How to make a “black cat”, or the Intelligentsia “Chicago Roasting Works Tour”.
I took the saturday tour of the roasting facility on Fulton st. Plenty of coffee to drink (blends and single origin), explanations on how little red ‘cherries’ from around the world become a smooth black nectar, a full roast (~ 12min), and details on the tasting process. You leave with 1/2lbs of great coffee and a greater appreciation of all the work it takes to make a good cup.
(ps: “black cat” is the name of their famous expresso)
Coffee from around the world
The Black Cat
Bag of green coffee
Green coffee before roasting
One of the five large roasters
Gothot roaster
Where does the coffee go ?
Checking on the roasting
Always checking
Where it cools down
Rotating roaster
Done and cooling down
Turning and turning
Coffee wave
Medium roast
Up it goes
Ready to be ground
The grind
And up the truck