Do semi-automated coffee packaging machines save roasters time?

With coffee prices rising steadily, it’s more important than ever for roasters to streamline their operations. The C-price has already increased by 25% in 2025 so far, so the best way to preserve margins is to reduce roastery costs outside of coffee sourcing.

Trends in automation within the coffee industry have helped roasters navigate this economic landscape without compromising on quality. In particular, semi-automated coffee packaging machines help roasters quickly and consistently package roasted coffee bags, which saves time and money in the packaging process.

To learn more, I spoke to Roman Nejedlý, owner of the Czech roaster Fiftybeans. He explained how he boosted his roastery’s profitability by using the Precision Fill Mini semi-automated coffee packaging machine from SOVDA.

 What are semi-automated coffee packaging machines?

Semi-automated coffee packaging machines are industrial equipment that fill bags with roasted coffee quickly and accurately. They come in many variations and include a number of functions, including forming the bags, weighing the coffee, and sealing the bag.

The types of automated and semi-automated coffee packaging machines include:

●  Form fill seal – The machine forms the bags from a roll stock of packaging film. It then fills the newly created bags with coffee and securely closes them with technology such as heat-sealing. 

●  Fill and seal – The machine fills and seals pre-made pouches, such as stand-up or flat-bottom bags.

●  Weigh and fill – The machine precisely measures the coffee by weight and fills bags accordingly.

●  Vacuum sealing – This is an extra step that some machines perform to remove air before sealing the bag to reduce oxidation. This helps to keep the roasted coffee fresh, because the presence of oxygen in sealed coffee bags will contribute to it going stale more quickly.

 Semi-automated coffee packaging machines are faster and simpler than filling each bag by hand.

For example, SOVDA’s Precision Fill Mini is a weigh and fill machine controlled with a foot pedal that can fill between four to ten bags per minute, depending on the predetermined weight.

The user sets their desired weight once, holds the bag under the funnel, releases the coffee with the foot pedal and then moves to the next bag. Changing to another weight for different bag sizes only takes three clicks. Making the process more efficient to free up time for other tasks.

 “It just works, allowing us to focus on what really matters,” Roman says.

How do semi-automated coffee packaging machines help roasters improve profitability?

In today’s unpredictable coffee market, saving time is essential for roasters. Streamlining the time-consuming elements of packaging through automation allows roasters to focus on other tasks, such as processing sales, developing new products, and roasting coffee. 

As the Precision Fill Mini fills bags based on user-determined weights, it makes the packaging process more consistent. This helps you build trust with your customers and convey a reputation for reliability. More than just saving time, it also functions as a quality assurance measure. 

Fiftybeans recently switched to the Precision Fill Mini, and Roman has already seen its impact on optimising the packaging process. “Before we got the Fill Mini, we were using a random no-name machine that was messy, inaccurate, and lacked the ability to save packaging profiles,” he says.

 “Every time we needed to adjust the weight, we had to manually hold the + or - buttons, which was incredibly frustrating. In fact, some coffees were faster to pack by hand, so we often ditched the machine altogether. With the Fill Mini, we simply press a button, select a preset profile, and we're ready to go – bag by bag, with superb accuracy.”

 How semi-automated coffee packaging machines streamline roastery operations

SOVDA designed the Precision Fill Mini to meet roasters’ needs for space efficiency and high accuracy. The 25-liter hopper sits within a benchtop design (measuring 540mm depth, 480mm width, and 1200mm height). The Precision Fill Mini’s compact form factor was ideal for Fiftybeans’ small roastery, too. 

“We need to maximize every bit of space in our roastery for coffee storage, and having such a compact machine compared to others makes a huge difference,” Roman says.

 “We don’t feel like we’re crammed in a submarine, and it’s incredibly reassuring to have a machine that fills each bag consistently and reliably. Even though we moved to a larger space six months ago, the Fill Mini is still performing flawlessly. I’ve never felt the need to upgrade to a larger filling machine.”

This efficiency extends to the Precision Fill Mini’s ability to fill different bag sizes. The interchangeable filler heads have optimized geometry to fit into bags ranging from 50g to 2.3kg in size, suiting low-and high-volume roasters. The software remembers user-input bag sizes so you can easily switch between your packaging options, and the built-in scale retains accuracy within +/- 2g.

After switching to the Precision Fill Mini, the Fiftybeans team can pack up to 700kg of coffee beans in only ten hours, instead of their previous pace of two full work days. The Fiftybeans team is small, so cutting their packaging time in half was extremely important.

Additionally, Roman saved time in training his employees on the new machine, as they mastered its user-friendly interface in a matter of minutes.

When investing in roastery equipment, lasting performance with minimal maintenance is crucial. For Fiftybeans, semi-automated coffee packaging machines like the Precision Mini Fill are dependable and ensure long-term profitability.

“It's very easy to clean, and we've never had a single issue with it,” Roman says. “Over time, I’ve learned that time is money, and the Fill Mini saves us plenty of both.”

For roasters like Fiftybeans, sourcing premium packaging equipment from SOVDA was an easy decision. “[It is] sleek, reliable, and designed to make life easier,” Roman says. “We already had a color sorter from SOVDA, [so] I knew their products were top-notch.”

To learn more about SOVDA’s semi-automatic coffee packaging machines and other products designed to streamline the process of sorting, blending, and packing coffee get in touch with the team.