Electric roasting has been one of the most talked-about topics in the coffee industry this year, driven by rising energy costs and increasing pressure to meet sustainability goals. For many new or expanding roasters, electric equipment can appear to be a straightforward, eco-friendly solution. But as Karl Schmidt, CEO of Diedrich Roasters, explained during his session at Roast Summit 2025, the reality is far more nuanced.

What Karl Covered

Karl’s presentation, “The True Cost of Electric Roasting and What You Need to Know Before You Start,” offered a clear, technically grounded overview of the real-world constraints roasters must understand before investing in electric equipment.

Attendees gained insight into several key areas:

• Power availability and grid limitations
  Karl walked through the electrical demands of modern roasters and discussed why building infrastructure—and even community grid capacity—can determine whether electric roasting is feasible.

• Coordination with utility providers
  He highlighted the importance of early conversations with local utilities, explaining how upgrade timelines, service limitations, and regional policies can delay or restrict installation.

• Performance and operational differences
  Karl compared the heat-transfer characteristics and batch behavior of electric systems versus gas, giving roasters a realistic sense of how these machines perform in daily production.

• Hidden and long-term costs
  Many attendees were surprised to learn how factors like demand charges, installation requirements, and energy rate volatility can influence long-term operating expenses.

Why This Conversation Matters

The industry continues to face higher energy costs and increasing pressure to plan for future infrastructure changes. Karl’s session helped roasters cut through assumptions and marketing narratives by presenting the engineering, regulatory, and economic realities that shape electric roasting decisions.

With decades of experience in machine engineering, thermodynamics, facility design, and business strategy, Karl offered roasters practical guidance that can influence both short-term planning and long-term scalability.

Session Details

The True Cost of Electric Roasting and What You Need to Know Before You Start
Presented by: Karl Schmidt, CEO, Diedrich Roasters
Presented on: Thursday, October 2, 2025
Location: Roast Summit 2025 — Portland, Oregon

Download the Slides from the Presentation