This is our second Mill City Roaster. We started with a 3 kg; then we upgraded to the 30 kg. Surprisingly, the 30kg machine is just as easy to control as the smaller roasters. It requires high pressure gas and industrial power, and it is well built. We chose Mill City because they provide more advanced features per dollar over other roasters. The variable speed controllers for drum speed and airflow, along with the gas control valve, makes it easy to control all parameters of the roasting profile. The industrial grade PLC provides automation of the between batch protocol and assistance with functions such as charging and discharging into the cooling tray. Roast replay has been a great tool to maintain consistency and improve efficiency. Loading and destoning 30kg of beans takes a little time. With roast replay, you can continue to roast while destoning and prepping the next batch of greens. You don't have to worry about missing a fuel or gas adjustment, you can simply monitor the trends on Roast Path and intervene if needed. And finally, the Mill City support team is amazing! Any time you have a question, they pick up the phone and are able to help. They really understand their machines and are truly craft roasters themselves. They can help you with machinery and your roasting.
The Roasting 101 class is a high-quality experience. The class setting is very professional, everything is explained very clearly, and no time is wasted during the four days you spend there. If you are new to the world of coffee roasting, the class includes videos to watch in advance to help you attend with confidence. The lecture portions and activities are deeply engaging, making the learning process both enjoyable and informative.
Thank you so much! You are an awesome team!
I could not recommend this course enough to anyone interested in coffee or pursuing coffee roasting as a business. The approach to teaching is diverse and extremely approachable. I loved the way that they structured the classes and provided us with several professional perspectives in key components of starting your own business or the technical side of roasting.
I honestly feel like the price they are asking for is a steal and advise anyone to hop on this while they can!
10/10 and am thankful I was able to attend that week in January! Thank you for the knowledge and inspiration!
Even though we haven’t taken delivery of our new 20kg Mill City Roaster yet, the experience so far has been absolutely stellar. Angie and the entire team have gone above and beyond to help us plan our space and ensure every detail is set up for success. They’ve been more like trusted partners than just a manufacturer—offering guidance on layout, answering endless questions, and helping us envision how our roastery will operate once everything’s in place.
We recently flew out to Minnesota for a class at Mill City, and Angie took the time to walk us through the roaster’s setup in person. Her step-by-step explanations and practical insights gave us the confidence we need as we look forward to our roaster’s arrival. We can’t wait to get this 20kg machine installed, seasoned, and turning out some amazing coffee for our customers. If you’re in the market for a commercial roaster, we couldn’t recommend Mill City enough!
We recently attended Mill City Roasters’ Roasting 101 class, and it surpassed all our expectations. Our roastery is upgrading from a trusty 2kg machine to a 20kg Mill City Roaster, and we brought along two complete beginners plus our current head roaster. Despite such different levels of experience, each of us came away with valuable insights and hands-on skills that will directly impact our roasting process.
The instructors did a fantastic job breaking everything down—from foundational roasting theory to practical applications. Their passion for coffee was contagious, and the interactive format kept us engaged from start to finish. We’re from Arizona, so the chilly Minnesota weather was definitely an adjustment, but layering up was more than worth it for the chance to learn and practice on Mill City’s top-notch equipment.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the coffee game for years, Roasting 101 offers a wealth of knowledge and a real sense of community. We can’t wait to put what we learned into action on our new 20kg roaster. Huge thanks to Angie, Lauren, Bryant, Steve, and the entire Mill City team for an unforgettable experience!
We had such an amazing time expanding our coffee education through this class. What a wealth of knowledge that extends far beyond just roasting coffee. We have been in business for 7 years and the learning never stops! Taking this class was more than worth the value. From chatting over roasting equipment with the people who engineer them, talking about roastery layouts with the people that walk you through installing their equipment, and cupping coffee with extremely talented tasters and coffee roasters, what a wealth of information! Just starting out? Been in the industry for years like us? This class is for you! A huge thanks to everyone at Mill City, especially Steve, Bryant, Lauren and Angie! Y'all are awesome!
I just completed the Roasting 101 class. Lauren, Bryant, Angie and Steve and the entire, really do an amazing job form the minute you walk in the door. They welcome you and put to rest any anxiety one might have about their level of experience.
I’m basically a total newbie to the process and working alongside other, more experienced roasters we an excellent way to learn.
Lauren and Bryant lead the class and do a great job of distilling a lot of information in a cohesive, easily digestible way.
If you’re at all considering roasting as hobby, side hustle, or career- this should be your first stop.
Working on Mill City Roasters make it immediately apparent why these machines are the talk of the industry. They are so well made and thoughtfully designed.
Take the class. You won’t leave disappointed. Thanks so much Mill City.
I recently completed the Coffee Roasting 101 class at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, MN, led by Lauren and Bryant. While the class is not cheap, if this is what you want to do this is the place to learn it. , I found it well worth the investment. The insider knowledge and industry experience available right inside the roaster’s space are truly priceless.
Lauren and Bryant expertly broke down everything from the basics of green coffee to the nuances of roast profiles, making even complex concepts accessible. They also teach about blending, offering invaluable insights into creating unique flavor profiles. Their hands-on approach ensured that every participant could immediately apply what they learned. We were lucky enough to learn on a variety of machines, with the emphasis being on learning how to control any roaster and produce a good product. Additionally, the owner of Mill City Roasters played a significant role in guiding the curriculum, adding an extra layer of depth and real-world insight that enriched the overall experience. The owner is pretty down to earth. I really enjoyed his presence throughout the course. You will also meet tech support and the production team. The first day we took a tour. The tour to their strategic partner cafe imports warehouse was very impressive. And relatively close by.
I also learned that an advanced class starts this fall—though you must complete the introductory course first. After taking the Coffee Roasting 101 class, I feel much more prepared to enter this industry.
If you’re serious about developing your coffee roasting skills and want to learn from some of the best in the industry, I highly recommend this class. It’s an investment in quality education that pays off with invaluable experience and a solid foundation in the art and science of coffee roasting. They provide a spread of snacks and the box lunches match the elevated quality of the coffee. I couldn’t think of anything I would add.
Roasting 101 is a great class for those just getting in to the coffee world or even those with a bit of coffee roasting experience already. The curriculum is well thought out and Lauren and Bryant are fantastic teachers, both with a wealth of knowledge in their respective areas of expertise. Steve Green pops in from time time to time and drops little nuggets of business/coffee wisdom as well. There's also plenty of time for asking your own questions if something isn't covered that you want insight on. 100% recommend this course and don't miss the "optional" Saturday session
Lauren and Bryant are very great people and a blessing to get to know, they were very helpful with whatever questions we had. Both were very
patient with the greenies that are just
starting out with the roasting. Food,
coffee and snacks were great! Great atmosphere! The experience was amazing! They pairs us with groups that had different kinds of experience, I enjoyed every min of the classes and the group of people we got to met. Thank you Lauren, Bryant, Angie and Steve for the experience and
hospitality. May God Bless you all!!
The best thing about traveling thousands of miles overseas and stumbling into a roaster/coffee business course has to be meeting with a fine bunch of people who can understand your struggles no matter what role you participate in our amazing coffee world. They both encourage your growth & sympathize with your challenges, and present you a way forward to avoid pitfalls and challenges they have already overcome. They share their knowledge quickly and without regret, they lead you to others who will also fertilize your business dream (green bean provider, packagers & regulators) to increase success, and leave the door wide open for follow up at the end of the course.
These are people who have experienced coffee’s up and downs professionally from the top of world class tasting and coffee events, to visiting the humble farmer.
Lauren, Bryant, Sam, Angie and Steve, from my heart to yours…,
Thank you,
James (PNG Coffee Farmer, Nebilyer Valley)
Having just launched my roasting business a few months ago, I was looking for a partner and found one in Mill City. From the very beginning, the communication has been excellent and the responsiveness is off the charts great.
I decided to invest in the education course and couldn't be happier. I been to 100s of events in my previous career and this one was hands down the best. The days are well organized and a ton of fun. The learnings are a balance of some academics but mostly hands on. The instructors are fantastic.
If you're debating on this course. It's well worth the investment and you'll meet some new life long friends.
Rich Hubbard
Black Dog Roaster
This class was an incredible experience, and we can't recommend it enough to anyone who not only wants to gain a deeper knowledge of coffee roasting but also learn about the entire coffee ecosystem. If you are worried that it might be too advanced or too basic for you, I challenge you to take this class. The structure of the class coupled with the high-quality instructors will ensure you get exactly what you're looking for and more.
Lauren does an exceptional job at leading the class and engaging students to give them confidence as they find their way through the different aspects of coffee. Bryant is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and is an outstanding instructor on roasting. Sam is a super guy and although he was a newer addition to Mill City when we took the class, you would have thought he had been around for years with enthusiasm and knowledge.
Steve and Angie have done an outstanding job of fostering an environment centered around a passion for coffee and learning. While many people in the world would like to see you fail at whatever your coffee endeavor is, it is clear after this class that Mill City is your number one advocate for finding success in coffee.
The amount of all around learning that was done in 3 days is incredible. I loved learning about the chemistry of coffee beans, practically learning how to roast in the machines, learn about how to extract flavors from the beans, and how to practically begin/further pursue our coffee business.
I left the training feeling very excited to pursue coffee making with great excellence, to reach for the skies in what can be accomplished, and go out and care for people! Be authentic in our coffee story.
I am hoping that Mill City will do a coffee roasting 102, 103, etc. for continued learning.
TAKE THIS CLASS!
This was such a great experience. Lauren and Bryant are not only excellent instructors but just wonderful and fun people to get to know. It would have taken me years to learn what I did in 3 days. The roasting, cupping, instruction and camaraderie have inspired my coffee roasting journey. Thank you all so very much!
I've been a long-time Mill City supporter having first purchased a North TJ-072 in 2016. When I began planning the KW Coffee Collective in 2020, there was no doubt in my mind that my choice of roaster manufacturer would be Mill City. Having engaged a number of other well known roaster brands, regardless of roaster reliability, the new customer experience with other brands was underwhelming. Mill City has always made customer service a priority. Mill Cities' early adoption of the right to repair has meant that after a combined 5000 roasts on our two MCR-10s, we have never lost a roast day. Regular, easy to complete daily, weekly, monthly and longer term cleaning and preventative maintenance keeps us roasting. These machines, with many advanced features lacking on other traditional drum roasters, remain simple to service without the need to rely on technicians from far away. A video or phone call with MCR is often all that is needed to understand what needs to be done for the rare case that something unexpected happens.
As a shared roasting space, our new roaster members have truly appreciated the easy operation and consistency offered by the MCRs. When it comes time to upgrade to a larger machine, i won't look anywhere but Mill City.
My original 2kg is now in it's thrid roastery, having retained much of it's original value.
Class was amazing. Really pumped me up for a new roasting experience. Bryant and Lauren are absolutely amazing at their craft and are eager to share it and help you along the way! Super dynamic class. Also...from now on I'm forever in love with the cupping classes. Thanks guys!!!
What a journey it has been for this legacy MCR-6. From Ohio to Florida it has survived the test of time, until I got it home...That's where Angie Davis and her team came in to help rescue this machine from the inexperienced hands of myself.
With the help of Angie and her team they were able to help restore this machine. I had electrical issues with the cooling fan, critical venting problems, and thermal coupler issues.
Thank you for all your diligent work and time you spent with me over the phone and through emails. Your expertise in support with troubleshooting this roaster is invaluable for how it has helped me be successful starting my small coffee roasting business!
Thank you and God bless you all! 🙏
Regardless of your starting foundation and comfort level, Lauren and Bryant will definitely help you develop your roasting skills and individual roasting philosophy. I was extremely comfortable roasting already, but was able to fine-tune my skills through the various short classes and roasting activities on different Mill City models. Bryant and Lauren both do a great job connecting with students, assisting them in defining their individual goals. It feels like family, which is one of the reasons we will always use Mill City Roasters in our roastery. They are human and embody the sense of community everyone should be looking for when getting into this industry.
President and Founder, Steve Green, also gives a series of insightful talks from the business side of things to help attendees develop a plan for their own roasteries. He is honest and sincere about what has worked, and what hasn't, giving us multiple perspectives from which we can view our own businesses.
I highly recommend attending this class. They are good people, with the best machines and customer service in the game.
My husband and I are brand new to coffee roasting, but we have had a passion for coffee for decades! We went into this course without any frame of reference or preconceived notions of what we’d get out of the class. We learned so much— from coffee origins to roasting and cupping techniques. Lauren, Bryant, Steve, and Angie were welcoming from the start; and their depth and breadth of knowledge and ability to teach, coach, and relate to us was invaluable. I know they will continue to partner with us and inspire our ongoing coffee journey.
We highly recommend this course for anyone, regardless of roasting experience.
What an incredible experience! the Mill City team's passion for quality coffee shines through in this training. Listening to Lauren and Bryant talk about surprise and delight at the cupping table has helped reframe the way I assess and enjoy a cup of coffee. It is also something I will carry into other parts of my life. I feel like my passion for coffee was amplified last week! Thanks for being so open with your knowledge and your love for a good cup of joe! I miss it already!
Everyone was great! Lauren and Bryant were amazing at teaching and helping you really grasp what they’re saying/showing to you. Overall very fun and informative time. Would definitely recommend:)
The professional yet personable team at Mill City Roasters pulls back the curtain on specialty coffee with a jam-packed, three-day course. It was a great blend of fun & hands-on roasting as well as discussions around architecture, profiling, green sourcing, cupping and even insights on business in general. I can't think of a stone unturned over the course of the experience, but I'm sure that in the event that something comes to mind the team at MCR will be happy to provide an answer. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!
Definitely a great week in Minneapolis where the whole team of Mill City Roaster never hide any details on coffee operation from bean selection to roasting to tasting to brewing to testing......
Definitely a must for anyone interested in coffee (you don't even need to be wanting to open a shop or roastery, it's that good).
