Roaster Shipping

Shipping Timeline

The roaster production and shipping timeline is a guide to help you understand the process behind your new roaster purchase.

Order Group Created

We place monthly production orders with the factory in the range of 30-50 roasters.

Roaster Reservations Begin

We begin accepting reservations as soon as an order has been placed. Roaster orders are generally sold out well before they reach our headquarters in Minneapolis. Depending on availability and timeline, your wait time could vary between 2-8 weeks. Please call us for availability of particular roaster models and estimated shipping time.

Roaster Manufacturing

Our roasters are manufactured exclusively for us according to our instructions and specifications by North Coffee Roasters in Shenzen, China.

Approximate Build Time: 4-6 Weeks

Roasters Leave Factory

Once they leave the North factory, the roasters are cleared for customs, packed into shipping containers and loaded onto a ship bound for the U.S. As with any international shipment, delays occasionally occur due to such things as port congestion and adverse weather.

Transit Time: 3-4 Weeks

Arrival at Port, Begin Train Transit

Upon arrival, the roasters are unloaded and shipped to our headquarters by train.

Mill City Roasters Inspection

We carefully inspect each roaster upon arrival before shipping to you.

Shipment to Customer

Working late nights and weekends, we do our best to inspect your roaster, pack your greens and other accessories, and get your order out our door and on its way to you within 24-48 hours after arrival.

Roaster Shipping FAQ

Have a question you don’t see answered below? Let us know here

How long does shipping usually take?

Shipping from our headquarters to destinations within the continental U.S. and Canada generally takes 7-10 days, often less. However, commercial freight shipping isn’t as precise or customer-focused as Amazon-style package delivery. As a result, delays can occur, particularly around busy shipping times such as holidays, and depending on whether you select liftgate or commercial delivery. In addition, estimated delivery dates are often just that.
If you have a particularly time-sensitive order, please contact us about additional delivery options we can arrange through our logistics coordinator such as guaranteed deliveries and dedicated-truck shipping.

Difference between lift gate and non-lift gate shipping?

When ordering your roaster, we provide you with two shipping options: liftgate and non-liftgate delivery.
Non-liftgate delivery is our most economical option but requires that you have access to a loading dock or forklift (i.e., a way to get the roaster down from the bed of a semi-trailer). You can also have your roaster delivered to a nearby freight terminal for pickup. Please contact us if you would like freight-terminal delivery so that we can work with you to find the closest available terminal.
Liftgate shipping, while more expensive, is the most hassle-free option for deliveries to small businesses and residences where no loading dock or forklift is available. With this option, your roaster will be delivered in a truck with a lift to lower your roaster from the truck bed to the ground.
For both types of shipping we will send you tracking information once your roaster ships so that you can track your order. We will also request that the carrier call you prior to delivery (or notify you on arrival if your roaster is shipping to a freight terminal) to schedule an appointment.

What are the dimensions/weights on the roaster crates?

See tables below.

What can ship with my roaster?

Although we pay extra for the additional weight, we offer a special promotion for roaster customers to ship orders of green coffee and most accessories for no additional charge. When ordering green coffee or accessories to be shipped with your roaster on our web site, just enter the coupon code “shipwithroaster” for free shipping when placing your order. Orders for green coffee and accessories must be placed at least one week prior to roaster delivery to avoid any delays.

Do you ship to Canada or Mexico?

We ship many roasters to customers in both Canada and Mexico and are generally able to ship within the NAFTA zone for rates comparable to our U.S. deliveries. Although NAFTA typically provides for low or no duties, you will still need a customs broker to shepherd your roaster across the border. We can provide you information on efficient, low-cost customs brokers that many of our customers have used and with whom we closely coordinate your deliveries. Please contact us for details.

Do you ship internationally?

We’ve shipped roasters to every country where coffee is consumed. All sales, service, warranty, support and training activities worldwide are executed from our headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Please contact Christian at Christian@millcityroasters.com for details on placing an international order.

Shipping Terminology:

LTL (Less-than-truckload). Unless special arrangements are made, we ship our roasters by LTL commercial freight.
Drop-ship: a type of shipping, used for some of our international orders as well as special or custom orders such as venting, where the item is shipped to you directly from the factory.
FOB (Free on board). This is a commercial shipping term for how we ship our roasters, meaning that the buyer has liability for goods that are damaged during shipment after leaving our headquarters. Shipments are covered by insurance held by our commercial shippers. Please see [link to separate roaster inspection procedures doc] for inspection information to ensure that your items are covered in the event of damage.

North Roasters 500g Coffee Roaster Main Photo