Green Beans

Coffee beans aren’t actually beans–they’re the seeds of a small cherry-like fruit that grows in a region around the equator known as the “bean belt”. After being harvested, processed, and dried, coffee beans are hard, dense, and green. At Mazama, we source high quality beans from around the world to provide a wide range of flavor profiles.

The Roast

The Roasting process is simple in its variables, yet complex in its outcome. At its most basic, the process of coffee roasting is applying the right amount of heat for the right amount of time to green coffee beans. At Mazama, we use a small batch drum roaster which allows us to dial in temperature and time with high precision to pull the best flavors out of the beans.

As the beans' internal temperature increases, carbohydrates carmelize, the color changes from a pale green to a warm, dark brown, and amino acids and other compounds break down affecting overall acidity and aroma. We apply heat at varying levels and durations depending on the origin of the bean and our desired flavor profile. For example, lighter roasts, like our Ethiopia, spend less time at high temperatures, allowing the bean to retain its unique fruitier notes. Whereas darker roasts, like our Sumatra, spend more time at high temperatures, resulting in a more robust full-bodied flavor.

Final Product

Once the roasting process is complete, the beans are dropped from the drum into the cooling tray where their internal temperature rapidly decreases preventing them from over cooking. The result is the delicious, aromatic coffee bean we all know and love. Coffee roasting is both an art and a precise science–one we’ve been committed to perfecting at Mazama for the past X years.