Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo
Heat is another main ingredient
From gas cylinders to a pipeline supply
Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo uses biogas to roast coffee in Helsinki’s Teurastamo district. Roasting requires a substantial amount of energy.
“You could even say that heat is another main ingredient.”
Benjamin Andberg, Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo
The roastery previously used LPG cylinders.
“We have had a long struggle with bottled gas. Gas coming straight from a tap really is a great thing.”
Gas delivered through a pipeline
Gas is supplied directly to the roastery from the network, so LPG cylinders no longer need to be changed during roasting.
Biogas for coffee roasting
Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo chose biogas as the energy source for roasting.
Biogas was one step in the same direction as the roastery’s other activities. The company buys its coffee beans directly from growers.
“In my work, I can directly influence growers’ and their families’ circumstances and livelihoods. Fair payment to the producer shows in everything, because better quality brings a better price.”
“Drinking better coffee can make a real difference. Even a small company like Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo buys several thousand kilograms of coffee a year.”
Discovering coffee at the age of 12
Benjamin Andberg’s interest in coffee began as a child.
“I was allowed to drink coffee my grandfather brewed in a pot. When I compared it with my mother’s filter coffee, I tasted an enormous difference, which sparked my interest.”
Curiosity led the young Andberg to call a major coffee producer’s consumer helpline, where his questions were not welcomed.
“They said “don’t disturb us”, so I went to the library to study the subject.”
Andberg began experimenting.
“First I experimented with different roast levels, but realised that freshness affected taste more than darkness. Soon I found that flavour was not only about freshness: the fundamental factors were the quality and origin of the coffee.”
Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo was founded in 2011. Its roastery is in the Teurastamo district. In 2014, it received a Best of the Year award from Gloria Ruoka & Viini magazine.