Why we roast on air

Most roasters use a drum — beans tumbling against hot metal. We don't. Every bean we roast is lifted and roasted on a bed of hot air, so it never scorches against a hot surface and never sits stewing in its own smoke. That's the single biggest reason Cuba St coffee tastes the way it does.

How it works

  • Load.

    Green beans go into the roast chamber.

  • Lift.

    Hot air is pushed through at high speed, keeping every bean moving.

  • Even heat.

    Each bean gets the exact same heat contact. No hot spots, no scorching.

  • Clean cup.

    Chaff is swept away instantly instead of burning. Clean, consistent flavour every time.

The difference in the cup

  • Cleaner.

    Chaff is swept out before it can smoke or burn, so nothing taints the bean. No harsh, bitey edge.

  • Brighter.

    A faster, gentler roast protects the distinct character of each origin — the bright, aromatic notes a drum can flatten.

  • Consistent.

    Digital temperature control means the same roast in every batch, no matter who's at the controls or what time of day.

Why not a drum?

In a drum roaster, beans tumble against hot metal while loose chaff burns alongside them — and that smoke coats every bean in the chamber. It's where the bitterness and that "needs a glass of water" aftertaste come from. Hot air skips all of it: the chaff is gone before it can smoke, and the beans roast clean.

The detail, for the curious

What's a fluid bed roaster?

Instead of a rotating metal drum, a fluid bed roaster suspends the beans on a column of hot air — like a cushion. Every bean floats, moves, and roasts in the airstream rather than resting against a hot surface.

Why does it roast faster?

Hot air transfers heat far more efficiently than metal. A batch that takes 15–20 minutes in a drum can finish in roughly 6–8 minutes on air — a quicker, gentler roast that keeps the bean brighter and more aromatic.

How is it so consistent?

A probe reads the exact bean temperature throughout the roast, so the degree of roast is known at every moment and repeatable batch after batch — not left to eye and guesswork.

Who is Michael Sivetz?

The inventor of the fluid bed coffee roaster, who spent much of his life refining the method. We roast on the principle he pioneered — and it's why our coffee tastes clean, even, and unmistakably ours.

Taste what hot air does

Over 24 single origins, plus our Flagship and Dictator blends — all roasted on air, right here in Marcoola.

Shop the roasts →