The Royal Blog

It’s been said that those who stand for nothing will fall into a constant state of decline.  As an outspoken critic of “my way or the highway” approaches to education and one-size-fits-all solutions to roasting and quality control concerns in specialty coffee, it may not surprise you to learn that I take issue with the […]

“Every Act of Creation is First an Act of Destruction” -Pablo Picasso Lately, I’ve been speaking with my roasting students in the big-picture mode about their superpowers. Roasting is often spoken of in esoteric chemical terms or couched in industry-specific language that can sometimes alienate newcomers. To wit, the old SCAA flavor wheel was used […]

We’d like to give our sincere thanks to our Crown Jewel customers. With your support, we’re able to continue to explore the boundaries of specialty coffee and highlight innovative producers around the globe. Here’s a look back at the year in Crown Jewels: We released 48 Crown Jewels from 17 countries totaling almost 70,000 lbs […]

Reflecting on the last six months of roasting styles at The Crown.  For as long as we’ve been serving coffee, The Crown’s menu has featured a revolving door of fresh and seasonal coffees served across a number of brewing styles. By far, our most consistent outturns (aside from cold brew in the warmer months) are […]

Editor’s note: This article was first published in Roast Magazine’s May/June 2021 issue, and is reprinted here with permission. Grinder Alignment: An Evaluation of Consistency, Cupping Settings, and the Impact of Roast Degree Experiment design, operation, summary and analysis by Chris Kornman and Elise Becker with contributions from Sandra Elisa Loofbourow One of the numerous […]

Coffee blending is time-honored pairing of sensory arts and pragmatic concerns, and for many coffee drinkers remains one of the most recognizable ways to distinguish a coffee.  This article will introduce roasters to basic blending concepts and attempt to answer some critical questions when creating coffee blends for various markets and applications. We’ll also look […]

Mise en Place Setting Up for Success as a Home Roaster By Evan Gilman and Nate Lumpkin   Roasting in the comfort of one’s own home is, in our minds, one of the most pleasurable experiences in the coffee world. Having your creature comforts nearby while you roast makes the whole affair much more manageable; […]

Editor’s note: This article first ran the November/December 2020 issue of Roast Magazine. Heating Things Up An Introduction to Thermodynamics in Coffee Roasting By Candice Madison What alchemy turns coffee brown and releases a plethora of flavors and aromas? Heat! Not the steamy heat of a summer night, but the tried and tested the application […]

Editor’s note: Lowell Powell, partner to Royal’s Marketing & Outreach Director and Catracha Coffee Founder Mayra Orellana-Powell, is the architect of the Catracha Quality Project and a driver behind many of the coffee processing innovations taking place on the ground in Santa Elena’s coffee community. His essay here was a response to Royal’s Home Roasters […]