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Saturday, May 17, 2014

MANAGING PROFILES

MANAGING PROFILES: A 10-STEP PROGRAM, by Kathi Zollman

Profile management is a key component of our daily routine at the Cinnamon Bay Coffee roastery. We use roast profiles for new product development, quality control and as our mainstay in consistency for our production roasts. Keeping the roast profiles between the navigational beacons is our requirement for each and every roast we complete. That's not to say that we don't color outside the lines on occasion. But when we do, we record every step of the process just in case the result is astounding in the cup. We then have the data required to roast the same profile next time and repeat the experience.

A profile is simply a set of data, often in graphic form, that portrays the significant features of something--in this case, from roasting a batch of coffee. A profile can be portrayed as an outline, summary, report, run down, synopsis or sketch. The form it takes is up to the roaster collecting the data. Keeping it consistent so that the information is easy to understand and recall is a good start to building a profile system.

Successfully managing profiles is the cornerstone of quality control for specialty coffee roasters. The ability to replicate a roast time and time again can be accomplished with sound profile management practices. The importance of roast consistency becomes increasingly apparent in the cup; even the subtlest changes in the profile will result in a change to the flavor profile of the coffee. With that in mind, here are 10 simple steps to getting started in profile management.

1. Identify profile.

Identifying a profile is the first step in profile management. This is easily accomplished by collecting data on each roast and creating a sketch of the results. Data collection can be simple or complex; a yellow notepad and a stopwatch are a great place to start. It's easier to follow the profile if there is a clear map of the data to follow through the next roast. To simplify the process, create a roast log with all the vital information and start recording.

2. Design roast log.

There are dozens of options for designing a roast log and creating roast profiles. Batch number, type of coffee and lot number are all good considerations that will make inventory, tracking and reporting easier. This is especially true in roasting facilities that operate under the guidelines of specific certification programs. A complete roast log also can make a product recall plan easier to implement. Day, date and start time of each roast are important, too. The start time shows efficiencies in time management. Roasters in extreme environments also might want to create a space to note weather conditions that might affect the outcome of the roast. Examples could range from extreme cold conditions to sudden thunderstorms. At Cinnamon Bay, we also incorporate an entry to log maintenance performed on the roaster that day.

3. Weigh and record.

Record the weight of the green coffee; it's an important number that impacts facets such as inventory control, calculating shrink percentages and, most importantly, profile management. The green weight determines the pre-heat temperature and the amount of energy in the roasting environment. A full load of green coffee will require a higher pre-heat temperature than a partial roast.

4. Set pre-heat.

Next, determine and note the correct "pre-heat temperature" for the various batch sizes. It takes some practice, but it's a manageable variable that gets easier with time. Pre-heat temperature is based on the capacity of your roaster, the weight of green to be roasted and the desired point of equilibrium. The pre-heat temperature will be considerably higher for a full batch than for a partial batch. Because the energy requirements are greater for a full batch, we can use maximum energy output from the burners, but that amount of energy is too much to control in a partial batch. A good starting point would be 100 percent gas output to pre-heat for a full batch and 50 percent gas for a half-batch, keeping in mind that the half-batch pre-heat temperature will be lower. Remember that a smaller batch doesn't require the same amount of energy as a full load, and too much energy makes it nearly impossible to manage a profile. It's hard to slow down a roast once it starts running because of the amount of heat being generated. Green weight and pre-heat temperature will determine the point of equilibrium (often called the "turning point").

5. Point of equilibrium.

"Point of equilibrium" is when the temperature of the green coffee is equal to that of the roasting environment. This should occur about one minute after the green coffee is dropped in. The pre-heat temperature of the roast environment reading will decrease when the cooler green coffee is introduced. The temperature will fall rapidly as the green coffee absorbs energy. Once the point of equilibrium is established, the green coffee starts absorbing energy, and the temperature reading will begin to climb. Profile management demands that the point of equilibrium is the same for each roast of a specific coffee regardless of batch size. A full batch or a half batch will be assured a more consistent roast result if the same point of equilibrium is used. Point of equilibrium gives the roaster a starting line to begin the actual profile process. The desired point of equilibrium will be determined by the specific roast profile set by the cup demands of each coffee. Point of equilibrium is managed by adjustments made to the pre-heat temperature.

6. Frequency of log.

Decide the frequency of temperature reading necessary to collect enough data to complete the profile. Time and temperature are an important combination to monitor as the roast moves forward. This is where the stopwatch comes in; record the bean temperature at regular intervals. From the point of equilibrium, we begin the climb to first crack. This "rate of rise" is determined by the profile points and the applied energy to reach the points. The rate of rise can be illustrated as the temperature increases over time. It's important to manage the forward momentum to achieve the desired roast profile and the "curve" we are looking for. Adjusting energy output will keep the rate of rise on track.

7. Set hold temperature.

Using a "hold temperature" is one method to create the degree of curve in the roast profile. In using a hold temperature, the energy output remains at maximum output (50 percent for a partial batch) from "pre-heat" through the "point of equilibrium" until the predetermined hold temperature is reached. It's then that we start making adjustments to the gas output. For example, if we wanted a sharp spike at the start of the profile, we could use a hold temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit. The roaster would be pre-heated, and the temperature would decrease as the green coffee is dropped into the roaster. The point of equilibrium would be reached and the bean temperature would begin to increase, while we would make no adjustments to the energy output until we reached the hold temperature. In this example, once the hold temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit is met, adjustments to the flame would begin as we track to the next profile point.

8. Watch and adjust.

Now that the path to "first crack" has been determined, it's important to stay on track to reach first crack at the target time. We've already set the path for the rate of rise with the help of a hold temperature. Watch time and temperature to assure that first crack occurs both when and where it should based on the profile set for the specific coffee. Most coffees will crack near 385 degrees Fahrenheit. That's simply the science of the roast. There's not a lot of variable to control with that parameter. However, the time at which the first crack occurs and the path the coffee takes to get there will play a huge part in overall cup quality.

9. Final temperature.

The path from first crack to final temperature is determined by the amount of time desired to reach the final point. Roasters have varying opinions on the correct time element, and of course it will be partly a result of the final temperature. Some roasters like to back off the heat and coast through the final phase of the roast. Regardless of the technique, the process still can be managed by plotting the time and temperature grid, resulting in a profile with enough information that the entire process can be repeated.

10. Stop, drop and cool.

Stop, drop and cool. Drop the coffee into the cooling bin and record the length of time it takes to get the coffee to room temperature. Record this "cooling time" on the roast log, too. It's important data and will affect the cupping results. Becoming proficient in profile management comes with practice and the quality of information we collect before, during and at the completion of each roast. Use these steps or invent another means to collect the information required to duplicate the roast process. Use profile management as a tool to become a better, more consistent roaster, and keep the roast on course.

Leader of Packaging

IN THE LATE SUMMER of 2005, a small group of coffee roasters visited a fourth-generation coffee roasting company located in St. Louis, Mo.--Chauvin Coffee Company. As president, the late Dave Charleville, gave a tour of his facility and answered questions regarding his operation. As all of the roasters on the visit were running operations much smaller than Charleville's, many had questions about Chauvin's packaging equipment. When asked how to choose the proper packaging equipment and when to purchase it, Charleville gave an answer that was both insightful and incredibly helpful. "Always buy capital equipment for the long term," he said. "Make absolutely sure that it makes your operation more labor efficient, and make sure that it is flexible and scalable."

If one were to survey professional roasters, and the owners of wholesale roasting facilities to find out what area of the production process consistently gives them the most headaches, there can be little doubt that the overwhelming answer would be packaging. Furthermore, it is in the packaging of coffee, from opening and forming the bags and filling them accurately to labeling and applying resealables--be they tin ties, resealable tape or zip locks--where coffee roasters lose the most control over their labor costs. If roasters look closely, many will find their shrinking or non-existent profits are a result of inaccurately accounting for packaging labor.

Choose the wrong material or use poorly considered art and sales will suffer; choose the wrong piece or combination of pieces of packaging equipment and labor costs will rise. And while it is relatively easy to figure the costs of material in a package (bag + label(s) + tin tie), it is much more difficult to figure labor costs per package.

So if packaging coffee is so problematic, why undertake it at all?

Why?

There are four reasons for consumer food packaging, all of which are relevant to coffee: 1) To convey the product from processor to consumer in a convenient manner 2) To preserve product freshness 3) To protect the product from shipping damage 4) To sell the product

To put this in one statement, it would go something like this: The interdependent goals of consumer food packaging are to convey a food product from processor to consumer in a manner that seeks to limit damage from shipping and handling preserves freshness and helps to sell the product. While environment friendly may be an important ethical consideration for individual companies, no company is willing to sacrifice any of the above four in exchange for a truly reusable or recyclable package.

One only has to look at some of the more recent developments in packaging to see how these advancements can very easily be classified under one or more of the four reasons stated above. The almost global adoption of the one-way valve in the specialty coffee industry has increased the freshness of coffee for the consumer and reduced shipping damage, as fewer bags burst at the seams. The adoption of 12 ounces as the standard packaging size for the specialty industry has made coffee buying more convenient, as it more closely reflects consumption patterns of the average specialty coffee consumer, and increases freshness as well, as consumers buy in smaller quantities, more frequently. Better printing technology coupled with a move toward more professional, higher quality packaging graphics is all about shelf appeal and selling.

How?

Every coffee business is unique. Size of operation, customer demographic, distance from roasting facility to retailer, sales weight and ground or whole bean and location all can help dictate the type of packaging that is best suited for your product. For our industry the standard packaging material is currently a poly-foil bag with a one-way valve bearing either preprinted graphics or utilizing labels.

Many roasters begin their packaging operations with just a scale, a scoop and an impulse sealer, preformed stock poly-foil bags and labels. But even at this relatively unsophisticated level, it is important that roasters carefully consider their packaging options. It is a common misconception among roasters that there is very little that can be done packaging-wise between fully manual (scale and scoop) and fully automated vertical form, fill and seal (VFFS) equipment. Many roasters believe they either have to throw an exorbitant amount of labor at their packaging problems or spend a small fortune on a VFFS. However, this isn't the case. There a number of options between the two extremes that allow roasters to create packaging options that grow as they do.

While VFFS might seem like the best choice for those companies who plan to continue growing their business, there are additional factors to take into consideration. VFFS is great machinery that can add value to any roasting operation, but it is expensive and requires a much higher level of experience and/or technical know how to operate. Additionally, the majority of roasters in the specialty industry have very little need of packing 40- to 100-plus packages of coffee per minute. Those companies that do are generally more mature roasters with a good handle on all aspects of their businesses, or are operating in the food service and hospitality sectors of the coffee industry where large numbers of fractional packed coffee is required. To do VFFS equipment and other fully automated bagging equipment would require a separate investigation from the one described below.

So let's begin, where most of us begin, as small micro-roasters with a growing business, we can then "punch the numbers" to determine what is best suited for our operation.

Our motto for this exercise, as it should be in our businesses, is "profit maximization through labor efficiency" or "use the least amount of capital to replace the most amount of labor." It matters little if the labor is our own or our employees.

A Roadmap To Profitability

Pack coffee by hand for very long and you will soon notice that the evolution that takes the longest is getting the product in the bag at the correct weight. You will also notice that it can take you as long to weigh out and fill a four-ounce bag as a one-pound bag. Additionally, every so often you knock over or drop a bag moving from the scale to the sealer, increasing loss and the overall time it takes to package the order. This again increases your labor costs and reduces your profitability.

As the owner or manager of the business it is your direct responsibility to know what your options in packaging equipment are. You should ask yourself: How much will it cost to buy? How much will it cost to operate? And you should be able to discern the differences between often very similar pieces of equipment. Long-term sustainability of your business requires nothing less.

Before looking at equipment here are a few simple questions you should ask yourself. 1) What type of package is currently your biggest headache: weight, whole bean or ground? 2) What other types of packaging would you also like to stop doing by hand: weight, whole bean or ground? 3) Who is going to operate any new equipment: dedicated packaging person, roaster or other multi-tasking personnel? 4) How much money am I willing to spend to fix this problem? 5) What do I need the pay-back to be on the equipment for it to make economic sense to my business?

The first question is an identifying question: it helps you identify what you really need a piece of equipment to do, and do well. The second question is a wish question, as in "I wish this equipment also did this." The wish question may help to determine which piece of equipment you are going to purchase, or help determine if you are willing to spend a little more money for a little more flexibility. The third question is the "who" question; a dedicated operator can handle a more sophisticated piece of equipment or manage a more complex process than any multi-taskers. Additionally, there can be an added safety factor when requiring roasters to multi-task during roaster operations, highlighting the need for a less complex system. The money question is one on which to be both honest and careful. Next is the replacing labor question--how long before the labor efficiencies I realize from this purchase will completely pay back the capital I spent buying the equipment? Now with those questioned answered, let's move on to punching the numbers. Here are some ways to speed up the packaging process while ensuring an accurate end-result.

Step 1: Buy a Foot Sealer

A foot sealer reduces the number of hand movements it takes to move from the scale to a finished package. It also reduces loss since both hands remain on the package, reducing the number of spilled and or dropped bags. You are also left with a cleaner and more consistent seal.

However, not all foot sealers are the same. There are two types of foot sealers, manual (you supply the sealing pressure) and assist (you supply the signal, a motor or pneumatic ram supplies the pressure). Manual foot sealers are cheaper, but the seal can be less consistent than on the assist type and can be more fatiguing. Some assist sealers have the ability to seal multiple bags simultaneously.

Better foot sealers of both types may have the ability to imprint a changeable alphanumeric code into the seal. This function can be very important if grocery is in your future, as many grocery chains require a tamper proof recall plan.

Step 1: Foot Sealer

Estimated Capital Expenditure
$250-$1,250

Step 2: Buy an Automatic Filler

As noted above, the most labor intensive evolution in hand packaging is getting the weight into the bag. So our next purchase will be a machine that helps do just that: an automatic filler.

Automatic fillers come in three varieties; weigh and fills (automatic scales), auger fillers and volumetric or cup fillers. All have three components in common: a supply, or filling, hopper, some type of weighing mechanism and a foot pedal for manual use.

Of the three types, weigh and fills have the most flexibility without making a change in the configuration of the equipment. Weigh and fills utilize vibration to move the coffee, whole bean or ground, from the supply hopper to the weigh head, or scale. Most use two vibration settings. By changing the speed of the vibrations and duration of each it is fairly easy to change weights as well as type of coffees. Most weigh and fills can measure in a range of between two ounces and five pounds with a consistency of .1 ounce. It can sometimes be tricky to keep consistent, correct weight with very small fractional weights. Weigh and fills work well for both whole bean and ground, and are the best option for whole bean.

Auger fillers are by far the most popular fillers for use with high-speed packaging machines, especially when filling ground coffee. They are fast, clean and highly accurate, making them exceptionally good for fractional weights of ground coffee, but can also be used for whole bean coffee and heavier weights. Auger fillers "weigh" the coffee by counting the number of rotations it takes to get to the desired weight, the number of rotations is set by the operator and is easily changeable when changing coffees or weights. Large changes, especially from ground to whole bean, or from small weights to large weights may require a change in augers (tooling), making auger fillers less flexible than weigh and fills. Auger fillers can work well for both ground and whole bean, depending upon configuration, and are the best option if packing only ground coffee.

Volumetric cup fillers are the least used of the automatic fillers and are probably the least accurate as well. These fillers utilize a cup-in-cup system with one cup of a slightly larger diameter than the other, weights are adjusted by moving the smaller cup in or out of the larger thereby expanding the length of the entire cylinder. These cups are set in a rotating table that fills with coffee as the cups rotate under a feeder hopper and dispenses the coffee when the cups rotate over a void, filling the bag. While these fillers can be accurate, a change in cups or even rotating tables is often required when moving from small volume, light weights to large volume, heavier weights. Like auger fillers, the operator must check-weigh and set the cup volume for desired weights and consistency. Volumetric fillers can work for either whole bean or ground.

Step 2: Automatic Filler
Estimated Capital Expenditure
$6000-$12,000

Speeding It Up

Okay so you have a foot sealer and an automatic scale--now, how fast can you really go? How many bags can you do in a week? A month? A year?

It is generally accepted that by using an automatic filler and a foot sealer, a novice can form (open and square the bag), fill and seal six bags per minute consistently. As opposed to a couple per minute with a scale, scoop and hand sealer.

Let us assume one dedicated packaging person at $10.00/hour labor.

6 bags/minute x 50 minutes

= 300 bags/hr

x 6 hrs

= 1800 bags/day

x 5 days

= 9000 bags/week

x 20 days

= 36,000 bags/month

x 12 months

= 432,000 bags/year

This gives you a per bag labor rate of between $.03-.05. So, with a capital investment of as little as $6,250 or as high as $13,250, you now have a packaging operation capable of easily producing nearly half a million bags of coffee a year at a conservative marginal labor rate of $.03-.05 per bag.

By adding something as simple as a bandsealer, you can nearly double that number to 10 bags/minute, making your numbers look something like this:

Hourly 500 bags
Daily 3,000 bags
Weekly 15,000 bags
Monthly 60,000 bags
Yearly 720,000 bags

This will cause your per bag labor rate to fall to between $.02 and $.025.

What is a bandsealer? A bandsealer is a sealer with continuously moving bands that move a bag across a heated surface. A bandsealer is a "hands free" and "foot free" sealing device that enables the packager to quickly move to the next evolution--forming and filling the next bag. It incorporates all the advantages of a foot sealer but is quicker and less fatiguing to operate.

Bandsealer
Estimated Capital Expenditure
$6,000-$9,000

So, with a total capital expenditure of between $12,000 and $21,000, a coffee roaster could very easily package over 700,000 bags/year. What's more, these decidedly low-tech pieces of equipment are easy to learn to use, last decades and retain a very high percentage of their initial value if resold. In other words, they are long term, scalable, flexible and labor efficient.

Looked at another way, one operator running an automatic filler and a foot sealer can handle nearly all the production of a 120-kilo roaster running one shift, if packed in 12-ounce bags. An automatic filler and a bandsealer could very nearly handle all the production of a 120 kilo roaster running two shifts.

But It Is Never As Easy As It Looks

While the numbers above are sound, if not a little too conservative, they are somewhat incomplete, even on the labor side. If a company is using preprinted bags (minimums between 10,000 and 20,000 units depending upon bag manufacturer) the labor numbers are sound. If however, a company buys stock bags and applies the labels themselves, then the labor numbers are surely incomplete. Applying labels to bags is what an economist would call a leakage. It is labor that generally goes unaccounted for in most roasters' cost of production. Manually applying front and back labels only compounds the flow of the leak. And applying labels can be labor intensive.

There are three possible solutions to the problem. Account and adjust price accordingly (even if using "dead labor," such as retail labor during slow hours, the costs of this labor should still be accounted for in the price) to maintain desired margins. Buy a label peeler that peels the back of the label making it easier (read: less labor) to apply labels. Or pay the bag manufacturer to "blow" the labels on. One bag manufacturer charges $.06 to apply a label to a bag. So time yourself and do the math. One advantage to having the label blown on is that it is nearly always straight and centered, which is sometimes tough to do by hand.

Tin ties, resealable tape and zip locks are also areas where significant labor leakages can occur. This is especially true of tin ties that are folded on the bag to look like a seal, instead of just stuck to the side for later use by the consumer. Since this type of tin tie is the most labor intensive and, unfortunately, must be done in-house after the bag is sealed, this labor must be accounted for in the cost of production. A good number for folding down the bag and applying a tin tie would be five/minute (or $.033/bag in additional labor costs). This is longer and therefore more expensive, than forming, filling and sealing the bag.

Other areas where significant labor leakages may occur include conveying and loading; the impact of both of which can be lessened with better production layout, using other non-assigned labor, such as the roaster operator, or by adding more equipment (loaders and conveyors) or a combination of any of these. And also boxing and preparing for shipping.

At the end of the day, it is our goal as roasters and businesses owners to find that perfect balance between capital input and labor. It is a deceivingly simple mathematics problem that must be constantly refigured as our businesses continue to grow and change. Find the right balance and you will be profitable, run for a long while out of balance and you may very well find yourself working harder and making less.

Material Costs

OF COURSE, labor is only one of the costs associated with packaging. Listed below are some good ballpark bag and label costs.

One-pound valve bags $.25
Pre-printed labels $.08
Labels applied $.06
Pre-printed bags $.22
Tin Ties $.03
Resealable tape $.005

Remember to ask good questions of your material supplier, who is often one of the most experienced packaging people in the business.

What is the minimum order?
Are there additional charges, such as for art or plates?
What is the lead time?
Are there other material/bag options for my packaging operation?

Leader of Packaging

So if packaging coffee is so problematic, why undertake it at all?

Why?

How?

So let's begin, where most of us begin, as small micro-roasters with a growing business, we can then "punch the numbers" to determine what is best suited for our operation.

A Roadmap To Profitability

Step 1: Buy a Foot Sealer

Step 1: Foot Sealer

Estimated Capital Expenditure
$250-$1,250

Step 2: Buy an Automatic Filler

As noted above, the most labor intensive evolution in hand packaging is getting the weight into the bag. So our next purchase will be a machine that helps do just that: an automatic filler.

Step 2: Automatic Filler
Estimated Capital Expenditure
$6000-$12,000

Speeding It Up

Okay so you have a foot sealer and an automatic scale--now, how fast can you really go? How many bags can you do in a week? A month? A year?

Let us assume one dedicated packaging person at $10.00/hour labor.

6 bags/minute x 50 minutes

= 300 bags/hr

x 6 hrs

= 1800 bags/day

x 5 days

= 9000 bags/week

x 20 days

= 36,000 bags/month

x 12 months

= 432,000 bags/year

By adding something as simple as a bandsealer, you can nearly double that number to 10 bags/minute, making your numbers look something like this:

Hourly 500 bags
Daily 3,000 bags
Weekly 15,000 bags
Monthly 60,000 bags
Yearly 720,000 bags

This will cause your per bag labor rate to fall to between $.02 and $.025.

Bandsealer
Estimated Capital Expenditure
$6,000-$9,000

But It Is Never As Easy As It Looks

Material Costs

OF COURSE, labor is only one of the costs associated with packaging. Listed below are some good ballpark bag and label costs.

One-pound valve bags $.25
Pre-printed labels $.08
Labels applied $.06
Pre-printed bags $.22
Tin Ties $.03
Resealable tape $.005

Remember to ask good questions of your material supplier, who is often one of the most experienced packaging people in the business.

What is the minimum order?
Are there additional charges, such as for art or plates?
What is the lead time?
Are there other material/bag options for my packaging operation?

In Defense of the Drum

Drum vs. air is the coffee roasters' version of a partisan political debate as most engaged already have their minds made up, and no amount of debate will dissuade them from their strongly held views. But, occasionally someone will approach the question with an open mind, cut through the rhetoric, and make an informed decision based on the exigencies present in their own business and relative strengths and weaknesses of both systems. This attempt at defending the much aligned drum is for those intrepid few.

Drum = full conduction

This misconception is perhaps the most damning of all fallacies associated with drum roasters, and it is often used as the basis for many other arguments against the drum. Most modern, well-manufactured drum roasters transfer most of their heat through convection. It is true that conduction exists in drum roasters--both drum to bean and bean to bean (which also occurs in air roasters and in both cases later in the roast)--but it is neither the only form of heat transfer nor the most dominate. Convective heat transfer ratios on drum roasters generally fall in the 4/5 range, convection to conduction, depending of course on drum material and airflow dynamics (which can be very negatively affected by either poor installation or poor maintenance). But, for clean and well installed drum roasters, these numbers are solid. This means, in short, that most of the heat transferred to the coffee in a drum roaster is decidedly not transferred through the drum wall (conduction). Instead, it is transferred through airflow (convection). So, if drum roasters are not 100 percent conductive, then that allows us to debunk two further arguments advanced by the air-only crowd:

Weekly drum cleaning to eliminate tipping, and
Carcinogenic chemicals attached to coffee through the carbonization of chaff.

Since most of the heat is indeed transferred through airflow then there must be a significant amount of air that moves through the drum --and there is. Even table-top drum roasters can approach a CFM (cubic foot per minute) rate of air movement of 150 or so, depending on size. For drum roasters, this would be negative pressure. That means that the air through the drum is sucked not blown. In nearly all brands of drum roasters, the air moves through the drum only once, not twice, taking smoke and chaff with it toward the blower. If drum roasters did not use a significant amount of air then those of us that use drum roasters would likely have to wear gas masks as our spaces would be full of smoke, not just from the coffee roasting process but from the burning chaff as well. Additionally, if drum roasters burnt all the chaff off in the roasting chamber then we would have no need for chaff collection systems. This is just not so. So, if the smoke produced in a drum roaster is pulled away from the coffee as the coffee roasts and the chaff is pulled away as well, then the claim by air roasters that drum roasters are cancer-causing is false. Not only is the cancer-causing claim false, it is untested and therefore unverified and dangerous to our industry. As for tipping, if the majority of heat transferred through a drum roaster were indeed conductive then perhaps this would be a problem. It isn't and it isn't. I know of no drum roaster that cleans his drum once a week. In fact, I can think of no drum roaster operator that includes drum cleaning in any of his periodic maintenance--not weekly, monthly, nor yearly--because a dirty drum is just not an issue. Tipping is not an indicator of an unclean drum, it is in fact an indicator of a dirty blower causing the ratio of convection to conduction to change. And, it is true that a drum roaster blower must be cleaned periodically, as all blowers should, so as not to degrade performance. I truly believe that many air roaster advocates have confused drum roasters with ball roasters. I say confused because surely they would not intentionally malign the mighty, durable and versatile drum roaster, which has effectively made this industry, right?

Drum roaster offense

Drum roasters, while tracing their lineage back about 120 years, are hardly tools of the past. In fact, a case can easily be made that many modern drum roasters are actually "younger" than air roasters. This is especially true in the areas of profiling and control. In its basic design, the drum roaster has the flexibility that allows for an almost infinite number of roast profiles, producing many different taste permutations from the same coffee. This flexibility (read variability) is pushing roaster manufacturers to try and harness the full range of these profiles with more and more sophisticated roast control systems. The variability of the drum and the control of PC and PLC based systems is making profile roasting absolutely repeatable and consistent across a much wider range. Air roasters--being inherently more consistent in their roast patterns--do not have this flexibility. Furthermore, the competition between the 20 or so drum roaster manufacturers worldwide has and is leading to many positives for the buyer and operator of drum roaster, such as:

Separate cooling blowers
Standardization of bean probes and digital controllers
Easier maintenance
More and better training opportunities for drum roasters
Advancements in control systems and pollution control

The six-minute roast

While it is true that it is difficult for most drum roasters to do a consistent six-minute roast, the bigger issue is, "Why would you want to do a six-minute roast?" Roasters in the specialty end of the coffee industry have known that roasting too quickly does not allow the roasted coffee to fully develop. For coffee, the sweetest spot appears to be in the 15 to 20-minute range, depending on equipment and what flavors a roaster wishes to coax from a given green coffee. Six-minutes, eight-minutes, 10-minutes are all too fast for proper bean development. Just because something can be done quickly doesn't mean it should be done quickly. The question that should be asked is, "What is the best time and profile for the coffee I wish to produce?" Coffee quality is the issue here, not roast time. There are many good companies roasting great coffee on air roasters, just as there are many companies producing great coffees on drums. Both of these roasting systems are capable, productive and proven. They both help to ensure the continuing success of our industry as a whole. While it is impossible to tell what will happen in the future or what new roasting technology will arise to challenge both air and drum roasters, one thing is for certain: drum roasters and drum roaster manufacturers will continue to improve through competition and innovation.

How much does 1 cubic foot of coffee weigh?

How much does 1 cubic foot of coffee weigh? - Your roasting questions answered

Dear Roast magazine,
I am looking for storage containers and silos for roasted and green coffee. I know what weights I need to store based upon my batch sizes, but when I look for either containers or silos the capacities are listed in cubic feet of space (ft3 ). My question is: how much does 1 cubic foot of coffee weigh?

Dear Roaster,
The measurement you are looking for is called bulk density. Bulk density is used not just for measuring when storing solids as in your situation, but is also often used in determining conveying rates and hopper sizes. Bulk density is the mass of a solid material (in your case, coffee) divided by the volume that the solid occupies (BD=M/V). In this case, mass refers to weight, and volume includes both the volume of the product and the voids between the product. Knowing this, how do you determine bulk density in cubic feet?

Determining Bulk Density in Cubic Feet

Know the volume of a cube: The volume of a cube is the measurement a side x 3 or side x side x side (a cube has equal sides).
Find a container that is 1 cubic foot--that is, 1 foot high, 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide; 1x1x1=1 cubic foot, or 1 ft³.
Fill your 1-cubic-foot container with coffee.
Weigh your container, remembering to net out the weight of the container itself. The bulk density will be the weight of the coffee held in your 1-cubic-foot container.

Variance

Depending upon how exacting you need to be with the size of your containers, you may need to remember that not all coffee has the same bulk density. Green coffee has a higher bulk density than roasted coffee. Ground coffee has a higher bulk density than whole bean. Dense, or more compact, beans have a higher bulk density than less dense, larger beans. For example, peaberry coffee has a much higher bulk density than, say, monsooned Malabar coffee does. The lighter the roast, the higher the bulk density for any single coffee. This true in both ground and whole bean. Shaking or vibrating a container will cause settling and possibly compression and, thus, increase the bulk density. This is especially true of ground coffee.

OK, so what does 1 cubic foot of coffee weigh? Here are some approximate ranges for the bulk density of coffee:

Green coffee 37-39 ft³
Roasted whole bean 22-24 ft³
Ground coffee 27-28 ft³

You can find these bulk density measurements, as well as those for other solids, at www.powderandbulk.com.

Food Safety Systems

Food Safety Systems, Audits, And Vendor Certifications

AS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN has grown longer and more complex American consumers have been subjected to an ever more alarming series of food recalls; California spinach, Honduran melons, Mexican jalapenos and serrano peppers, and Florida tomatoes, just in the last year alone. Add contaminated hamburger and Chinese processed pet food and the list is long indeed. The list grows even longer still when you add in foods recalled for simple mislabeling (or not so simple if you happen to be allergic to a missing ingredient in a mislabeled product). Meanwhile, many of us in the coffee roasting world continue to ignore the implications of these recalls to our businesses.

Many coffee roasters run their businesses with an underlying and ultimately mistaken belief that coffee is not a food product. Oh, sure, we all know coffee is a food; that it will ultimately be consumed by some discerning specialty coffee consumer sometime in the future. We use the requisite food words: freshness, origins, quality and that panoply of flavor terms on the taster's wheel. However, often our actions belie our words. And nowhere is this hypocrisy more apparent than in our roasting facilities, many of which look like poorly organized chaos: open bins of roasted coffee often unlabeled or mislabeled, personnel with personal listening devices near moving equipment, packaging material strewn about, dark corners, poorly lit production and packaging areas, open hoppers over grinders, and dirty walls, rafters and floors. Face it, many of our facilities do not look at all like what a consumer would think of as a food manufacturing facility.

So why do we do it? Because we can! Coffee, as a non-perishable, that is not quite raw (it still needs to be brewed) and that does not easily cross-contaminate or get cross-contaminated is a low priority for municipal, county and state inspectors overwhelmed with higher, riskier food inspection concerns. One only has to Google coffee-related deaths to see why we are such a low priority for food manufacturing inspectors: It just doesn't happen.

food safety terms

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) The leading body for the writing and setting of norms and standards for American businesses. ANSI is the American representative to the ISO. The Specialty Coffee Association of America is a member of ANSI seeking to help promulgate the evolving rules for quality and freshness in coffee.

Best Practices A business concept or belief that there is one correct or best way to produce a desired product or outcome. Focuses on identifying and creating process and quality assurance tests to lessen or eliminate errors, waste and mistakes; closely related to process efficiency theory.

Codex Alimentarius (Latin for Food Code) A group of internationally recognized practices, guidelines and standards for food production and food safety having consumer protection as a primary goal, as well as promoting fairness in the international food trade (not to be confused with fair trade, the Codex is seeking fairness in free trade). The Codex Alimentarius is maintained by a Commission Founded in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, both United Nations Organizations. The Codex Alimentarius is the basis for the ISO food manufacturing standards (ISO 22000:2005)

Food Safety Audits Third-party inspections and certifications that rely on standards set forth by ANSI (or other relevant national agencies) in accordance with ISO guidelines, GMP, HACCP and any other regulation, practice or concept deemed relevant by the certifying agency.

GMP (Good Manufacturing Procedures) A loose outline of manufacturing processes set out by the FDA that focuses on record keeping, pest control, employee hygiene, sanitation, equipment, quality assurance and complaint and recall procedures. Inherent in the FDA’s GMP is that manufacturers should be cognizant of, and use as relevant, new technologies and systems that can help a business alleviate contamination and errors in the manufacturing process (GMP).

HACCP (Hazard Analysis an d Critical Control Points) An approach to food and pharmaceutical safety through prevention of contamination. The focus of HACCP is on the use of process control to prevent contamination in the manufacturing process instead of relying on finished product testing. This is accomplished by identifying critical points in the food manufacturing, packaging, labeling and distribution pipeline where contamination or error is likely to occur. Currently only meat, poultry, juice and seafood operations are required to apply HACCP in all of their manufacturing and packaging operations. For all other food manufacturers, HACCP is recommended but not currently required.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) An international nongovernmental organization that helps set standards for a wide variety of products and processes. Most ISO voting members are national, or nationally recognized standard bodies. Currently 157 countries are represented in some way at ISO. ISO was founded in 1947 to help facilitate international trade. ISO 22000:2005 is relevant to food manufacturers. ISO TC34 is currently developing standards for coffee.

Third Party Certifications/Inspections/Audits A testing and verification regime that relies on the independence of a duly licensed or recognized inspector/verifier when conducting inspections, verifications or audits.

Vendor Audits Inspections required by certain food retailers and vendors in order to be an approved supplier for the organization. Often incorporates a Food Safety Audit as well as capacity and capability requirements defined by a contract or customer. These audits are often mandatory before entering final contract phase with larger food retailers, restaurants, or hospitality chains.

Who Does Food Safety Audits?

Many companies and organizations do third-party FSA and vendor audits. Many of these can also help supply you with the checklists and materials needed to prepare for an audit. Some organizations that have done coffee roasting facilities in the past, include: AIB International, Avendra, RAI Associates and NSF-QAI. Or search for “food safety audits” online.

Even with the relative safety of coffee compared to other food products, coffee roasters need to respect coffee as a food; roasting as a food-manufacturing process and delivering the transparency and traceability that we demand of others. A good place to start is a Food Safety Audit.

What Is a Food Safety Audit?

A food safety audit is a third-party audit, inspection or certification that checks a facility’s compliance with federal and state regulations, and/or generally accepted principles of good food manufacturing management, including safety, sanitation, hygiene and record keeping.

These inspections are not unlike other third-party certification inspections that many coffee roasters already undergo, especially organic inspections. Inspectors are looking for high degrees of transparency and traceability in all aspects of your production, as well as a high level of sanitation in your manufacturing and packaging facility and good hygiene among your employees.

Where Do the Standards Come From?

Standards for the safe processing, handling and packaging of foodstuffs have existed in the U.S. for well over a hundred years. However, the standards regimes relied on today began to be codified immediately after World War II. And although some processes are customer-specific, many of the standards, regulations and checklists seek to comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for food manufacturing and management (ISO 22000:2005). Unfortunately, as with any bureaucratic endeavor, there is what seems to be an infinite number of overlapping organizations each with their own area of regulation, responsibility and expertise, as well as many acronyms and terms associated with food manufacturing compliance. To at least help unmuddy the waters a little, please see the list of food safety terms on page 25.

So Why Get a Food Safety Audit (FSA)?

The quick answer is three-fold: efficiency, lowered liability and increased sales.

Efficiency

As you research whether or not to undertake yet another inspection, you may notice that many of the requirements rely on process control, documentation, checks and quality assurance regimes (for organic certified roasters, you are already halfway there, as the USDA NOP is based upon many of these same concepts). Terms such as Best Practices, HACCP and GMP (see page 25 for definitions) may sound intimidating at first, however, as you research these further, you cannot help but notice that many of these concepts are based on efficient, repeatable and verifiable processes as well as common sense. With a little research and a little money, you may find a way to increase your profit margins by eliminating wasteful or redundant practices: lowering marginal labor costs, excessive product loss, energy costs, and possibly even material costs. All of the aforementioned programs are based on decades of practice by thousands of businesses—many in your own industry. Why not take advantage of their trials and errors in developing these standards and processes? Focusing on passing an audit can work as the catalyst to ensure that you will continue improving. It is an obtainable goal with a well defined set of criteria. Just set a realistic time line and you’re off to a higher profit more professional roasting operation.

Additionally, by following the standards and instituting the processes necessary to maintain them, you will raise the professional level and morale of your staff. It is an often-repeated management truism that an investment in your facility and in staff training will increase worker productivity and happiness. Add increased employee productivity to the increased labor efficiencies of the new processes, and you are really cooking with gas.

Finally, good processes can lower your costs by reducing the number and therefore the costs of errors. Small coffee roasters are especially susceptible to mislabeling errors as they are more likely to have multi-tasking and distracted employees on the packaging line. Applying some of the principles needed to pass an FSA audit can help lower your error rate. With shipping on the rise, this is especially important now, as reshipping mislabeled product or worse yet reshipping two orders that were mistakenly shipped to the wrong addresses (right order, wrong customer), can wipe out your profit margin and ruin an otherwise productive day.

For many coffee roasters the initial value, perhaps even the entire value, of going through an FSA inspection is in the doing of the thing.

Lower Liability (and perhaps your liability insurance rate)

Although coffee roasters are perhaps the least susceptible group of food manufacturers to be sued for illness or death caused by product liability, we are still at risk. As a food manufacturer, your insurer often lumps you with other food manufacturers, not based on what you produce, but instead on your gross sales. FSAs are one way food manufacturers can lower both their actual liability as well as their liability rates. If you have to pay what other food manufacturing companies pay, why shouldn’t you save what they save? If you take the necessary precautions and get inspected and certified, you can have the same benefits.

Increase Sales

So let’s say that the lure of lowering your product liability costs and/or running a more efficient operation are not enough to convince you to consider undergoing a Food Safety Audit. How about increasing your sales?

Over the last few years, the success of specialty coffee in the marketplace has convinced many of the large grocery, restaurant hospitality, and food distribution concerns and retail warehouse chains that they need specialty coffee on their shelves. Additionally, the slow and local food movements as well as the negative backlash felt by many larger retailers as they moved against smaller established businesses has opened the doors and shelves of these businesses to smaller and more local roasters. However, many of these corporations require a Food Safety Audit, vendor audit and often a site visit from corporate as well.

Food safety audits can help increase your sales.

Food safety audits can help increase your sales.

These third-party audits and site visits (either a food safety or possibly a vendor audit) protect them from the liability associated with selling your or anyone else’s food products. In most cases there is no way around these requirements: they are nonnegotiable if you wish to do business. Also, vendor audits nearly always have the added requirements of capacity and capability added to their inspections as well. Many of these companies want to know that you can safely produce what you say you can produce in the time you say you can produce it—safely. Unfortunately, many of these corporations will need you to complete these audits before you even receive a “for sure” on the possibility of supplying them. In other words, you will do it if you wish to get your fine coffee on those high-volume shelves.

It is a good idea if you wish to start pursuing these types of customers that you go ahead and begin the process of getting your facility, employees, paperwork and processes in shape for an inspection. It is always better to look like a Boy Scout (prepared), than a lazy gambler (hoping for a lucky break). It may also keep you from wasting a lot of your own and someone else’s time chasing customers that you are not qualified to supply. Just ask yourself this question. “If they said yes tomorrow, could I begin to produce under their specifications immediately (provided you had the coffee)?”

In short, food safety audits can help increase your sales by gaining you access to many accounts that you do not currently supply. In addition to the types of accounts already described, government and large non-profits often require some level of FSA or vendor certification as well. And once you have completed an FSA you should not have any trouble passing a vendor audit or any customer site visit, provided you have the requisite capacity. And with these larger accounts you are going to love your increased efficiency.

This Train Is a Comin’, Time to Climb Aboard While the Seats Are Cheap and Plentiful

The recent example of the Florida tomato cum Mexican jalapeño recall is a good example of what makes consumers so nervous. A national outbreak of salmonella was identified by the FDA as being caused by fresh Florida tomatoes. However, after much outrage from Florida growers (and millions in lost revenue), the FDA reversed itself and instead named fresh Mexican jalapenos as the likely culprit. Meanwhile consumers were confused by the cascading series of warnings, including trying to avoid fresh salsa, as the FDA worked to isolate the culprit. Consumers are concerned about the safety, transparency and traceability of their food supply, and rightly so, after incidents such as the one described above.

It is just possible that with the coming change of presidential administrations that a new FDA or USDA chief may seek to restore credibility to the food supply chain by mandating a wholesale change in the way food manufacturing facilities are inspected, licensed and regulated. There may come a day when all wholesale food manufacturing facilities will need to undergo some sort of food safety audit. Where will we be then? Are we a food or not? Either way, perhaps it is time to get certified before the rush.

A FIERY TRADITION

A FIERY TRADITION Cuban Coffee’s Mark On The Southeast

The above obituary illuminates the importance of coffee cultures and traditions in their respective communities, where they lie outside the culture that we call "specialty," even as they are themselves special and specialized. Cafe au lait and beignets, Greek coffee and baklava, and Cuban coffee and tostadas are just a few of the unique food and coffee pairings. These localized rituals have managed to survive despite hybridization and homogenization of the American coffee scene.

Cuban coffee, for one, has been involved in a unique interplay between the economic, social and political factors that allowed this culture to develop. The story of Cuban coffee contains two other important elements: cigars and, in many cases, revolutionary politics. And nowhere is this more true than in Tampa and Miami.

Two Cities, Rolled Together

Cuban coffee surely brings Miami to mind, where old Cuban men dream and scheme about the death of Fidel Castro while jolting their systems with the dark, sweet concoction that is called Cuban coffee or Cuban espresso. Here, Cuban coffee is the fuel that keeps Radio Marti transmitting and South Beach nightlife hopping. Politically, it is still 1962 here, with the Bay of Pigs disaster discussed in present tense and Cuban coffee stoking the passions of the Elian Gonzalez abduction. There is, however, another Cuban coffee culture — one tied to a much older revolution—and it’s in Tampa.

Those not familiar with both Tampa and Miami often believe the two Florida cities are very much alike. Both have historically been tied to Cuba and its revolutions—Tampa with the first revolution and Miami the second. But make no mistake: these are two very different cities and cultures. The revolution that is still apparent in Tampa occurred in the 19th century. In Ybor City, it is Jose Marti and Theodore Roosevelt that share the pedestals of history. It was in Tampa that Marti gave perhaps his most famous independence speech, “Para Cuba Que Sufra.” And it was from the port of Tampa that Roosevelt and his Rough Riders left for Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

And while one can still enjoy a good cigar and a Cuban coffee in both of these cities, it is in Tampa where the two products became closely associated. Tampa is perhaps the only city in the world where one can enjoy a quality hand-rolled cigar from a third-generation cigar roller while drinking a Cuban espresso roasted by a third-generation roaster — both of whom are local.

What is Cuban Coffee?

Let us begin with what Cuban coffee is not, at least in the United States. Cuban coffee is not green coffee from Cuba. The U.S. trade embargo with Cuba that covers nearly all trade except vital foods and medicines for the Cuban people makes that impossible. Neither Cuban cigars nor coffee can legally enter the United States at this time.

Cuban coffee, not unlike Italian espresso, can be both a drink and a type of roasted coffee. Most Americans who have experienced Cuban coffee in passing think first of the drink, which is memorable if nothing else--dark and syrupy sweet, served hot in a demitasse or, as is the case in Miami International Airport, in small, plastic souffle cups like the ones hospitals use to dispense medicine. And medicine this coffee surely is, with the ability to jumpstart the most flagging of hearts--if not from the coffee, then from the sugar. The coffee may be made with an espresso machine or with a traditional stovetop cafeteria (moka pot), with the shot pulled or the coffee poured over the sugar.

Recipes

Cuban coffee as we know it today is actually a blend of Cuban, Spanish and Italian coffee traditions. It was from these three countries, primarily, that Ybor City's cigar workers emigrated in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

Cuban Coffee

Pour two tablespoons of sugar in a demitasse cup. Brew coffee using a Cuban-style espresso and an espresso machine (or stovetop). When coffee is ready, pour 1.5ounces of hot coffee into the cup.

Café Con Leche

Heat milk on the stove, or steam it using an espresso machine. Brew coffee using a Cuban-style espresso and an espresso machine (or stovetop). When coffee is ready, pour heated milk (make sure there is no foam) into a six-ounce cup with coffee.

Julian´s Cappuccino (courtesy of Caracolillo Coffee Mill´s Julian Fadeo)

Pour a double shot of Cuban espresso into a six-ounce cup. Add two teaspoons of sugar. Fill the cup with warm whipped cream.

Cuban Espresso

Go to any grocery store in the Miami or Tampa Bay areas, and you will see many coffees with Latin names--Bustello, Caracolillo, Pilon and Naviaera, to name a few. Most if not all of these coffees are ground and brick-packed in brightly colored foil packages. Some of these coffees are blends, some are straights, but they all are very darkly roasted. This type of roast is often called a dark French or Spanish roast, and it has an ending bean temperature near 475 degrees Fahrenheit, or an Agtron rating near 25, giving this coffee a fairly one-dimensional, uniformly dark, almost burnt flavor. Combined with copious amounts of sugar, however, this roast can be a sweet, syrupy treat.

Caracolillo Coffee Mill— One Family’s Story

At the age of 16, Anastasio Fernandez Emigrated from Asturias, Spain, to roll cigars in the factories of Ybor City. He began roasting coffee for other workers, working out of his family’s garage. In 1936, he founded Caracolillo Coffee Mills and moved to a warehouse, and in the mid-1950s, he bought the roaster that his grandsons and great-grandson still roast on today: a three-bag Jabez Burns Thermalo. When visiting their facilty, the first thing you notice is that grandsons Julian and Micheal do the bulk of the work. While Julian's wife, Melba, runs the front office, Julian roasts on the ancient Jabez Burns, Michael operates the packaging line and Julian's son Michael humps coffee to keep the big three-bagger fed. With the assistance of a few long-term employees, the Fadeo family has been producing coffee in Tampa for more than 60 years.

That is not so say the business has not changed. Julian is developing specialty coffee business more along the lines of what is now considered a traditional specialty coffee model. In an accent that is one-part Spanish, one-part Italian and all West Tampa, Julian comments on his changing business: "Even though the specialty side of our business is growing, Cuban espresso still makes up about 75 percent of our business. Our largest markets for our Cuban espresso brands are Florida, New York City, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Philadelphia. However, that business is getting very competitive." One point Julian made repeatedly is that there is no ideal Cuban coffee recipe; it just has to be "very dark and very sweet."

A Long Tradition

In many ways, the history of Cuban coffee is our history as well. Next time you find yourself in south Florida, light up a nice, locally hand-rolled corona or torpedo, and order up a café Cubano. Before you know it, you may have enough energy to start your own revolution.

What is Ybor?

Ybor City (pronounced EE-bore) is a National Historic Landmark District—a Latin quarter replete with wrought-iron balconies, globe streetlights, brick-lined walkways and the majestic architecture of cigar factories and social clubs that provide a glimpse into a bygone era.

For more than half a century, Ybor City was the “Cigar Capital Of The World.” Early in the 20th century, between 70 and 100 cigar companies operated here. Tampa had everything cigar makers needed: a railroad, a port and a warm climate that was a natural humidor for the tobacco leaf.

While the cigar industry was thriving, Ybor City was alive with latin culture and language. On La Septima Avenida (Seventh Avenue), trolley cars carried residents across town, children sold deviled crabs and people read La Gaceta, Ybor’s tri-lingual newspaper that is still in print today. Residents depended on clubs such as the Centro Español, Centro Asturiano and Unione Italiana for medical and social needs. Many of these buildings have been renovated and are still in use.

Ybor City’s past is very much a part of its present. Today, the city’s shopping, dining and entertainment district is where Cuban-style coffee and the ancient art of premium hand-rolled cigar making live on.

A cleaner coffeehouse

A cleaner coffeehouse is almost always a better one.

In his TV show "No Reservations," Anthony Bourdain encourages travelers to eat and drink like the locals do. Some of the settings featured on the show are dirty and dingy, yet they add to the dining experience and make for great television. As an avid traveler, I have eaten and drunk things in places that were sketchy at best, and I agree with Bourdain: It is all part of the traveling experience. And I enjoy it--except when traveling in the United States or Canada.

When traveling in my home country or its northern neighbor, I expect independent food establishments to be clean and well lit, with decor that is reasonably up to date. Unfortunately, no other category of food establishment is more likely to disappoint than my own: the independent coffeehouse. It's as if we fear we will be looked down upon as "corporate" if we are too clean or if our furnishings are up to date. And while the freedom to design our shops is among the great joys of business ownership, we still need to be cognizant of how many people will perceive the basic elements of our establishments.

Your customers will see your windows, doors, floors, counters, equipment and condiment bars before they ever taste your drink offerings. As much as indies wish to be judged upon the merits of their coffee alone, the reality is that many customers will judge a business for its cleanliness, friendliness and product--and often in that very order.

Is your shop as clean as it could be?

If you were a customer coming into your shop for the first time, how would you rate its cleanliness? Very clean, clean or adequate? Or would you label it one of the Dirty D's: dingy, dumpy and disgusting? Here are some potential problem areas:

Walls. Walls are one of those seemingly innocuous areas that owners and employees overlook on a regular basis. Walls near trash receptacles, doors or counters can be especially susceptible to picking up dirt, grime or "coffee splash," often so slowly that it goes unnoticed. Light-colored walls in smoking environments require special attention and may be easier to paint than to clean if they have been left untreated for too long.

Furniture. Wobbly stools and terminally tipsy tables can seriously degrade the coffee lover's experience--fix them or replace them. The same goes for dirty or severely scratched tabletops and counters. Nobody enjoys sitting at a table that has scratches so deep and wide that no amount of scrubbing with a cloth will remove yesterday's (or yesteryear's) vanilla latte spill. Living room furniture placed in a coffeehouse setting requires special monitoring, especially if it's made from a material that is difficult to clean. Spills that sink into a couch or loveseat can turn your funky furniture into a skunky nightmare--and fast. You surely do not want your furniture to remind your customers of their neighbor's garage.

Floors. If there is one area that coffeehouses neglect more than any other, it's the floors. Common sights include coffee spills, coffee grounds, milk, ground coffee near the grinders and whole beans that have been crunched into little pieces. Many cafes seem to think they can just run a broom over the floor at the end of the day--maybe with a little half-hearted spot mopping--and the place will be ready for the next business day. Try renting a buffer occasionally and really going at the floors; your regulars will notice the improvement, and your first timers will come back.

Small wares. Cracked, broken, mismatched or dirty cups and saucers can give the impression that your attention to detail is not so attentive. No one wants to see a crack on the inside of a demitasse as they sip an espresso. Deliberately mismatched cups, saucers and spoons can, in rare instances, be used to create an eclectic atmosphere; circumstantially mismatched smallwares create an atmosphere that can only be called sloppy, no matter how chic the rest of the decor. Also, teach your employees how to properly wash cups and mugs to remove lipstick and coffee rings.

Windows/doors. Handprints on glass doors and windows are a warning flag for incoming customers that whoever is working is either slammed or lazy. If your staff is extremely busy, customers will grant a certain amount of leeway for handprints on doors and windows. If they are not busy, however, tips may be negatively affected as well as future business, no matter how cute the toddler was who left the prints. Built-up road and weather grime on windows can be kept in check by giving them a good squeegee cleaning at least once a week.

squeaky: Keeping your windows free of handprints and weather grime makes your shop more presentable.

Signage. Outdoor signage problems can include: missing lights and letters, partially lit neon/electric signs, broken plastic faces, and graffiti. Outdoor signage is what initially attracts people to your store. If the indie or chain down the road has a more attractive, cleaner sign package, you may be losing customers to your competitors. And while I know a few folks who may be attracted to a dive bar by a sign in disrepair, I don't know anyone looking for a dive coffee shop.

Indoor signage. Menu signs with missing or incorrect prices make customers nervous when they are ordering. Dirty bathroom signs, especially state-mandated employee hand-washing signs, are, very simply, disgusting and dirty. Faded and dirty point-of-sale signage discourages purchases, reducing your overall dollar per sale.

Interior lighting. When the same light bulb has been burned out over Table 3 for a month, what does that say about your staff and store?

Condiment bar. Most condiment bars are situated where they can be easily ignored from behind the counter, making this hands down the nastiest place in most coffeehouses, be they chains or independents. Sugar, half-and-half and stir sticks litter all horizontal surfaces while coffee drips down the side of the trash can. What a mess. It is impossible in most coffeehouses to clean and restock the condiment bar without walking out from behind the bar.

shiny: Baristas should step out from behind the counter routinely to clean the oft-messy condiment bar area.

Bathrooms. Bathrooms suffer from the same malady as many condiment bars--out of sight, out of mind (rarely seen, rarely clean). Additionally, cracked porcelain, broken toilet seats, leaky faucets and dirty, defaced mirrors can leave a lasting impression of poor maintenance and overall uncleanliness. If this is how you clean and maintain equipment that people are fairly intimate with, how do you treat the equipment they cannot see? Does it suffer the same misuse and abuse?

Equipment. Milk-encrusted steam wands. Enough said. Outside areas/smoking area. California, New York and Florida, three of the four most populous states, have forced smokers outside. Overall, this is a good development for coffeehouses. However, it has created a problem all its own: dirty outside smoking areas, with drenched ashtrays dotted with floating butts, paper napkins blowing in the parking lot and dirty dishes left to fester in the sun. Outside smoking/seating areas can offer some of the best signage opportunities a cafe could ever have, but they can simultaneously be the largest turnoff for customers entering your store. Having to walk past a dirty smoker's lounge to enter an otherwise clean and pleasant cafe, and walking out the same way, can give a first and last impression of filth. Outside areas often have the same limitations that condiment bars and bathrooms have: "If I can't see it, it must be clean." Nothing could be further from the truth.

One Cafe Owner's Makeover

Rocky Roaster of Canoga Park, Calif., recently got a retail makeover for the reality TV show "Peter Perfect." With Rocky's little store looking tired and worn, the crew of "Peter Perfect" redid the location in just three days.

"One of the things I have always wanted to do was have an area that I could run cuppings for my retail clients," says owner Rocky Rhodes. "I got a great setup and a warm environment to do just that. ... The facade work that was done truly turns heads now. We have had customers come in thinking they were coming to 'the new place' only to find out we have been here for nine years!"

Nestled in an older retail district on a main drag, Rocky's store was easy to miss, but the makeover has made it more attention-grabbing. "We have been experts in stealth marketing, where you fly right under the radar of your customer," he says. "But now we have an inviting look, and people are really taking notice of our new exterior. It is amazing what you can do with paint and some furniture to really overhaul a store." Perhaps more importantly to Rocky, "It raised the conversation about coffee again, which is always better for a shop specializing in coffee." Amen to that, brother.

Perhaps it's time to update?

Some time s , despite the best efforts of you and your staff, your place looks dingy even when you know it's not dirty. When your cafe has reached this stage, perhaps it is time to consider a makeover. Tom Palm of Design & Layout Services in Wayzata, Minn., says that most restaurants undergo at least a minor renovation every three to five years. Sometimes renovations are done just to clean the place up and repair or replace nonfunctioning equipment or furnishings. Other times a new atmosphere is created to attract a new consumer base, access or create a new market, signify a change of ownership, or even introduce a new or upgraded product line. Whatever the reasons for updating a store, many independent coffeehouses are long overdue. Below is a list of things that can be done to address many of the concerns above that go beyond mere cleaning and routine maintenance:

homey: Living room-style furnishings must be carefully monitored for cleanliness and wear.

Walls. Repaint and change color schemes.

Furniture. Reupholster, repair, repaint or replace. In the case of counters, have them refinished or re-laminated.

Floors. Have the floors professionally refinished. Where possible, replace them with a new or different flooring material.

Smallwares. Replace them, and update patterns, styles and colors.

Windows/doors. There is very little that can be done to change or update windows, besides perhaps changing window coverings and/or window signage.

Signage. Repair, clean or replace, and change the style and color.

Interior lighting. Replace dimmed or burnt-out bulbs. Buy new fixtures, change lighting styles and bulb types. Relight your coffeehouse and rejoice in your newfound profits.

Condiment bar. Change location, reconfigure for greater ease of use and place a cleaning log next to the condiments. (This is how many chains maintain cleanliness at these stations.)

Bathrooms. Replace or fix broken fixtures. Repaint--please, repaint. Especially the men's room--it is often pretty nasty in there.

Equipment. Refinish, repair, repaint or replace.

Outside area/smoking area. Replace ashtrays. Post nice, clean, firm notices about throwing away trash. Encourage people to bus their own tables. If it looks nice and clean, people are more likely to keep it that way.

Coffeehouses occupy a strange and storied niche in the food world. Resting somewhere between alcohol bars and full food establishments, we often struggle to find our identity. It is important, regardless of whether we tend toward the bar scene or toward a quaint breakfast cafe, that we remain vigilant in our quest to raise the level of our stores above that of a Tijuana taco stand.