buying green coffee or connect with local roaster
I'm working on designing and building a fluid bed roaster for my personal use that I wish to expand into a part time and eventually full time business. The problem I'm facing right now is that I'm cheap. (I may not have any other options, and I haven't put a lot of leg work into the search process yet either, so I'm thankful for any advice.)
I'm wanting to purchase a large volume of coffee at a price that isn't going to break me (which may be my problem). I don't feel it is time to start working with coffee brokers etc. but also feel that while I love supporting the sources I've purchased beans from before, that I can not justify a part time business selling coffee for 4 to 5 dollars over what I've paid for it, especially when I take into account my own time invested in roasting the coffee. Not to mention, I plan on giving away a lot of coffee at the beginning for advertising, and for sample roasting.
I'm wanting to start with one jute bag, or 69kg bag of coffee, and am trying to get a sense if I approach a coffee roaster about this if they would take me seriously. Sure, I may not be back for three months, but I'm hoping that as I grow my business, I can establish a relationship with a larger roaster and take advantage of their knowledge, origin relationships, etc.
Has anyone done this before? How have you started going from the personal home roaster to something more main stream.
Perhaps I should stop worrying and just go for it??
I'm wanting to purchase a large volume of coffee at a price that isn't going to break me (which may be my problem). I don't feel it is time to start working with coffee brokers etc. but also feel that while I love supporting the sources I've purchased beans from before, that I can not justify a part time business selling coffee for 4 to 5 dollars over what I've paid for it, especially when I take into account my own time invested in roasting the coffee. Not to mention, I plan on giving away a lot of coffee at the beginning for advertising, and for sample roasting.
I'm wanting to start with one jute bag, or 69kg bag of coffee, and am trying to get a sense if I approach a coffee roaster about this if they would take me seriously. Sure, I may not be back for three months, but I'm hoping that as I grow my business, I can establish a relationship with a larger roaster and take advantage of their knowledge, origin relationships, etc.
Has anyone done this before? How have you started going from the personal home roaster to something more main stream.
Perhaps I should stop worrying and just go for it??
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Spencer on
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Hello - Your idea or "apprenticing" with some local coffee roasters to learn the trade is great. You must realize that many will not want to help a future competitor, and many will not wish to sell green coffee or other products to a competitor. You may want to attend the SCAA conference or a CoffeeFest program to attend training classes and learn from other industry people.
Look into www.sweetmarias.com for green coffee, and search the internet for more coffee knowledge.
That being sad, the best training it to stand in front of your roasters and roast as much coffee as possible. Do not roast blind. control your profile, track your profile, and cup every roast, record every cupping and learn from each batch!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Jim on
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I started my business about a year and a half ago. I roast at home for myself only but I sell green beans to other home roasters. I have gotten some of my coffee directly from farms and I have bought some on ebay (don't laugh it was actually quite good). There is a green bean co-op but you are not supposed to sell the coffee you get there and there is a green bean buying club that sells quantities of green beans. If you go to a roaster they would probably sell you a bag but it will probably cost you. I have seen bags on ebay for $166 dollars but then you have to pay shipping.
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Permalink Reply by Dustin Fluke on
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Thanks for the input. I don't mind paying around 150 - 166. I just can't afford to buy 150 lbs of coffee in 10 lb increments at an average of 5 dollars per pound, which is the largest quantity I've found for a retailer. So I was hoping that dealing with a local roaster would give me the ability to avoid shipping costs directly, and I could pay a decent value on the coffee plus a percentage of their shipping costs.
I'll keep everyone posted.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh Mooney on
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Dustin;
Yes, you've found that buying green coffee in 5 pound quantities can be quite expensive. I would think you're just going to have to knock on some doors of roasters in your general area and see if they're willing to work with you. I personally haven't had luck with that approach as of yet.
Burman Coffee Traders (www.burmancoffee.com), Madison, WI has some beans available in 50 pound quatities (Indian Monsooned Malabar @ $3.25, Honduran Finca Las Canas @ $3.85, Colombian Supremo Huila Valencia @ $3.30, Costa Rican BCT Dota Select @ $3.45 - all plus shipping). I buy a fair amount of coffee from U-Roast-Em (www.u-roast-em.com), Hayward, WI and they have 25 pound quatiites of all their coffees and reasonable shipping fees. Talk to Terry Wall there, maybe he'll work with you on larger quantities.
Plus, here are a couple other links you might want to check out for Importers: Coffee Universe - (http://coffeeuniverse.com/resources/search?n=Company+Name&c=461...); Lucid Cafe - (http://www.lucidcafe.com/cafebystate/import.html).
Spencer's comments are right on target regarding tracking. I created a Roasting Log and fill one out for every batch I roast, no exceptions. I started in late December of last year and have done over 100 roasts in my Gene Cafe of more than 20 varieties. If I'm going to roast a Costa Rica Tres Rios, for example, I refer to my log sheets and review the different roast profiles I've used for that coffee. It's the only way I've found that I can closely duplicate a previous roast.
Good luck and happy roasting.
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Permalink Reply by Tyler Kleinow on
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How'd you get hooked up with farms?
I am a home roaster too, and I would love to deal with farms
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It is not easy. My first farm my wife's cousin had visited in Nicaragua on a trip that had nothing to do with coffee. She introduced me and he agreed to sell me from coffee. I belong to coffee forums and meet some there and I have even contacted me after visiting my website. But what I would really like to do I can't right now because of money, is I want to go to the countries and meet them in person. Some day!
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Brett;
Not sure I trust the site you're suggesting. There seems to be a "security" issue with it. And besides, the amount of information you have to provide just to get pricing is way out of line. Looks like a "rip" to me. I think I'll stick with the folks I'm working with now. They list their prices "up front", not behind the gate.
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Hello -
Gillies Coffee in NY is a respectable and reputable coffee company. This s a multi-generational family business and one of the oldest coffee roasters in the country. Don Schoenholt and his son David are both professional, passionate, and fully engaged on the coffee industry.
You should have no reservations when conducting buiness with Gillies Coffee
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Thanks, I appreciate your input. My concern came from the Microsoft notification that there was a problem with the website's security certificate and suggested that I do not proceed. However, I did continue. The amount of information required to "login" was more than I am accustomed to.
Upon your recommendations I have "joined."
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