If there is one true thing in this world, it’s that nothing beats a good cup of coffee. Being the addicts we are, we’re always in search of the perfect cup of joe, and have found that the little guys – the small local roasters and true coffee snobs – are just about as close as it gets. So grab a strong espresso, sit back, and take a closer look at some of our favorite coffee roasters from across the US.
Handsome Coffee Roasters: Handsome Coffee Roasters began with three guys that are truly obsessed with coffee, and have dedicated their lives to the education and the fine art of coffee roasting. Handsome is for those who value craftsmanship and quality over convenience and cost, and the boys have successfully turned the beverage of the masses into a real culinary experience.
Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle roasts coffee on vintage gear, puts it in compostable bags, and do so on both coasts. A self-described “coffee lunatic” started blue bottle in Oakland, California, vowing to only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster for optimum freshness, and to only use the finest organic, pesticide-free, shade grown beans.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Stumptown Coffee appreciates and employs what they call the “calculated artistry” of the perfect roast, consisting of a balance of right-handed timing and intuition. The Stumptown roasters guide the hand-picked coffee beans through a constant evaluation of colors, aromas, sounds and shapes, while tumbling through the vintage double-walled steel drum roasters.
Four Barrel Coffee: A San Francisco staple, Four Barrel claims the art of coffee roasting is constantly changing, full of intrigue and disgustingly rewarding. It drives everything that the folks behind Four Barrel dedicate themselves to, with a singular vision for the very best cup of coffee, or as close to perfect as it can possibly get.
Ritual Coffee Roasters: Ritual, another San Fran roaster, began in 2005 with the intent to share amazing coffee with the city, and they are doing just that. Ritual thinks that their coffee just tastes better, thanks to their uncompromising selection of green coffee, unflagging attention to roasting, rigid freshness standards, and the fact that each new coffee is tasted no fewer than 20 times. But you be the judge of that.
Lamplighter Roasting Company: The Lamplighter roastery is located right here in Richmond, Virginia. It began with a mission to provide the highest quality specialty coffees available, with experience and intuition as the guide. Lamplighter stresses the importance of growing and harvesting methods, supporting coffee growing regions and trade, and micro-roasting in small batches, always served or sold within days.
We’ve learned that all these little nuances actually do make for a better tasting cup, and one you can feel lucky to drink. But we’ve only touched the surface- share with us your favorite roaster, and what makes them stand out among the masses of the coffees.
The Girl From Ipanema
Meet Ed Viesturs
