Modeling the Drying Kinetics of Arabica Coffee: A Comparative Study of Continuous and Intermittent Drying Regimes

ABSTRACT This study investigates the drying kinetics of Arabica coffee beans under continuous and intermittent drying regimes, with emphasis on process efficiency, energy consumption, and mathematical modeling adequacy. Drying experiments were conducted at 45°C, 55°C, and 65°C using continuous operation and intermittent operation with tempering periods of 5 and 10 min. Experimental moisture data were fitted using first‐order, Page, and fractional‐order models, evaluated by mean squared error (MSE), Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and modeling efficiency (EF). Results demonstrated that drying temperature strongly influenced moisture removal behavior in both regimes. Intermittent drying promoted smoother drying trajectories and improved moisture redistribution behavior during tempering periods. Fractional‐order models consistently outperformed the classical first‐order formulation, reducing mean squared error by approximately 40%–70% depending on the drying condition, while more accurately capturing anomalous diffusion and temporal memory effects. The estimated fractional parameter ranged from α = 0.80 to α = 1.46, indicating deviations from classical Fickian transport behavior. Energy analysis demonstrated that intermittent drying at 55°C with 5 min tempering reduced specific energy consumption by approximately 50% compared with continuous drying under comparable conditions. Overall, intermittent drying at intermediate temperatures provided the most favorable compromise between drying effectiveness and reduced thermal demand, while fractional‐order modeling proved to be a robust framework for describing moisture transport behavior in coffee drying processes.