Competition-Level Roasting w/ Black & White Coffee Roasters

Competition coffees are different. They're hyper-expressive, often cost over $100/lb green, and require different roasting approaches than standard specialty coffee. Kat Melheim (‪@roasterkat‬) interviews Kyle Ramage, co-founder of Black and White Coffee Roasters, on how the company works with World Barista Championship-level beans—and what they've learned through years of experimentation. Get more industry insights 👉 https://freshcup.com Join the Fresh Cup newsletter 👉 https://freshcup.com/newsletter/ Get matched with wholesale buyers 👉 https://roasterlink.com/roasters Chapters: 0:00 Introducing Kyle and Kat 2:15 How Black and White Started Through Competition Connections 5:40 The Philosophy: Finding Great Coffee First, Building a Business Second 8:45 Roasting for "Flavor Movement" (Hot to Cold) 14:20 The Technical Approach: Slower Roasts and Airflow Management 18:35 Why Green Coffee Quality Beats Everything Else 23:50 The Pre-Roast vs Post-Roast Blending Experiment 28:10 Navigating the C-Market Crisis With Quality-Focused Pricing 30:40 How Black and White Has Evolved Over Seven Years