The Art of Merlo Coffee Roasting: A Journey into Perfectly Roasted Beans

The secret to Merlo Coffee’s rich balanced flavour is the strict roasting profile that our roasting team follow.

We think coffee tastes best when it is fresh, so that's why we roast daily to this exact process, then pack and distribute in air locked bags and tins to our own stores, wholesale customers and online customers. 

Over 20 tonnes of coffee is roasted a week at Merlo's Bowen Hills Torrefazione location, all overseen by Head Roaster Steve Olorenshaw.

Watch the video below to some the steps involved in our roasting process. 

Stage 1: Green bean
We know that great coffee starts with quality beans, which is why we source ours from the best growers around the world. For our blends, we bring together the best characteristics of these green beans to form unique taste profiles.

Stage 2: Roasting
Small batches of green beans are then roasted at temperatures of up to 250°C, where they expand and make a cracking noise. Roasts stopped after the first crack are considered a light roast, while second crack roasts are considered to be medium to dark. Learn more about the stages of roasting here. We roast daily at each of our Torrefaziones. Visit one today.

Stage 3: Cooling
Quick cooling is key to consistently producing a quality roast. To ensure we get our perfect roast each time, we cool our beans down within a minute to less than 50 degrees.

Stage 4: Destoning
During the roasting process, coffee beans lose about 15-25% of their weight while leaving any other materials relatively unaffected. The destoning process uses pneumatic means to lift only material with the density of roasted coffee beans and nothing heavier, siphoning out any foreign objects.

Stage 5: Storing
In the time between roasting and drinking, it’s important not to let heat, light and moisture affect your brown beans. To keep your coffee fresh, store them in an airtight container. Merlo tins and bags are equipped with a one-way valve so gas from the beans can get out, without letting moisture and other gases in.

Stage 6: Grinding
Depending on how you plan on preparing your coffee, your beans need to be specifically ground to suit the method. If you’re looking to invest in a grinder, do your research or ask one of our friendly staff for help. Remember, your grinder is the single most important tool to achieve a consistently good tasting coffee.

Stage 7: Extracting
There are many different methods for extracting your coffee – espresso machine, stovetop and plunger to name a few. Whichever you use, make sure you educate yourself on the best practice. For our tips and tricks on perfecting your brewing method, visit the Coffee 101 section.

Stage 8: Enjoying

Whichever way you enjoy your coffee, its freshness, quality and consistency all start from the roasting. If you’ve enjoyed a Merlo moment lately and want to tell us about it, connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.

So, what are you waiting for? Head into our Merlo Coffee Torrefaziones today to see the roasting process in action!