In 2021, our friends Matthew and Elisa turned their shared passion for coffee into Ember. What started as a local project in Big Lake, Minnesota, has become a nationally recognized name in specialty roasting — recognized as the Best Coffee in Minnesota by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2023, 2024, and 2025. 

Their secret is a unique air roasting method. Rather than roast on scorched metal like older drum systems, they follow Michael Sivetz’s approach and roast on a bed of hot air. This means the chaff—the bean’s outer layer—is lifted and removed before it burns.

Every profile they dial in is tuned to respect the bean’s natural rhythm—not force it. Because when you roast with precision, you don’t have to choose between speed and soul. You get both.

Shorter roast time means brighter acidity, more nuanced complexity, and zero baked or flat notes. It’s the difference between flavor that just exists and flavor that sings.