Best Scandinavian Roasters

A list, in no particular order, of Scandinavia’s best coffee roasters. Nothing strikes the senses so intensely as the smell of beans roasted right.

When coffee beans gets roasted dark, the sugar and oils in them burn out their natural flavours. The flavours warp in the roasting process and becomes bitter, smoky or even burnt. Dark roasts therefore tastes much more similar to each other than light roasts, because of this loss in flavours, and you often see descriptions like "chocolate" . Sand “hazelnutt”. Some people prefer dark roasts, power to them, and this isn’t a post about how horrible dark roats are, but more about how interesting a light roasts is.

Words like "raspberry", "peach", "watermelon" (I know!), "gooseberry" and "white lilac" can pop up on a light roast’s description. It is simply more interesting and more complex.

"Scandinavian style" roasting will more often than not give you a lightly roasted bean. You really taste the unique flavor of each bean and their region, and experience the skills of both the growers and the roasters.

No longer than 4 weeks is the general rule of how old a roast should get to be the most similar to its intended flavour profile, after that the quality starts to decline. Therefore, if you order coffee online, make sure it ships quickly so you have time to actually use it.

I like light Scandinavian roasts, that’s Norway and my fellow vikings Denmark and Sweden, so here are my favourie roasters. Consider plotting some of these places onto your Google maps for the next time you’re in the area, since most of them have their own café or espresso bar at the address. These brands make both a great shot of espresso and a tasty cappuccino. The two things we need in life.