{"id":29603,"date":"2018-04-01T16:14:46","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T16:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/blog\/?page_id=29603"},"modified":"2026-05-18T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:00:00","slug":"small-scale","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/purchasing-info\/small-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"Small-Scale Roaster | Cafe Imports Australia | Importers of Fine Specialty Green Coffee"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”|off|off” _builder_version=”4.22.1″ background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” background_image=”https:\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Bags_Birdseye_Web-1.jpg” module_alignment=”center” global_module=”30498″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”89%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”89%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”center” make_fullwidth=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ height=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ height=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ height=”50px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ specialty=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#ffffff” max_width_tablet=”85%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off||” admin_label=”CIA Buying Green Link” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” link_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”||2px|” global_module=”29655″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Working with Us<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Purchase Planning<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Shipping<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sample Requests<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Coffee Ordering F.A.Q.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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WCR Check-Off Fund<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Purchase Planning for Small-Scale Roasters<\/h1>\n
We have broken down some key categories for small-scale roasters, continue reading to consider the details of our services while building your business.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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COFFEE EDUCATION<\/h1>\nDid you know we have a wealth of free education on our site? It can all be found on our Education page<\/a><\/strong>. Learn about the different varieties of coffee, how coffee is processed, global coffee-harvest seasons, and how we at Cafe Imports Australia evaluate coffees by watching our\u00a0Sample Roasting<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and How We Cup<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0videos.<\/p>\n
We also share as much information as possible about the coffees we sell: Look up individual coffees\u2019 profiles, or \u201cBeanologies,\u201d for more information about particular lots including farm specs, processing details, elevation, etc. Many of our coffee profiles feature rich media\u2014photos and even videos that you can download to use or embed on your own website, free of charge.<\/p>\n
Our international offices are hubs for coffee education, and we love to welcome visitors who travel to taste coffee, meet the local team, and learn from us. We also hold events around the world to spread coffee knowledge, foster community, and make new friends. Check out our upcoming events here.<\/b><\/a> You\u2019ll want to read and watch all of the educational material we have on the rest of the site, but here are a few basics to get you started right away.<\/p>\n
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FLAVOUR AND CUP CHARACTERISTICS<\/h1>\n
All coffee tastes like coffee, but then again, all apples taste like apple, even though varieties like Granny Smith and Red Delicious taste different from each other. The biggest things that affect coffee flavour are: variety, terroir or environment, processing, and, of course, roasting. (You\u2019re in charge of the last one.)<\/p>\n
First let\u2019s talk about flavours you may find in coffee: You can search by flavour characteristic on our website if you\u2019re looking for something in particular, but here\u2019s a good \u201ccheat sheet\u201d to get you started.<\/p>\n
Nutty:<\/strong> Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua<\/p>\n
Chocolate:<\/strong> Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua<\/p>\n
Sweet Fruit:<\/strong> Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru<\/p>\n
Acidic Fruit:<\/strong> Burundi, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda<\/p>\n
Berry\/Cherry\/Raisin:<\/strong> Brazil, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Sulawesi, Yemen<\/p>\n
Floral:<\/strong> Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia<\/p>\n
Earthy:<\/strong> India, Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Yemen<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re trying to build a blend, it\u2019s a good idea to think about what flavours you\u2019d like to combine in that coffee, and then find the types that match.<\/p>\n
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SEASONALITY<\/h1>\n
Coffee\u2019s seasons will vary by geographic location, just like any other agricultural product. Coffees grown above and below the Equator, for instance, will be harvested at different times of year\u2014just like how our Minnesota colleagues will be having snowball fights when we are hitting the beach in Australia. Broadly, coffee\u2019s seasons are split into two semesters by harvest, \u201cFirst Semester\u201d and \u201cSecond Semester\u201d<\/p>\n
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Most Central American, Mexican,\u00a0East African, Sumatran\/Indonesian, and many Colombian coffees arrive fresh the\u00a0first semester.<\/li>\n
Coffees from Brazil, Burundi, Congo, Ecuador, Peru, Rwanda, Sulawesi, Tanzania, and more Colombians all show up in the second semester.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This info comes in handy while you\u2019re planning your year. Select fresh single-origins to feature on your menu as soon as they begin to arrive from source. If you\u2019re building blends that you want to keep consistent on an annual basis, we can work with you to find fresh coffees to swap into your recipe while keeping the flavors the same.<\/p>\n
Our sales representatives are pros at making sure your signature blends always taste fresh, delicious, and consistent, even as the components change throughout the year.<\/p>\n
For more information on the seasonality of coffee, view\u00a0our Coffee Harvest Schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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VOLUME<\/span><\/h1>\n
Now we have an idea of what\u2019s fresh when, so the next step is figuring out how much coffee you need.<\/p>\n
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Coffee is generally sold in bags ranging from 60\u201370 kgs.<\/li>\n
Roasting coffee typically causes about 12\u201320% loss of weight by volume\u2014so if you buy 60 kg of green coffee, you\u2019ll end up with somewhere between 48\u201353 kgs roasted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Consider how much of each flavour you\u2019ll need during each semester, and talk with your Cafe Imports sales rep about which coffees will be the best match.<\/p>\n
If you are a brand-new business, keep detailed records of your weekly and monthly usage, as a way of generating predictions for your growth and fine-tuning your buying strategy.<\/div>\n
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TYPE, QUALITY, TRACEABILITY<\/h1>\n
We believe that buying better coffee means buying coffee better\u2014a philosophy that informs a holistic buying approach on our end, allowing us to source more of each producer\u2019s coffee at various levels of quality, pricing it accordingly and finding the appropriate outlet for each type of lot. Due to this buying structure, we are able to offer several tiers of quality, traceability, and price to our customers:<\/p>\n
Microlots<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Farm, farmer, or otherwise hyper-specific<\/li>\n
Typically limited quantity\/somewhat exclusive (100 bags or fewer)<\/li>\n
Scores 88+ points on the cupping table<\/li>\n
Premium, static price that does not fluctuate with the C-market<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Regional and Program Coffees <\/strong><\/p>\n
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Region-, microregion-, or association-specific<\/li>\n
Displays classic or exemplary regional characteristics that express terroir<\/li>\n
Moderate availability\u2014between 100\u2013275 bags, on average<\/li>\n
Scores 85\u201387 on the cupping table<\/li>\n
Competitive but fairly priced with tiered premiums related to quality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Signature Coffees <\/strong><\/p>\n
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Sourced based on standard profiles that represent a particular region or style<\/li>\n
Widely available throughout the year<\/li>\n
Scores 80\u201384 points on the cupping table<\/li>\n
Dynamically and competitively priced, a \u201cvalue\u201d coffee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Certified Coffees <\/strong><\/p>\n
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A selection of third-party verified and certified coffees which meet our quality standards and fulfill a range of price points and traceability, primarily Fairtrade International (FLO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Our experience is that most successful coffee roasteries build a menu that draws from a few of these different categories, depending on the application\u2014for instance, using microlots for featured single-origin coffees, and program coffees in cornerstone products and house blends, and signature coffees as high-quality base support in a blend or a darker roast.<\/p>\n
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WORLD COFFEE RESEARCH CHECK-OFF FUND<\/h1>\n
We are pleased to offer our customers the opportunity to opt in to the World Coffee Research<\/a> check-off fund.<\/strong> Participating roasters can pledge to contribute one Australian cent ($0.01 AUD) per kilo of coffee purchased through Cafe Imports Australia, who will collect and remit the funds to World Coffee Research on a quarterly basis. Read more and register to participate at our\u00a0World Coffee Research check-off fund page<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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SAMPLES<\/span><\/h1>\n
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We are happy to offer complimentary samples of green (100g) or roasted (50g) coffee for roasters with intent to buy.<\/strong> If a larger sample of green is required, we’re happy to send more, but our roasted sample volume is unfortunately firm. Samples are easy to request using our website, or by submitting an e-mail to australia@cafeimports.com<\/a>\u2014please specify whether you will need green or roasted samples.<\/span><\/p>\n
We roast, pack, and distribute samples from our office Monday\u2013Thursday via Australian Post Express. We endeavour to ship your samples within 24 hours of having received your order if possible. Once your samples have been dispatched, you will receive a tracking number via e-mail.<\/p>\n
We encourage roasters to request samples not only to try coffees they are interested in buying, but also to get calibrated with our sales and sensory analysis staff, so that we can make better and more accurate recommendations based on our customers\u2019 needs and preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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ORDERING<\/span><\/h1>\n
Once you have tasted your sample coffees and are \u00a0ready to buy something please call our office at +(03) 9428 6956 or e-mail us at <\/span>australia@cafeimports.com<\/a>.<\/strong> If we don’t hear back from you we will check in to see if perhaps we can suggest some alternative sample options.<\/span><\/p>\n
When you have decided on the coffees you would like to order, we will confirm pricing and your shipping information. We offer competitive freight options for all our customers and will work with you to find the best freight partner for your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n
Orders received before 12pm AEST will be dispatched the following business day.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
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GREEN COFFEE STORAGE<\/h1>\n
Coffee wants a cool, dry environment that is out of the sun and away from areas where water, dirt, rodents, or insects can cause damage (i.e. preferably off the ground and away from food prep or storage). In an ideal world you\u2019d have a dedicated warehouse or storage area with climate control set to 15\u201321\u00b0C at 50\u201360% humidity, but we realize that isn\u2019t possible for many small roasters.<\/p>\n
If you have limited resources, we recommend the following: <\/strong><\/p>\n
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Keep your coffee in GrainPro bags and keep the GrainPro closed between uses.<\/li>\n
Store coffee in the coolest (but not cold) area of your facility, out of direct sunlight and away from anything that affects moisture in the air such as dishwashers, steam radiators, dehumidifiers, etc.<\/li>\n
If you have multiple bags on contract, consider allowing your importer to hold them in the warehouse over a few months rather than taking delivery of the entire volume at once: You can do this by adding a few cents\/pound of carry to the price of the coffee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can I store green coffee?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Different coffees will respond differently to quality degradation over time. Some types of coffee hold up very well in storage; others fade more rapidly. The general rule of thumb is \u201cfresh is best,\u201d and we recommend using up green beans within 6 months of receipt, though up to a year is acceptable in most cases. For additional reading about coffee quality, storage, and age, read our sensory analysis director Ian Fretheim\u2019s Water Activity in Specialty Green Coffee: A Long-Term Observational Study<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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Consider us your partners.\u00a0Contact us today to see how we can work and grow together with your business!<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Working with Us Purchase Planning Shipping Sample…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":0,"parent":29609,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29603","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61749,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29603\/revisions\/61749"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/australia\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}