SIVETZ | Roaster of the Month - Ember Coffee Co. [Big lake, Minnesota]
Ember Coffee Co. has built its reputation around one core belief: exceptional coffee should feel approachable, welcoming, and deeply connected to community.
Founded in Big Lake, Minnesota by Matthew and Elisa, Ember Coffee Co. began with a vision to create more than just another café. Their goal was to build a space centered around hospitality, craftsmanship, and intentional roasting — while introducing customers to the cleaner, smoother flavor profile that air roasting can provide.
That philosophy made their transition to a SIVETZ system a natural fit.
Built Around Air Roasting
Unlike traditional drum roasting, SIVETZ fluid-bed roasting technology suspends coffee beans in a stream of hot air during the roast process. This method allows for highly even heat transfer, reduced scorching, and exceptional clarity in the cup.
For Ember Coffee Co., that roasting style aligns perfectly with the experience they want customers to have.
Their coffees are known for:
smooth, clean flavor profiles
balanced sweetness
lower bitterness
approachable specialty coffee character
The result is coffee that appeals both to seasoned specialty drinkers and everyday coffee customers alike.
Growing with Intention
Since launching in 2021, Ember Coffee Co. has quickly become one of Minnesota’s most recognized specialty coffee brands, earning “Best Coffee” and “Best Coffeehouse” honors from the Star Tribune in consecutive years.
But growth has never been just about scale.
The Ember team continues to focus on:
ethically sourced coffees
hospitality-first café experiences
consistent roasting quality
creating meaningful connections through coffee
As production demands increased, maintaining consistency and efficiency became even more important.
Why the Switch to SIVETZ
Before moving to SIVETZ, Ember Coffee Co. was roasting on a Coffee Crafters Artisan XE, later hand-upgraded into an Artisan XL configuration. The team also utilized the Hermethius module for dynamic roast control via PID automation, a setup they credit in part to Jason Scott and the Coffee Crafters team.
At the time, Ember was roasting 8–9 pound batches approximately every 15 minutes, operating roughly 20–30 hours per week to meet production demand.
After transitioning to SIVETZ, the team saw immediate and meaningful improvements in both efficiency and roast performance.
Key improvements included:
reduced labor requirements during production
ability to run larger batch sizes more efficiently
better utilization of physical production space
delayed need for facility expansion
increased overall roasting capacity
more consistent roast output across batches
This shift allowed Ember Coffee Co. to scale production while maintaining the quality and consistency their customers expect.
Looking Ahead
As Ember Coffee Co. continues to grow, their focus remains the same: creating exceptional coffee experiences rooted in warmth, craftsmanship, and community.
At SIVETZ, we’re proud to support roasters like Ember who are pushing specialty coffee forward while staying true to their values.
We’re honored to feature Ember Coffee Co. as our Roaster of the Month.
