Roasting foundations
4.5hrs · $490 per person · 4ppl max
A half day on a commercial roaster in a working production roastery. Walk out able to roast, cup, and hold a profile batch to batch, then come back to keep roasting.
WHY ROASTING FOUNDATIONS
Roasting time you can't get anywhere else.
Learn on a commercial roaster
A working production roastery, not a hobby roaster. You sample roast hands-on, then run a real production batch.
Roast it the same every time
Anyone can nail one roast. Selling coffee means hitting it batch after batch. We teach the between-batch protocol almost no one else does.
Keep going after the course
Most courses end and that's it. This one includes a post-course drop-in session. Then, when you're ready, hire the space for your own roasting.
WHY ROASTING FOUNDATIONS
What you'll walk out able to do.
A small, hands-on group, capped at four. No experience needed, though it suits anyone with some coffee experience under their belt.
Learn on a commercial roaster
Drive the stages on the commercial machine with our head roaster: charge, turning point, Maillard, first crack, development. Read the roast graph and rate of rise live.
Read green coffee
Judge varietal, altitude, and process. Understand density and moisture, and how each one changes your roast. Plus decaf, grading, and storage.
Sample roast and cup your own work
Roast on the sample roaster, then score it on a cupping sheet. You taste your own work and learn to judge it.
Hold consistency between batches
The warm-up and between-batch protocol that makes a roast repeatable, not a one-off. The skill that separates a hobby roast from a sellable one.
Spot defects
Identify roast and green defects, what causes them and how to catch them. Tasted in the cup where we have them.
Know your next step
Cup what you roasted and map the path forward for your roasting: drop-ins, space hire, 1:1 training.
WHO IT’S FOR
People who want to roast properly, not just watch.
For baristas looking to move off the bar and into roasting.
Anyone with a coffee brand in mind who needs to understand how it's actually made.
Keen home roasters who want to go deeper.
INCLUSIONS
Also included
1kg of the production roast you ran, plus your own 100g sample roast.
Course booklet.
Lunch from Ampersand next door. Order on the day from their menu.
One drop-in roasting session after the course. Watch and contribute while the roaster talks it through. Drop-ins run roughly every six weeks, at $40 per person a session.
GOOD TO KNOW
Before you book
Must be 18 or over to attend.
Closed-toe shoes required. No sandals or open-toed footwear.
Roaster access is after a short safety induction, included in the course.
A working roastery. Heat, smoke, and machinery involved. Full supervision throughout.
Not suitable for anyone with significant respiratory sensitivities.
Book a session.
Don't see a time that works?
Get in touch at hello@commonco.nz and we'll see what we can do.
Common questions
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No. The course is built to start from the green bean. It suits anyone with some coffee background best, but keen beginners are welcome.
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You sample roast hands-on, with real time on the machine, which is why we cap the group at four. The production batch is run together on the commercial roaster with Chris driving, while you watch, contribute, and call the stages. It's a recognised way to teach roasting without wasting green or rushing anyone.
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No. We don't issue certificates. We provide roaster time and practical skills.
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It's for anyone who wants to roast properly, whether that's for a brand, a cafe, or your own setup. You don't have to be planning a business to get a lot out of it.
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Sample roasting 101 is a short hands-on intro. Foundations is the deeper half day: more theory, a full production batch, the consistency protocol, and defect tasting. It's the next step up.
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Yes. Your course includes one 1hr drop-in roasting session, and you can book more at $40 each. The drop-in sessions are to observe and learn from our head roaster doing a production roast. When you're ready to roast on your own terms, you can hire the roaster by the hour.
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Lunch is from Ampersand next door, ordered on the day from their menu, so you can pick what suits you. See their menu.
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Closed-toe shoes are required for roaster access. Come in something you don't mind getting a bit of roast smoke on.
FAQS
CANCELLATIONS
Full refund or free reschedule with 7 or more days' notice. Inside 7 days, we can reschedule but can't refund. The longer notice reflects a committed batch and a full morning of roaster time held for you.
We may need to cancel a session that doesn't reach its minimum. If that happens, you choose a full refund or a reschedule.
GIFT VOUCHERS
Buying it as a gift?
Gift vouchers cover the full course price. The recipient books their own date, so there's no pressure to pick a time at purchase. A gift certificate is provided straight after purchase.
GETTING THERE
Common Coffee Roasters
4/228 Orakei Road, Remuera, Auckland 1050
Next to Ampersand Eatery, Orakei Bay Village.
Free parking in front of the roastery. If that's full, Kings Plant Barn has additional parking nearby.
A short walk from Orakei train station. We recommend arriving 10 minutes early.