Enter the Master

Once our coffee shipments arrive from origin, it's time for our Master Roaster Jesse Martinez to work his magic. For all the experience and expertise that a roaster brings to his trade, nothing can ever take the place of sheer talent, instinct and heart. Jesse has plenty of each as he transforms each batch of green coffee into the coffee that meets the exacting flavor profile set forth by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, wielding his roasting ovens the way an artist wields his colors. Truly, roasting goes beyond craft and technique, and into the realm of culinary art.

On average, our coffees are roasted between 410-470 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes. To ensure the beans achieve their intended color, aromas and flavors, Jesse inspects the progress of the roast as much as once every few seconds, for even a few seconds can mean the difference between flaw and perfection. Time and temperature are of the essence.

Roasting too slowly will result in over-toasting the beans' delicate oils and aromatic compounds. Too quickly, and you'll deprive the coffee beans of their ideal "cooking" times and deprive them - and, yes, the rest of us - of their full flavor and aroma potential.

Photos by: CHRISTIAN DEL ROSARIO