Roasting coffee is a precise art. It is key to unlocking coffee’s innate flavors and qualities – and ultimately dictates how it will taste.
In the coffee sector, people talk about certain roasts suiting some brewing methods more than others but what about espresso capsules?
After extensive testing, we find that roasting for capsules does require a unique approach. Read on to learn more about how we roast for our wholesale coffee capsules.
The three most common words used to describe roast profiles are “light”, “medium”, and “dark”. So what do these mean?
Basically, roasting transforms green coffee (raw, hard, and nearly impossible to grind) into roasted beans which can then be ground and brewed. To achieve this, roasters have to heat the coffee to anywhere between 385 and 470°F. Any lower, and the coffee is still partially raw; any higher, and all you can taste is smoke and ash.
But across this temperature spectrum, flavor differs immensely. At the lower end, you have light roasts – these are delicate, complex, and subtle. They display more of the coffee’s origin characteristics, and can often be floral or fruity, with a bright acidity.
Conversely, at the upper end, you have dark roasts. This is where you get the “classic” coffee flavors (like cocoa, caramel, fudge, and toasted nuts). Thanks to their boldness and intensity, dark roasts also work well with milk. As you’d expect, medium roasts fall somewhere between the two.
As well as highlighting specific flavors, roasting also affects the body of a coffee. The darker you roast, the heavier a coffee’s mouthfeel becomes. This is because more of the coffee’s oils emerge at higher temperatures.
Profiling a coffee isn’t easy. The trick is to find the “sweet spot” for each coffee – which requires a whole lot of skill and experience. Chris Petrovich, Director of Coffee at Metropolis Coffee, says that one of the most important factors is understanding the equipment you’re working with.
“I have learned that to be a good coffee roaster, one needs to understand their equipment first to manipulate it and get the results you strive for,” Chris says. “Pair that with a deep understanding of green coffee and the recipes that give you your desired results.
“Consistency is key to roasting coffee, and roast profiles are not one-size-fits-all.”
This might sound like a simple question, but as Chris explains, there’s no simple answer.
“It depends on your desired results and is subjective to what the consumer wants,” he says. “At Metropolis, we aim for balance, clarity, and a rich, luxurious body while highlighting the subtle nuances of each coffee.”
Medium and dark roasts are the most popular espresso capsules on the market. Thanks to their more traditional flavor profile, they appeal to a wider audience, and also pair well with milk.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use light roasts for espresso capsules. The flavor will be more delicate and nuanced, and acidity will be more noticeable.
Chris says that either way, the roast profile needs to ensure that sweetness and acidity are balanced and that crema is pronounced.
With an espresso machine, you can experiment with a range of brewing variables to achieve this. However, coffee capsule brewers are fully automatic. At the end of the day, this is why the roast profile has to be perfect – you can’t alter the dose or adjust the grind size when you’re brewing a capsule.
At Metropolis Coffee, all the magic happens at our 18,000-square-foot roasterie on the banks of the Chicago River. This is where we source, roast, grind, and pack our coffees, including our wholesale espresso capsules. If you want to see our roasting space, you can even take a virtual tour for a closer look.
Our roasterie is also home to our state-of-the-art Italian filling and sealing machine, as well as the roller mill we use to grind the coffee perfectly for each capsule.
Furthermore, all Metropolis Coffee espresso capsules are commercially compostable, and BPI and CMA certified. This means they pass the highest standards for commercial composting in the country and can be disposed of at any industrial composting facility.
For wholesale customers, we offer a range of options. To start with, we offer our existing capsule ranges on a wholesale basis. These are:
Beyond this, we also offer private-label coffee capsules and co-packing services. For private-label customers, we work with you to design a bespoke blend and roast profile that represents your brand.
Co-packing, meanwhile, is a perfect option if you’ve already got a coffee you’re looking to offer as an espresso capsule.
Interested in learning more? Check out our wholesale co-packing and private-label espresso capsule solutions today.
Certified compostable facilities may not exist in your area. To find a composter near you, visit www.findacomposter.com or www.compostnow.org on all packaging and marketing materials.
Metropolis Coffee is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Nespresso. Nespresso is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé.
Metropolis Coffee
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