Guys,

Do you know of any good roaster in Michigan?

Thanks.

Tom? Don't take this the wrong way, but why?

In this fabulous world of the internet, there are many outstanding roasters from which you can choose -- roasters that will ship to you the same day the beans are roasted, and will arrive at your front door in 48-72 hours. In alphabetical order, I'd take a look at -- and can personally recommend -- the offerings from:

-- Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Santa Clara, CA
-- Blue Bottle Coffee, Oakland, CA
-- Coffee Klatch Roasting, San Dimas, CA
-- Counter Culture Coffee, Durham, NC
-- Ecco Caffè, Sonoma, CA
-- Espresso Vivace Roasteria, Seattle, WA
-- Four Barrel Coffee, San Francisco, CA
-- Gimmie! Coffee, Ithaca, NY
-- Intelligentsia Coffee, Chicago, IL
-- Metropolis Coffee, Chicago, IL
-- Paradise Roasters, Ramsey, MN
-- PT's Coffee, Topeka, KS
-- Ritual Roasters, San Francisco, CA
-- Stumptown Roasters, Portland, OR
-- George Howell's Terroir Coffee, Acton, MA
-- among many, many others

Thanks for the recommendation.

The issue I have with ordering from Internet is that the shipping cost can be quite high. I know I know, I sound cheap.

Blue Bottle includes the shipping in the cost of the coffee; that's why they may seem high. Espresso Vivace charges exactly what the post office charges for Priority Mail, and I get my coffee roasted on Monday, delivered on Wednesday. Shipping from Klatch starts at $4.95, and there are many more examples.

What you pay for gas, parking, and in time . . .

I agree with the previous posters. I think the well-respected national roasters mentioned above are the way to go. It's what I do. For years I've been ordering from Intelligentsia and Counter Culture. That changed a bit recently, with the opening of a real (finally!) coffee shop in Ann Arbor (Comet Coffee). They use 49th parallel as the house espresso and coffee, with guest taps from Ritual, Terroir, and others.

The only "third wave" shop I know that roasts their own (i think) is the Ugly Mug in Ypsilanti. The roastery division used to go by Behemoth Roasters, but I'm not sure of the recent goings-on.

However, if I was forced to purchase coffee roasted in Michigan:

Zingerman's has a roastery, and to their credit, they've gotten better over the years. Of course, you can taste the blend at either the deli or at the about-to-open new roastery, complete with brand new Slayer machine. http://www.zingermanscoffee.com/

Mighty Good Coffee roasts in Ann Arbor, and they have a shop on Main Street. http://www.mightygoodcoffee.com/

Also, a local legend/character/just-former Subaru salesman named John Roos in Ann Arbor is roasting his own...his company is Roos Roast. http://www.roosroast.com/

But, ahem, I'd stick to what the other guys said.

The limited experience I had with Great Northern during a recent visit was good. They are in Traverse City.

Jim

Note: URL was edited/corrected 10:28 PM, 9/20/2009

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your input.

I am currently ordering from Intelligentsia. But I also thought, as a resident in Michigan (with our terrible economy here), I would like to support the local roasters here too. But good coffee comes first. So, if there are no exceptional local roasters, I will have to order it out of state.

JohnB. wrote:I'm guessing that you meant this Great Northern: http://www.greatnoroco.com/beans.php I've gotten some good coffees from Jack. Ask him about his Headstrong Espresso which you won't find on the website.

John -

You are correct! Thanks for pointing out that I listed the wrong URL. I will edit the original post to avoid misleading anyone.

Jim

JohnB. wrote:Ask him about his Headstrong Espresso which you won't find on the website.

I have a bag of the Headstrong, purchased at the shop. He was pretty insistent that we let it "age" until yesterday, so we did. Well worth the wait! Possibly the strongest chocolate taste I have experienced in an espresso. Thumbs up on this blend

Jim