Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known as the “Steel City” is a leader in the health care sector, education, and technology industries. But did you know that this city has a fantastic coffee scene?
Pittsburgh is home to many coffee shops and roasteries where most locals spend their money on cappuccinos. In fact, there are some coffee shops and specialty coffee roasters from the town that are well recognized throughout the United States.
Whether you’re looking for whole beans that you will brew in a French Press, or ground coffee to make espresso, we’ve got you covered. In no particular order, here’s the list of our best specialty coffee roasters in Pittsburgh area.
Commonplace Coffee
Since 2003, Commonplace Coffee have created a place that can be accessible to everyone. Owned and operated by Julie and TJ Fairchild, Commonplace found its stand promptly among local communities and neighborhoods alike.
Commonplace Coffee is a roastery that loves to share their craft with others. Founded in Indiana and now with cafe locations across Pittsburgh. They also have a new headquarters, which is home to roasting and wholesale production, in Washington Boulevard, Pittsburg. This place is dedicated to support the Pittsburgh coffee community by helping cafes and businesses, and providing coffee programs in the area.
Commonplace is seen as a community builder. Not only do they roast coffee for their own shops and wholesale customers but they also fix espresso machines and teach people about coffee. Whether you’re looking for collaborations, future projects, or local events, they’ve got you covered.
It seems they’re one of the largest coffee roasters in town. They have eight shops where you can get a cup of coffee and “Commonplace community” that sends delicious pastries. You can find their roasted beans in shops, offices, and restaurants throughout the region. They offer a wide selection of coffees, ranging from single origins to espresso blends and decaf. One of their finest coffees is the Divino Niño Colombia. It tastes like apricot, rooibos, and raspberry jam.
The Coffee Tree Roasters
The Coffee Tree Roasters is a locally owned and operated coffee business started by the father and son duo, referred as “the Bill’s,” in 1993. Although the company first opened its doors in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania, their coffee became a Pittsburgh staple ever since.
Today, Coffee Tree is now a Pittsburgh’s hometown coffee roaster, and a meeting place too. Serving Pittsburgh for 27 years, they’re honestly one of the best kept secrets in this city’s local coffee scene. Since 1993, Coffee Tree Roasters have served the world’s freshest and finest single farm-sourced coffees throughout the years in Pennsylvania.
Started as a single and simple coffee shop with a small batch roaster, Coffee Tree has grown to a big business. They now operate five company owned retail locations throughout the city. From multiple Coffee Tree licensed stores, a thriving roastery, to a full-service espresso equipment and repair company called Espresso Solutions. Currently, the family-run enterprise company is run by Jean Swoope.
They have quantity of coffee beans from Africa, Central and South America, and the region of Indonesia. There are also some great picks for decaf and blends. But one of their most notable coffees is the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Melaku. A washed and sun-dried coffee from Ethiopia’s renowned Yirgacheffe region. It tastes like black tea, tangerine, and cherry.
KLVN Coffee Lab
KLVN Coffee, named from a refracted reference to Lord Kelvin, is one of the best modern specialty coffee roasters you can find in Pittsburg, PA. For over 5 years in the coffee industry, they’ve produced their own wonderful roasts using coffee beans with great qualities.
Owners Jeff Sloan and Will Humphrey opened KLVN in 2015, inspired by the vibe culture in the beaches of Central and South American coffee growing regions. Not only do they specialize in single-origin coffees but they also develop direct trade business with coffee growers. In fact, Sloan and Humphrey value their personal relationships with growers in Honduras and Peru. Having that said, this made KLVN embrace their farm to roast method.
Having their entire roasting operation in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood, KLVN have focused on harnessing the pure and transportive qualities that coffee possesses from its beginning. Although they started as a wholesale company, they have a fantastic space where they serve delicious cup of coffee. You can find KLVN Coffee Lab at 600 Hamilton Ave in Pittsburgh.
They roast coffee beans from Honduras, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Mexico using their Probat UG 15 roaster. Using the principle of Kelvin’s first law of thermodynamics, they roast the beans carefully and skillfully to bring out the full and natural flavor.
They offer a wide selection of coffee beans. Each bag contains 12oz of sustainably produced, washed specialty arabica coffee, sourced and roasted to satisfy your cravings. An interesting coffee to try is their Continual Flame Blend. It has tasting notes of cola, cherry cake, and cacoa nibs.
Redstart Roasters
Based in the East End of Pittsburgh, Redstart Roasters is an eminence of the local coffee roasting scene. They’re one of the finest artisan small batch coffee roasters that value ecological diversity and sustainability in coffee. Since 2017, Redstart pride itself on their responsible coffee sourcing for the birds. Hmm… interesting!
This company was actually created in as much as of love for coffee and affinity for birds. Not only do they source and roast the highest quality coffees but they’ve also brought awareness to the importance of sustainable growing practices with regard to bird habitats.
To this day, Redstart has grown substantially and remained dedicated to expanding their local coffee culture. They’re also genuine to their goal of extending their global impact reach on conserving bird habitats.
In regards to their coffee, they barely have selection of beans from Colombia, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru and Nicaragua. Their coffees are typically light to medium roasts. One of their best sellers is the El Salvador Finca Hungria. This coffee features notes of red apple and milk chocolate which create an excellent all-day coffee.
Cafetano Coffee Roasters
Cafetano Coffee Roasters pride itself on their wide variety of coffee methods to create the perfect coffee. Owned and operated by Mirko Cuculiza, Cafetano found its spot quickly among locals and visitors alike.
Actually, Cafetano is a Honduran-based specialty coffee company. In June 2015, Mirko Cuculiza opened the first of five Cafetano coffee boutiques in Honduras. And thru Mirko’s business partner, Carl Allison, Cafetano opened its first retail location in Western Pennsylvania. Since then, they’ve provided the perfect coffee experience for the people of Pittsburgh.
They serve an amazing cup of coffee and offer a variety of savory and sweet high-quality Italian and Honduran-inspired products. Their coffee is sourced from Cuculiza’s family farm in Honduras – three generations dedicated to growing coffee.
Not only do they use high-quality arabica coffees but they also have highly trained and passionate roasters and cuppers to create the highest quality coffee. This helps them to profile and roast their coffee beans to perfection for the optimal taste. You can buy their roasted coffee beans online from their retailers.
Convive Coffee Roastery
Started from a wholesale business, Convive Coffee Roastery has transformed into a specialty roaster/cafe that serve the best coffee in town. With three locations in the Pittsburgh area, McCandless, Lawrenceville, and Mars, Convive has taken the city by storm.
Since 2013, they’ve produced their own excellent roasts. They have a rotating selection of single-origin coffees that lie towards the side of floral and fruity to dark and chocolatey. Most of their beans are sourced from all over the world, particularly Rwanda, Honduras, Brazil and Colombia.
But their Folksy House Blend is something interesting to have. This coffee is Convive’s signature blend which is comprised of Honduran and Colombian beans. It is naturally sweet and the darkest roast they offer.
La Prima Espresso Co.
The coffee by La Prima Espresso has been a Pittsburgh staple since 1988. Started as a retailer of commercial espresso machines, La Prima evolved into a full-service espresso bar, where it became a Pittsburgh coffee shop destination.
This company is an Italian-style coffee roaster that supply restaurants, businesses and cafes. They also operate their own cafes. With over 30 years of experience, La Prima ensure they source quality beans, hand-roast them in small batches, and offer the very best coffee and espresso available.
Although this roaster is famed for its Italian-style espresso, they have a wide variety of beans ranging from single origins, blends, decaf to fair-trade and organic coffee. They also offer limited releases. So, better stay on top of their offerings if you don’t want to miss it.
La Prima offers over 20 coffees online to the public. They shipped your order directly from their roaster within 24 hours from roasting to ensure freshness. One of their best tasting coffees is the Bar Italia. This coffee is one their certified organic and fair-trade espresso blends. It tastes like cacao nibs, red wine and raspberry.
Grounds and Hounds Coffee
If you believe that great coffee should fuel a greater purpose, Grounds and Hounds Coffee would love you to join them on their mission. This company was born out of their passion to give back to the animals who bring them, including you, with so much happiness.
Grounds and Hounds Coffee ensure they select the best organic and eco-friendly specialty coffees while supporting rescue organizations. Not only do they deliver an amazing cup of coffee along the way but they’re also on a mission to provide safe-havens for pups between homes.
In regards to their coffee, Grounds and Hounds uses 100% Arabica, specialty grade coffee. They source their beans from the top growing regions around the world, including Peru, Colombia, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
The secret behind their best tasting coffees lies within the skills and knowledge of their master roaster. Their coffees are small batch, carefully and skillfully roasted to create the perfect beans for the perfect brew.
From the light roast category, they have the Morning Walk Breakfast Blend. This wonderful blend is comprised of 100% Organic Arabica beans from Guatemala, Peru, and Sumatra. It showcases a full-body and a mild finish, with notes of sweet cherry and caramel to cocoa and toasted nuts.
Redhawk Coffee Roasters
Started as an espresso truck, Redhawk Coffee has grown into a well-known coffee roasting company in Pittsburgh, PA. Founded by Mary Gonzales and Braden Walter Jr. in 2017, Redhawk quickly gained a huge following.
Redhawk ensure they’re selecting the best coffees from the most meticulous producers around the world. Not only they are committed to sourcing, roasting and selling the highest quality coffees but they’re also committed to coffee and community. They are always brewing up something special to their customers. And whether you’re looking to drink a great espresso, purchase beans for homebrewing, or opening your own café, they got you covered.
Redhawk is a small Pittsburgh based roastery. They don’t have a huge selection of coffee beans too. However, what they do have is quite impressive. One of their popular offerings in the City Drug Blend. This blend is roasted slightly darker and works perfectly for espresso, cold brew, and drip coffee. It has tasting notes of chocolate and nuts.
Press House Coffee
Press House Coffee is a Pittsburgh-based coffee company that specializes in state-of-the-art technology and small-batch roasting. These methods allow them to experiment and consistently repeat their wonderful roasts.
Since 2015, Press House coffee have produced discoveries and single-origin roasts that are anything but by-the-rule. They source, roast and deliver amazing coffee in an unpretentious and very approachable way. Their coffee is roasted in a Diedrich IR12 machine by Press House’s head roaster Paul Hendershot.
Founded by Adam Randall, Press House is on a mission to help you drink coffee the best way. Not only they source premium coffees and ship them to your door within 72 hours of roasting for incredible freshness but they also make brewing a great cup as easy as possible.
You can buy their fresh roasted coffees and blends at their website or on market shelves around the city. Their Early Bird Blend is smooth and not bitter, which is a great coffee to brew in the morning. It has notes of candied fruit and milk chocolate.
What is your favorite coffee roaster in Pittsburgh and what is your favorite offering from them? There are many more excellent specialty coffee roasters that can be found elsewhere in the city of Pittsburgh. If you haven’t experienced the Pittsburgh’s local coffee scene, it’s time to expand your horizons.
Like this article? You might want to read: The Best Portland Coffee Roasters (A Guide To Brands, Subscription, Shops)