Double boilers, while more expensive, can allow for a little more versatility of application. Multiple boilers allow one boiler to keep water at temperature while the other produces steam. The double boiler system can also be a must have for people wanting to make multiple drinks at a time. With a single boiler, the water will continue cooling for however long it takes you to froth your milk making it so you will have to reheat the water before pulling another shot. This isn’t a problem a problem with double boiler systems as the one boiler remains able to maintain the water’s temperature, allowing you to pull multiple shots back to back while creating latte art to your heart’s content.
Heat exchanger systems have a single boiler heating the water container. Cold water is then pumped through in a separate tube within the main boiler. That water is heated and pumped out to be used for making espresso, typically after being combined with cool water in order to achieve the desired temperature. This is because the water in the main boiler section is usually far too hot for espresso, a design feature that allows it to be used for creating steam. Heat exchanger systems are therefore able to have the functionality of a double boiler, with one less heating element.
Thermoblocks are a less conventional option, but one that can often be found in low-cost all-in-one systems. They work by channeling water through a narrow pipe within a metal block that is heated to the desired temperature, which in turn heats the water,before piping it to where it’s needed for brewing. This method has the advantage of only needing to heat small amounts of water at a time and can sometimes be quicker and more energy efficient than traditional methods. However, there is a downside that comes with thermoblocks’ reliance on narrow pipes and less expensive materials. They typically use aluminum pipes which are more prone to scaling issues. Using aluminum on its own isn’t necessarily bad, the material is better than the frequently used brass at retaining heat (but worse at making steam). The problem arises from being combined with the narrow form factor of the thermoblock, meaning that even small amounts of sediment can clog the system. Thermoblocks reliability can vary wildly depending on their materials and build quality, but the upkeep needed and potential longevity issues can make them an unwise investment for many.
When you’re looking to buy a coffee or espresso maker, it’s tempting to get drawn in by convenience features and design. But if these things aren’t supported by quality materials and build, you may not get the quality of coffee or longevity of use that you think you’re paying for. For most people, a single or double boiler will give you the best combination of versatility and quality. Their ability to produce steam and hot water, as well as their superior reliability, mean that an investment in one is a far less risky proposition than a similar thermoblock system. Hopefully, understanding the kinds of heating implements availableon the market and the features they offer will give you a better idea of which is the right choice for you.
Our Wholesale Philosophy
The way we approach wholesale is well represented in a simple language choice; instead of referring to the businesses we wholesale to as customers, we prefer to call them partners. We use this term because partner accurately describes the relationships we strive to build with our wholesale clients. Customers merely purchase product from vendors; partners work to serve one another effectively in a mutually beneficial relationship.
In other words, our goal is not merely to sell coffee; we strive also to ensure that our clients are well set-up for success in every facet of their business. To this end, we work to help our partners arrange and equip their coffee preparation areas efficiently, plan menus and coffee offerings effectively, and provide ongoing service, training, and general support, supplying quality coffee all the while. Because a partnership runs both ways, we also endeavor to cultivate open dialogue with our wholesale clients through regular check-ins and on-site visits. Whether it be discussions on dialing in new coffees, talking shop about coffee roasting and brewing, or feedback on coffee quality, the conversations we have with our partners make us better roasters and retailers of coffee, which in turn helps us to serve them more effectively. At the end of the day, the businesses we partner with to sell coffee are made up of people, and people matter. Our wholesale program is tailored to emphasize and reiterate this simple fact.
What We Provide
Now that all the philosophical stuff is out of the way, let’s get to brass tacks; what can Centri Coffee provide to a prospective wholesale partner? The answer is quite a lot.
Roasting and selling top-notch coffee is our passion, and as such our offering list is both delicious and dynamic. We roast a seasonally rotating variety of single-origin coffees, as well several dark roasts, decaffeinated coffees, and blends. We focus on offering reasonably priced coffees with well-rounded, accessible, and varied flavor profiles that can suit any palate. We also focus heavily, though not exclusively, on organic coffees because of our belief in the importance of sustainability.
Good equipment is just as important as good coffee; as such, we have a range of equipment programs designed to get any potential partner up and running for a very competitive price. If a partner is interested in buying new equipment, we also maintain relationships with major manufacturers and can pass on coffee equipment to partners at wholesale cost. We also provide our partners with service and repairs from our in-house tech team at a discounted rate; whatever the issue, we can help you fix it.
Even before coffee or equipment are in place, we provide a variety of training services free of charge. From basic coffee brewing techniques, to ongoing barista education, to sensory exercises and exploration, we’re able to assist clients of any experience level in continuing to build their coffee skillset. Training can take place in your café space, or our roastery’s coffee lab-the choice is yours. Additionally, we offer free weekly delivery for customers in our local footprint (Ventura, Ojai, and Santa Paula). If you’re outside that area, we offer free shipping on orders above $150.
All in all, we strive to offer a robust suite of products and services to effectively meet the needs of any person or business that enjoys and wants to serve good coffee.
Our Ongoing Approach
Now that we’ve outlined our approach to wholesale and described the services we provide, I’d like to offer our ongoing approach to service and support for our wholesale clients, which is extremely simple; we are proactive and customer oriented. If you’re a Centri customer, you are not a name or a number; you and your employees are people whose success and satisfaction we are interested and invested in. We’ll be checking in on you regularly to make sure you’re enjoying the coffee we’re sending your way and that you have everything you need to be successful. If you don’t, we’ll help you figure it out. Whether it be troubleshooting your espresso machine, training new baristas in basic coffee techniques, or just talking coffee, we’re here for you; your success is our success.
In conclusion, Centri Coffee has a very simple wholesale strategy; we value people, provide tasty coffee and a robust suite of support services, and are in consistent dialogue with our partners to ensure good coffee and good times are flowing.
We hope this look into our thinking on wholesale has been enlightening, and if you’re interested in setting up a wholesale account, feel free to drop us a line at info@centricoffee.com, or call us at 805.643.3383. We hope to hear from you soon. Until next time!
]]>MistoBox started with its co-founders, Samantha Meis and Connor Riley, meeting while studying abroad in Barcelona. The two then conceived the idea for the company as part of a school project at the University of Arizona. A successful Kickstarter in 2012 was followed by Mark Cuban’s 2013 investment, and the company has continued to grow their business ever since with their 1 millionth cup of coffee being shipped in 2015. It’s a truly inspiring story of entrepreneurial spirit mixed with a healthy dose of coffee and a desire to share that with as many people as possible and we’re happy to play a part in it.
For those of you who aren’t already familiar, MistoBox is a subscription-based service that delivers a selection of whole or ground beans from 50 of the nation’s premium roasters, large and small, right to your door. When you sign up for their service you answer questions about what type of coffee you typically like and how much you normally drink each week. MistoBox then pairs you with a Coffee Curator who learns your preferences and sends you coffees that match. It’s this curatorial service that really makes MistoBox stand out and the personalization ensures that you’ll be getting beans you’ll love.
These tailored deliveries arrive at a frequency that you choose, and all the beans are roasted to order, ensuring that you’ll never be out of top-notch fresh coffee. We love this service because it’s a great way for coffee-lovers to try a variety of excellent coffee from roasters all over the country. The exposure they can bring for roasters of all sizes is remarkable and their commitment to helping their customers find new favorites from a selection of ethically and deliciously sourced products is admirable.
We’re honored and excited to be included amongst all the amazing roasters MistoBox sources from and can’t wait to get our coffee out into the world for even more people to try. If you want to check MistoBox and give the gift of delicious and freshly roasted beans to yourself, or a friend, head over to mistobox.com to see all of their subscription offerings.
]]>First wave coffee is started in the mid-1800’s and continued up until the 1960’s. It was an era marked by preground coffee brewed in batches using a drip percolation method. Mass-market brands such as Folgers and Maxwell House entered the market, turning coffee from a more niche product into one for the masses and a part of most American’s morning routines. It went from a novelty to a crucial (or, if you believe the commercials, best) part of waking up, with almost three-quarters of Americans calling themselves coffee drinkers by the peak of the wave.
If it’s the first wave that brought coffee to the masses, then it’s the second wave that sought to make more of a specialty product. With companies like Starbucks, Peets, and others entering the market in the 1960’s and 1970’s, their product offerings, and brewing methods came to define the American– and global– coffee market. It was a step up from the product offerings of the first wave, in terms of both quality and variety, but it was still a significant difference from what was to come. This typically meant companies were using darker roasts in order to ensure the desired conformity in taste across their burgeoning coffee empires. These sometimes more-burnt-than-dark roasts were made to appeal to consumers by using large amounts of milk or sweeteners and syrups in order to mask the sometimes bitter flavor profiles of the underlying coffee or espresso. So-called “specialty” drinks turned coffee into an any-time-of-day drink with even more of a mass appeal.
Starting in the 1970’s, and starting to make its presence felt by the end of the 1980’s, third wave coffee emerged as a response to the perceived over-saturation of second-wave chains. Smaller, locally-owned shops begun to gain following from customers who were initiated into the coffee scene at second wave locations and then sought out more independent spots. These shops produced a lighter and wider range of roasts to give consumers a greater variety of flavor profiles to experience. This broadening of roasts was also accompanied by an ethos that focused on taking care to source the product ethically and sustainably and to discover the subtleties that existed in less traditionally popular types of beans. If the second wave was defined by specialty coffee-based drinks, then the Third Wave could be said to be defined by coffee that has a special story and experience behind it. Consumers began caring where their beans were coming from, how they were grown and that the producers were being fairly compensated for the role they played.
So what does that make us at Centri Coffee Roasters? We like to think that we’re taking some of the best parts of the Third Wave movement and helping push them forward and making them, even more, consumer friendly. We proudly share the movement’s obsession with quality and ethical sourcing, and we strive for the utmost transparency at every level of our business. We’re incredibly proud of the supply chain we have and we’ll talk about it to anyone. By starting with a lineup of certified Fair Trade, Organic and Biodynamic sources we know we have nothing to hide. In fact, we believe that our transparency is a strength that allows our customers to know that when they choose our offerings they’re making a great choice for both their palette and their planet. Our roasting methods are certainly influenced by the Third Wave as well. We have a variety of lighter roasts, featuring some more floral and fruity notes, that are a hallmark of the movement. But, we also carry beans that have been roasted along the full light to dark spectrum. With something for every taste, we think we’re able to better serve a wide array of preferences and also our loyal customers who are on a never-ending quest for their next favorite bean.
]]>Tell us a little about how The Five07 got started, as well as how your relationship with Centri began.
We had the vision of opening a creative community space in Thousand Oaks. That was the initial inspiration, which then had a rapid buildup of ideas - smoothies, local art, music, and of course coffee. We saw the Centri logo (this was way back in 2015) alongside a Topa Topa Brewing beer and decided to do a cupping with Dillon - it was a perfect collaboration right off the bat! Three years later we were finally able to make everything come to fruition!
What do you think sets The Five07 apart from other coffee shops in the area?
We are open until midnight and feature live music on weekends + curated playlists throughout the week. In addition to that, we also feature a rotating single origin roast on espresso and pour over from different roasters across the country, to join our Centri House roasts!
What’s your favorite aspect of running a coffeehouse?
Seeing the community come together with positive energy, no doubt about it.
What are your growth plans for the Five07?
We’re still in our first year, and so are aggressively honing in on how we can get better every single day. Once we feel we are at a reproducible spot, who knows.
What’s your favorite coffee drink/the best Centri coffee you’ve had?
AHHH THE CURRENT ETHIOPIA BEDHATU
Many thanks to Sean for answering my questions.
The Five07 is located at 2036 E Avenida De Los Arboles Suite C, in Thousand Oaks, CA, and is open 7:30am – Midnight every day.
Be sure to stop by and enjoy some tasty coffee and food if you’re ever in the area!
Interview By : Bret Colman, Director of Coffee / Head Roaster, Centri Coffee
]]>The Roaster
Founded in 1868, Probat is a roaster manufacturer headquartered in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany, with subsidiaries and factories all over the world. In the context of the modern coffee industry, Probat is renowned for their UG roasters, a series of machines built from 1949 to 1958. These machines defined the features for which modern Probat roasters are known; the integration of cast iron components into a sturdy, long-lasting build, consistent airflow, and incredibly powerful direct flame burners. UG series roasters are especially coveted because of their extensive use of cast iron, which makes them extremely thermally stable, but all modern Probat roasters hold to the same design principles; high build quality, consistent airflow, and powerful burners, all of which combine to produce roasted coffee of stellar quality.
Our 95’ L12 is no exception to this rule. Boasting cast-iron in the, faceplate, backplate, and body of the roaster, as well as a rolled steel drum, our machine is extremely durable. Dillon, our founder, also completely rebuilt this machine, so while the bones of the roaster are original, much of the hardware has been replaced, which enhances its already stellar build quality. The roaster can handle up to 12 kilos (around 26 pounds) of coffee per batch, but we prefer the taste results of 9 kilo, or 20 pound batches. The roaster only has one fan, which can be toggled between roasting and cooling applications, with no further airflow modulation possible. This means that airflow through the roaster itself is held at a constant level during roasting, a staple feature of Probats and major point of contrast with modern roaster designs, which often feature completely controllable airflow. The heating setup of the roaster features three rows of gas-powered burners which contact the drum directly from below. Roasters with this setup are called direct flame roasters, and are the most common type of coffee roaster on the market. The burners themselves are extremely powerful, boasting a total output of around 96,000 BTUs/hr, which is 8,000 BTUs/kg/hr at a full 12kg batch size, or around 10,600 BTUs/kg/hr at our slightly reduced batch size . By comparison, the other roaster in our facility, a Diedrich IR-20, has a 150,000 BTU/hr rating, or around 7,500 BTUs/kg/hr for our full 20 kilo batches, which is 3,100 BTUs/kg/hr less than a standard batch on the Probat, or 500 BTUs/kg/hr less on a full batch. These numbers make clear that the L12 is a very powerful roaster with the ability to push a lot of heat into green coffee. Overall, the L12 is sturdily built of cast iron and steel, mechanically simple, and very powerful, with no airflow modulation. Now, onto what that means for the flavor of the coffee it roasts.
The Coffee
One of the reasons that vintage Probat roasters like our L12 have been so coveted by third wave roasteries is that they excel at producing well developed coffees at a wide variety of roast levels. The reason for this lies in their construction. Cast iron components to the build make the roaster extremely thermally stable. As a low-density metal (relative to steel), cast iron takes a long time to heat up, but retains heat very well once it is hot. Heating up our L12 usually takes around 45 minutes (average warm up time for a roaster is around 30 minutes), but once it’s hot, I can walk away for an hour and come back to a machine still ready to roast. Like most Probat roasters, our machine’s drum is made of steel, in this case rolled steel. Steel is denser than cast iron, which for heat transfer purposes means it is more sensitive to temperature change; it heats up and cools down faster. This sensitivity is an important quality because in the beginning of a roasting cycle, heat is primarily conveyed to beans by means of conduction from the drum; that is, the green coffee gets warmer because heat is being transferred from the drum directly to the beans themselves. A high-density drum thus makes for a roasting system in which conductive heat transfer is especially pronounced. When combined with a powerful burner setup like that of our L12, this in turn means that the roaster operator has a great deal of influence over the temperature of the beans through modulation of the gas, particularly at the beginning of a batch; the roasting system is very responsive and can be modulated to create a wide array of profiling options. The lack of airflow control is often seen as a negative by modern roasters, but in my opinion, it plays into the strengths of the machine; the number of variables one has to track are kept to a minimum, so the variable you can control, in this case the roaster’s gas/burner setting, has a large amount of influence over the roasting process. This laser focus on single-variable manipulation rewards skilled operation by reducing distractions, airflow being one potential distraction.
The analogy I often make is that using modern roasters of different manufacture is like driving a car with an automatic transmission, while the L12 is like driving a car with a stick shift. Much like an automatic car, modern roasters are typically easier to use, with simple functions and lots of controls over those functions; the coffee equivalents of cruise control, automatic braking, and backup cameras. The automatic offers much in the way of function and asks nothing in return, as its corners are rounded off. Our L12 is like a stick shift in that it offers little in the way of frills or features, but centers around the precise operation of a few simple variables; instead of the clutch, throttle, and brake, it’s gas setting. The machine is simple to use, but difficult to operate effectively; it rewards precise operation, which can only be learned through intimate knowledge of the machine and lots of practice.
To track all this back to taste and flavor, our L12 and Probats in general are unique because they can produce coffees with flavor profiles in a very wide range. The simplicity and modularity of their controls and construction allow for effective production of light and dark roasts, all of which taste extremely clean due to the precisely calibrated airflow. Coffee from the Probat just tastes good, and this is not a result of operational skill; the machine itself is precisely tuned to produce properly developed, well rounded, and altogether tasty coffee.
Why I Like the Probat
It’s probably easy to surmise from the preceding paragraph that I enjoy roasting on our L12. The reason for this is simple; it’s a powerful tool which allows me to roast a wide variety of green coffees effectively. Having to only control for a few variables makes deciding on a roast profile a simple process, and once a profile is defined, the roaster’s thermal stability makes repeating it a breeze. There are challenges associated with the Probat, to be sure; working with such a sensitive instrument takes time to learn, but once that initial hurdle is overcome, its ease of use is unparalleled. I love our L12, and I’m extremely happy with the quality of coffee it produces. We’re lucky to have such a powerful tool at our disposal.
In conclusion, today we’ve discussed the technical details of our roaster, how that affects the taste of the coffee it produces, and why that makes it machine beloved not only by me, but our whole team. I hope this has been a helpful deep dive into our roasting technique and philosophy, as seen through the lens of our equipment. Stay tuned to this blog for all things coffee related. Until next time.
Article By : Bret Colman, Director of Coffee / Head Roaster, Centri Coffee
]]>As the coffee industry has developed over the past decade, many hands have been wrung and much ink spilled in the discussion surrounding roasting style. Roasting is one of the most fluid and ever-evolving aspects of coffee as a whole; convention changes constantly. This post won’t endeavor to make claims about which of the myriad of roasting styles is correct, but rather, attempt to define the dominant trends of coffee roasting and situate the roasting of Centri Coffee within said trends. We hope this framework will not only better help our customers to understand our style of coffee, but also gain a more holistic perspective on the coffee world and coffee roasting.
Second Wave Coffee & Dark Roasting
Dark roasting is defined as coffee roasting which results in finished coffee beans exhibiting a dark brown to black color, often with specks of oil showing on the surface of the beans. From a technical perspective, this means that the coffee has been roasted to the point of what is called ‘second crack’; coffee cracks first at a lower temperature when the water vapor stored in raw coffee seeds bursts out, and a second time at higher temperature when the cell structure of the bean cannot take on any more heat and starts to blow apart. This disintegration process, in combination with the large amounts of heat transferred to the beans over extended roast times, leads to coffees which are extremely dark in color, which in turn produces low-toned, roast-forward notes in the cup. Indeed, dark roasted coffees tend to exhibit flavor characteristics which are considered classic coffee descriptors; dark chocolate, toast, tobacco, rich body and high bitterness.
Dark roasting is by far the most popular style of coffee roasting in the world; large chains like Peet’s Starbucks, and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf are all dark roasters, and thus dark roasted coffee is familiar to most consumers. Proponents of this style of roasting tend to highlight its broadly appealing flavor characteristics, ease of use in milk-centric coffee beverages, and uniformity across batches. Critics of the style focus on its limited range of flavor options, the increased speed at which darkly roasted coffee stales, and often assert that dark roasting obfuscates the inherent flavor characteristics of a coffee in favor of roast driven flavor.
Light Roasting and the Third Wave
A movement which began in the late 90s and got into full swing in the new millennium, third wave coffee began as a direct counterpoint to second wave coffee. Whereas second wave coffee is often blended or marketed as a single origin with no information beyond the country of origin, third wave coffee companies focus on the specificities of individual coffees. Prominent companies such as Intelligentsia, Blue Bottle, and Stumptown not only sell single-origin coffees, but also drill down to the varieties, elevation, and processing practices of each individual farmer, building transparent trade relationships and working towards environmental sustainability along the way. Because of these commitments, light roasting is the style of choice in the third wave, the logic being that if great effort is to be undertaken to source unique and specific coffees, roasting should not obfuscate said coffee’s specificity, but rather, reveal it. This means imparting as little roast-driven flavor as possible and attempting to allow the coffee to speak for itself. From a technical perspective, this means roasting coffees just into first crack, or the period of the roast in which the water vapor in the beans bursts out. Dropping the coffee out of the roaster during this process results in beans which are significantly lighter in color than their more darkly roasted counterparts, and which display similarly lighter and higher-toned flavors; citrus, berries, sugar, and high acidity are the classic marks of a third wave light roast.
Centri’s Roasting Style
At Centri, we do not exclusively subscribe to either a light or dark roasting philosophy. Instead, we strive to learn from and appreciate many approaches, and roast our coffees according to the style we feel is most appropriate to each one. This means that sometimes we roast single origin coffees fairly light, other times we roast blended coffees quite dark, and still other times we invert that methodology completely and offer light blends and dark single origins. Regardless of the roast degree of a coffee, we endeavor to create a unique and delicious experience for our customers to enjoy. We firmly believe that coffee tastes delicious at a wide variety of roast levels, and that an open mind and flexible approach are necessary tools to be successful in the coffee world. As such, we keep things loose and roast coffees the way we think they need to be for our customers to enjoy them. We’re not light, dark, or medium roasters, third wavers or the old guard; we’re just a group of passionate people who really love coffee and the people that drink it. We feel pretty lucky that we get to roast and sell coffee for a living, and we’re excited to have you along on that journey.
We hope this brief dive into our roasting philosophy has been illustrative, and stay tuned to this blog and website for updates on all things coffee. Until next time!
Article By : Bret Colman, Director of Coffee / Head Roaster, Centri Coffee
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