Our Wood Roasting Tradition: Crafting Coffee with Care in Our Antique Italian Roaster

At our roastery, we proudly continue a centuries-old tradition by roasting coffee with an antique wood-fired roaster produced in Italy in the early 1970s. We use briquettes made from clean, compressed sawdust, carefully sourced with zero paint, glue, plastics, or contaminants. This supports a circular economy by repurposing wood waste while providing a natural and sustainable heat source.

Wood roasting creates a unique heat profile, developing sweetness and body with a smooth finish, accentuating classic Italian coffee flavors. This artisan method requires skill and attention to maintain consistent temperature and achieve exceptional results batch after batch.

One distinctive feature of wood roasting is the color spread it produces on the beans. The exterior often appears darker due to conductive heat roasting the bean surface, while the interior remains lighter—a phenomenon known as the “spread.” This means the outside color alone can be misleading when judging roast level.

Before drawing conclusions about the roast by looking at the beans’ exterior, we encourage you to grind the coffee and evaluate the ground color. The ground coffee offers a better representation of the roast consistency and development inside the beans, reflecting the true character and flavor potential.

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Understanding Coffee Bean Processing Methods

The journey from cherry to cup starts with the coffee bean’s processing, which greatly influences flavor and texture. Here are common processing methods featured in our selection:

Washed (Wet) Process-
Fruit is removed from the cherry, and beans ferment in water to clean off sticky mucilage, yielding a clean, bright coffee with pronounced acidity and light body.

Semi-Washed (Pulped Natural) Process-
Some fruit remains on the beans during drying, producing a fuller body and moderate acidity with sweet, earthy notes.

Honey Process–
The skin is removed, but varying amounts of mucilage (“honey”) remain on the beans as they dry. Different levels include:

• White Honey: mostly mucilage removed, resulting in bright, clean flavors
• Yellow Honey: moderate mucilage, balanced sweetness and body
• Red Honey: substantial mucilage, fuller body and richer sweetness
• Black Honey: almost all mucilage retained, heavy-bodied, and complex

Careful drying is essential to avoid spoilage and maintain quality.

Anaerobic Fermentation–
Beans or cherries ferment in airtight, oxygen-free tanks, creating bold, fruit-forward, and complex flavors. This method is often experimental and can be applied to both natural and washed beans.

Natural (Dry) Process–
Whole cherries are sun-dried intact, imparting fruity, wine-like qualities, a heavier body, and lower acidity.

Extended Natural Process–
A prolonged drying of whole cherries, intensifying fruity and fermented notes. Requires precise control to avoid off-flavors.

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Coffee Roast Levels:
From Super Light to Dark

Roasting transforms green beans into the aromatic coffee we recognize. Different roast levels influence flavor, acidity, and body:

Roast Level	Description	Flavor & Body	Tasting Notes	Color & Surface
Super Light (Cinnamon Roast)	Lightest roast, stopped early	Very bright acidity, light body	Delicate, floral, origin-driven	Light tan, dry surface
Light Roast (Light City, Half City)	Slightly darker than super light	Bright acidity, light to medium body	Fruity, citrusy, floral, clean	Light brown, dry surface
Medium Roast (City to Full City+)	Balanced roast around first crack	Moderate acidity, medium to full body	Caramel, chocolate, nutty, smooth	Medium brown, minimal oil
Dark Roast (Vienna, French)	Reaches or just past second crack	Low acidity, fuller body, bold flavor	Smoky, roasted nuts, dark chocolate, caramelized sugar; French roast oily and intense	Dark brown to black, oily surface

Roast level affects not only taste but brewing suitability. Lighter roasts shine in pour-overs or drip brewers, medium roasts balance well across methods including espresso and French press, while dark roasts excel in espresso, moka pot, or cold brew for bold intensity.

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Bringing It All Together

By combining our artisanal wood roasting tradition with knowledge of diverse processing methods and roast levels, we craft coffee that highlights origin characteristics and roasting skill. Each small batch we roast and carefully curate showcases unique flavor experiences — from bright and floral to rich and smoky — designed to suit a range of preferences. We invite you to explore our offerings and discover the story behind every bean.