Spotlight: Giesen USA Distributor

One of the Giesen USA Distributor is Katie Cates. She is the head roaster at Mechanic Coffee. Let's get to know her!

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You can find our Giesen distributors across the world. One of the Giesen USA distributors is Katie Cates. She is the head roaster, sales/support, and a little bit of everything at Mechanic Coffee. Let’s get to know her!

Name:Katie
Surname:Cates
Company name:Mechanic Coffee
Giesen Coffee roaster type:WPG1, W15A
Country:The United States of America (USA)

Giesen USA Distributor spotlight

Why did you decide to start your own business? ‘David Sutfin started Mechanic Coffee Co. in 2016 with the vision of serving great coffee and providing human connections in a beautiful cafe setting.

Mechanic Coffee Co. is a place where we can use our years of experience and passion for coffee to make a truly excellent cup. Having neighbors come together and slow down over a cup of coffee with us grew our roots in the borough of Verona. David and I met in 2018. He was preparing to take the leap into roasting. I have a varied background with roasters and roasting.’

Highlights you experienced in your work: The coffee industry is such a wide-reaching yet tight-knit community of really welcoming people. It’s really exciting to exchange roasting ideas. We roast coffees from all over the world and share our passion for great coffee with new customers. Everyone has such a unique take on how to roast, brew, and serve coffee, you could never be bored!’

How do you become a successful roaster: ‘Become a service, not just a roaster.’

How many hours of roasting and studying does it take to become a roasting expert? ‘Haha, I’ll let you know when I’m an expert!’

Sources you have learned a lot from when it comes to roasting coffee: ‘There is a lot of good information to find in online forums, books, and various training centers. I think gleaning some info here and there is better than subscribing to just one method or theory. It’s very limiting to roast by the numbers or graphs when the information you need is in how the coffee tastes and if you can consistently repeat it. I’ve learned the most from attending the SCA Roasters Guild Retreats and talking with countless roasters from all over the world. Taking notes and trying some new methods when back in front of my roaster has made a huge impact on our roasting!’

The best thing about coffee roasting: ‘The smells! When the coffee is just about to hit first crack, that sudden shift in how it smells is so exciting to me!’

How do customers react when they see your coffee roaster? ‘I think they are a little intimidated when they first see it! Most people are really surprised by how quiet it is when it’s running.’

Want to know more about Coffee LAB? Take a look at their website: Mechanic Coffee

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Bob

    Thanks For Sharing this Information, I like it !!

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