What is a good business to start to pay the bills while you study chemical engineering? Coffee roasting seems a good option, or at least that’s what Mike Perry of Klatch Coffee thought. Mike’s friend found an old roaster lying around and asked if Mike would like to fix it up and use it. As any good engineer would, he fixed the roaster and even made a few improvements. Klatch still uses the roaster today!

Klatch has been making great coffee in the LA area for 25 years, and have a trophy case to show for it, with awards such as “micro-roaster of the year” and “best espresso in the world” from the 2007 World Barista Championships. The majority of their coffees receive ratings of above 90 from Coffee Review. When creating a roast profile, Klatch’s roast style is simple in concept but difficult in practice: find the roast that brings out it’s unique flavor profile the best.

Klatch has been around before direct trade was a buzzword and one of the earliest to begin to practice it. The practiced naturally stemmed from their process of visiting with their producers to build a relationship and learn more about the coffee they were importing. Now, the vast majority of their coffee is direct trade, and coffee that is bought via an importer is transparent in their business dealing so they can be sure the producer is paid a fair price.

We’re excited to work with Klatch and can’t wait to send out their delicious coffee!