"coffee roaster" news and stories

If you're ever in Santa Barbara, California, it is worth stopping in at the Santa Barbara Roasting Company. The roastery opened in 1989 as the only roaster in town and, as soon as they discovered how much better freshly roasted coffee tastes, it was not long before many locals and local restaurants were enjoying the coffee on a regular basis. The storefront is near the coast and isn't hard to find. They sell pastries, blended drinks and espresso drinks, in addition to straight coffees. My only complaint is that they don't seem to keep unsweetened iced coffee in the store. They'll make you an iced Americano instead, but it's not quite the same as having a coffee and, in a roastery, you would think that they might just tuck a pitcher in the fridge.

But the coffee is the main reason to go - and it is excellent. Half the store is dedicated to their whole bean choices and they have many different coffees out to sample everyday, which is very useful when trying to narrow down the bean options. They have a wide range of both light and dark roasts - most of which have a distinctive, smoky flavor. The Paradise blend is a lighter roast with smoked caramel note. The Colombian Supremo is a bit darker, but not overly so, and is a good everyday sort of coffee, while the State Street blend - one of their signatures - is full and dark.  

If you can't get to the store, you can order their beans online. They ship very quickly and the beans taste just as fresh (if not more so) than the ones you can pick up in person.

Santa Barbara Roasting Company
321 Motor Way
Santa Barbara, CA
805-962-0320

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