Some people say that coffee roasting is an art, others argue that it's a science. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum any coffee roaster worth their salt would agree that the process of roasting coffee requires immense care, attention to detail, and technical skill. It is not something that the average bear can just walk in and do, or at least not do very well. Green coffee (coffee before it is roasted) contains around 300 chemical compounds, whereas roasted coffee contains upwards of 1000 chemical compounds that contribute to both the flavor and aroma in varying ways. One must be very careful in the roasting process in order to maximize those pleasant compounds while minimizing the less desirable ones. That is where we come in as your coffee roasters to ensure that your morning (or evening) cup of joe is always consistent and delicious :)
If you were to ask us where we stand on the "Art vs. Science" debate we would probably say that coffee roasting is about 80% science and 20% art. This mainly stems from our background of being engineers turned coffee roasters. During our time as engineers we learned that "if you can measure it, you can improve it", and by seeing the world through objective data and numbers you can better understand why something is behaving the way that it is. Bringing this approach to coffee roasting has allowed us to track what we are doing right (or wrong) so that each roast is just as good if not better than the previous one. I do not believe that you can have the consistency that customers are looking for in coffee if you do not respect the science behind what is going on inside the roaster. All that being said, there is still a subjectivity to what people think constitutes a tasty cup of coffee, and that is where the 20% art comes in.
As some of you may know, our tagline is "For the People". It's a short phrase but we believe it has a lot packed into it, and we try to implement that mantra in every area of our business. In regards to roasting, part of our philosophy is to roast coffee for everyone no matter where they are on their coffee journey. Some companies only roast light, while others only dark, but we strive to roast "full-spectrum" so that anyone in the world can enjoy some Moravian Coffee! We understand that what I think is tasty coffee may not be what you think is tasty coffee, even if the "science" says that it was roasted perfectly. We have found that the best approach to the varying degree of people's tasting pallets is to roast coffee from light to dark and everywhere in between, source high-quality coffees from different parts of the world (we will go more into this in another blog post), and create blends that encapsulate different aspects of coffee and offer a consistent cup year around!
Do you like light roasts? We got you. Dark roasts? Done. Fruity coffees? Absolutely. Have an espresso machine? Gotchu too. Night cup? Morning cup? Chocolate bomb? Cold brew? We have it all, so head on over to our shop and see which coffee is right for you!
- Carson