Air-roasting a balance, clean flavour

Pete, founder and visionary of Honest to Pete wants you to know, he would never say air roasting is better than traditional drum roasted coffee. It’s why the word ‘Honest’ appears in this coffee company's name. But one thing he would say is that, you’ve got to try a cup of his air roasted Retrospresso for yourself. 

Air roasting is the process of heating up and floating the coffee beans on a hot bed of air. 

Stop. 

Re-read that. 

Doesn’t that sound both peaceful and adorable? Imagine, you wake up in the morning, getting out of your comfy bed only to be welcomed by coffee beans that were also treated to a beautiful slumber? This sounds like the way all mornings should start. 

The traditional approach to roasting coffee beans is to place them in a drum and let those beans bounce around wildly until they reach a certain temperature. Air roasting, much like baking your chocolate chip cookies until golden brown, is a process done by sight, smell, time, and temperature. Air roasting is measured precision, as each bean floats and is roasted to a consistent temperature on all sides of the bean. What we’re getting at is: there is measured consistency as these beans gently tumble around, slowly being developed into the consistent flavour Pete wants you to try. 

And frankly, air roasting is better for the environment. Period. It takes less energy, time, and produces fewer emissions. We’re going to call that a win. 

As beans heat up in any roasting process, they will pop and crack like popcorn kernels, ultimately creating bean-debris known as the chaff. Air roasting blows the chaff away. This removes the potential for this bean-kindling that burns and affects the flavour in traditional drum roasts. You’ve probably had a cup of coffee that could be described as ‘bitter’ or ‘burned’—those are not words that will describe an air roasted cup of Honest to Pete Restrospresso. In saying no to smoke (something the air roaster ensures is not trapped inside!) the flavour of these carefully selected magic beans comes out in one perfect blend. 

Pete set out to find a cup of coffee that would stir up good feelings and better taste. After years of tinkering, he’s ready to share it with the world. He fell in love with the process of air roasting and the roast itself. A love story is always a beautiful thing. And honestly, you’ll love it too. Come try it yourself.