We can’t all eat at The American Restaurant every night, but we sure can enjoy a cup of its special blend. The aroma is sweet and soothing with hints of warm buttermilk and fruit. A mild acidity complements the sweet mesquite smoky finish. Subtle apple cinnamon aftertones round out this refined blend.

Bean Profile:

• Origin: Indonesia, South America, Africa
• Roast: French

If you like American Restaurant Blend, you may also like Classic Cup and Kenya.

Universally recognized as one of the world s most sought after coffees, our Mandheling comes from a region called Gayoland in northwest Sumatra. Named for the people who inhabit the area and nurture this rare coffee, it is grown on very small farms - no more than 3-5 acres - under native shade trees in the Gayo mountains at elevations exceeding 3,800 feet. Each grower processes his own coffee, then sun-dries the beans on handmade drying tables. They are then double hand-sorted before being sold to the world’s most discerning coffee buyers. Our Sumatra Organic coffee is very full-bodied, with intense aroma and flavor that reverberates with an earthy, smoky and fruity complexity. For those enchanted by moonlit nights and the dark secrets of the East Indies, Sumatra Mandheling will fuel your reverie.

Bean Profile:

• Origin: Sumatra, Indonesia; Aceh Region
• Varietal: Typica, Caturra
• Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic
• Roast Level: French
• Processing: Semi Washed, Patio Dried
• Elevation: 4000-5000 ft.

If you like Sumatra Fair Trade Organic, you may also like Sulawesi Toraja and Sumatra Mandheling.

Home-Roasting Coffee

Coffee roasting is the application of heat to coffee beans in order to create chemical reactions that develop the complex aromatic and flavor components of the bean. The goal is to achieve a delicate balance of flavor, acidity, body and aroma that is both harmonious and intriguing. It is absolutely possible to roast coffee at home and with some practice, achieve this balance. It’s most important to begin with the best green coffee available. The quality of a cup of coffee is directly linked to the quality of the green coffee from which it was roasted and brewed. As a result, it becomes imperative to choose green coffee from only the most preferred green-coffee sellers.

Equipment:

There are many different ways of roasting coffee at home. The options are only dependent on how creative and innovative you want to be. The Roasterie utilizes the Convection Method of roasting. This is where heat is applied to the coffee beans evenly, at the same rate by suspending the batch in a vortex or column of hot air, commonly known as air-roasting.

Home Air Roasters range from relatively basic to extremely high-tech. On average, they are significantly more economical than home drum roasters with the same ability to adjust time, temperature and even air flow. We recommend the Nesco Professional home roaster series because of its patented catalytic exhaust system to control smoke, and its profile roasting ability combined with an attractively low cost.

To learn more about Home-Roasting, visit our Training Section.