Reinventing the Coffee Roaster
At the intersection of aerospace engineering and coffee lies a quiet revolution—led by Matthew Schurman, co-founder of Outer Worlds Coffee. Originally developed to test solar spacecraft for NASA, the team’s advanced vacuum and optical systems have been repurposed to transform how coffee is roasted. The result? A method that redefines flavor, consistency, and sustainability from the inside out.
I spoke with Schurman to learn more about how vacuum roasting is reshaping coffee from bean to brew. 
Q: Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is vacuum roasting, and how is it different from traditional coffee roasting?
Matthew Schurman: Traditional coffee roasting uses hot air or flame-based systems to heat the beans, typically in open or partially open chambers. That introduces oxygen, which affects the chemistry of the roast, and often not in great ways.
Vacuum roasting, on the other hand, happens in a sealed, low-pressure environment. That vacuum changes how heat is transferred, and how the Maillard reaction—the key reaction responsible for browning and flavor—unfolds. It lets us isolate and emphasize more desirable flavor compounds while minimizing bitterness and off-notes.
Q: This technology has roots in aerospace, right? How did that translate into coffee roasting?
Schurman: Our engineering firm worked on solar panel quality control testing systems for the Parker Solar Probe. We had to simulate the sun’s heat in a vacuum, using high-powered light to deliver energy without conduction or convection.
When that project wrapped up, we realized the same technology could be used for organic materials like coffee. During early experiments, we saw that not only could we roast beans with light, but the vacuum environment gave us entirely new control over the chemistry. It wasn’t just about heating—it was about managing the molecular behavior of sugars, proteins, and gases inside the beans.
Q: What impact does vacuum roasting have on the final cup of coffee?
Schurman: It’s night and day. First, we remove almost all the trapped CO₂ during roasting, so the beans don’t need to rest for 24–36 hours before brewing. You can drink the coffee immediately after it's roasted—what we call "roast-to-cup."
Second, the flavor is noticeably cleaner. Oils that would normally oxidize and go rancid are pulled out during the process. Bitter AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are minimized. You’re left with a cup that’s smoother, less acidic and less carcinogenic, yet still full of nuance and depth.
Q: What about the environmental side? Does vacuum roasting offer any advantages?
Schurman: Absolutely. Most coffee is roasted using natural gas flames, which emit carbon dioxide and require a lot of thermal mass. Even electric air roasters waste heat by constantly heating air that gets vented out.
Our system is 100% electric and uses targeted light energy, so almost no heat is lost. There's no combustion, no stack emissions, and significantly lower energy use per roast. It’s a greener, cleaner method that aligns with the direction many consumers and businesses are trying to move toward.
Q: Is this level of control repeatable? Can you achieve consistent results across batches?
Schurman: That’s one of the most exciting parts. The vacuum environment is tightly controlled and repeatable. We can hit the same endpoint every time with very little variability, which is hard to achieve with traditional roasting methods. That precision opens up possibilities not just for flavor refinement, but also for automation and scale.
Q: So where does this go from here? What’s next for vacuum roasting at Outer Worlds?
Schurman: Right now, our focus is on showcasing what this method can do—and educating people about how it's fundamentally different. Long term, yes, we’re exploring how to make this technology more accessible, through consumer appliances and possibly commercial roasters. But the heart of our mission is simple: better chemistry, better coffee.
We’re not just trying to make coffee taste better. We’re showing that with the right tools; we can reinvent the roast itself.
Outer Worlds Coffee is proving that true coffee innovation doesn’t come from chasing trends—it comes from rethinking the science. Vacuum roasting isn’t just a new method. It’s a new standard.