Method for coating bulk material comprises: starting a coating apparatus (1； 101) according to a start procedure on a discrete load of bulk material to be coated； operating the coating apparatus (1； 101) in stationary mode, by introducing a continuous flow of uncoated bulk material into the coating apparatus (1； 101) and obtaining at the outlet of said coating apparatus (1； 101) a continuous flow of coated bulk material having a predetermined stationary coating weight gain (W%)； in which the coating apparatus (1； 101) comprises a first rotatable tubular container (2； 102) provided with a first dispensing device (5； 105) for dispensing coating material on the bulk material (M) in a plurality of internal successive adjacent spray zones between a first inlet and a first outlet of the first container (2； 102)； a second rotatable tubular container (6； 106) arranged to receive bulk material (M) coming from the first container (2), the second rotatable tubular container (6； 106) being provided with a second dispensing device (9； 109) for dispensing coating material on the bulk material (M) in a plurality of internal successive adjacent spray zones between a first inlet and a second outlet of the second container (6, 106)； conveying means arranged to convey the bulk material (M) from the first container (2； 102) to said the second container (6, 106)； and in which the start procedure comprises in succession: dispensing coating material onto the load, maintaining the coating material inside the first container (2； 102) until coated bulk material is obtained with said predetermined stationary coating weight gain (W%)； a transition phase to the stationary mode in which a flow of the load of coated bulk material is transferred from the first container (2； 102) to the second container (6； 106) and is supplied with an equal flow rate of bulk material to be coated to the first container (2； 102)； dispensing coating material on the same flow rate of bulk material to be coated enteri
