Melbourne's Espresso Roasting Obsession (35 Years in the Making)

Here's the thing about espresso: it's brutally unforgiving. You can't hide mediocre beans behind milk and sugar when you're pulling a shot. Which is exactly why we've spent 35 years as a Melbourne roaster obsessively perfecting the art of espresso roasting. Every espresso blend in our collection has been crafted, tested, adjusted, tested again (and again, and probably one more time for good measure) until it delivers that perfect shot – rich crema, balanced sweetness, and a finish that makes you close your eyes and smile like you've just discovered the meaning of life.

What Makes Exceptional Espresso? (The Melbourne Roaster's Guide)

Great espresso starts long before it hits your machine. As a Melbourne roaster specialising in speciality coffee since 1989, we've learnt (sometimes the hard way) that exceptional espresso is built on three foundations:

Origin Selection: Not every coffee makes brilliant espresso. We carefully select beans from origins like Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea that develop the body, sweetness, and complexity espresso demands. Our relationships with Fairtrade-certified producer organisations mean we're sourcing some of the world's finest espresso beans built on long term partnerships.

The Roast Profile: This is where being an experienced Melbourne roaster really matters. Espresso roasting is often different from filter roasting – we're developing caramelisation, building body, and balancing acidity to withstand the pressure and temperature of espresso extraction. Too light and it's sour; too dark and you've just made expensive charcoal. After 35 years (and countless experiments), we've found that sweet spot for every espresso blend we create.

Freshness: Here's an espresso secret from your friendly neighbourhood Melbourne roaster – the difference between week-old coffee and three month-old coffee in an espresso shot is night and day. We roast to order, let the coffee degas (this is important) and dispatch within 1-5 days, because espresso deserves to be fresh. Always. No exceptions. We're annoyingly principled about this.

Espresso Brewing Tips from Melbourne's Coffee Nerds

Dose: Start with 18-22g for a double shot, depending on your machine. Precision matters in espresso, so do check your manual for recommended dosing.

Time: Aim for 28-35 seconds extraction time. Preferably sitting in the middle. If it's running too fast, grind finer. Too slow? Coarser grind. You'll get there – we believe in you.

Temperature: Most home espresso machines work best at 92-96°C. If yours is adjustable, experiment a little.

The Puck: After pulling your shot, your espresso puck should be firm and dry. If it's soupy, something's off. Time to adjust. (Don't worry, even we had soupy pucks when we started.) Look out for holes in the puck, this means the water has channelled through the coffee and you may need to tamp harder to compact the grinds, or you may need slightly finer grinds as well.

Why Choose a B Corp Melbourne Roaster for Your Espresso?

Look, we could just roast brilliant espresso and call it a day. But we're also Melbourne's original Fairtrade coffee pioneers and we believe that exceptional espresso should make the world better, not just your morning.

As a B Corp-focussed Melbourne roaster, we're committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. What does that actually mean for your espresso? Glad you asked.

Fairtrade Espresso Coffee: Many of our espresso blends are Fairtrade-certified, meaning the farmers who grew your coffee beans received fair prices, work in safe conditions, and benefit from community development projects. In 2024 alone, we contributed $42,875 in Fairtrade Premium, supporting 133,217 farmers across our supply chain. That's a lot of coffee families thriving.

Organic Espresso Options: We offer certified organic espresso coffee for those who prefer beans grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers. Better for the environment, better for farmers long term.

Carbon-Conscious Roasting: Our Melbourne roastery is constantly working to reduce our environmental impact. Because climate change threatens the very existence of great coffee, and we're quite attached to this whole espresso thing. Like, really attached.

Transparent Supply Chains: We work with trusted coffee broker Bennetts to source from producer organisations we've partnered with for years. We know where our espresso comes from, we know the people who grew it, and we're genuinely proud to support them. No mystery beans here.

The Jasper Coffee Espresso Difference

After 35 years as a Melbourne roaster, we've learnt that great espresso isn't about following trends or cutting corners. It's about:

• Obsessive quality control – We cup every batch, because consistency matters in espresso (and we're slightly unhinged about quality)
• Small-batch roasting – Your espresso is roasted with the attention it deserves (helicopter parent levels of care)
• Ethical sourcing – B Corp principles aren't optional for us
• Melbourne expertise – Three and a half decades of roasting in Australia's coffee capital (we've seen some things)
• Fresh delivery – Dispatched fast, arrives fresh (because stale espresso is a crime)

Find Your Perfect Espresso

Whether you're after a single origin espresso that showcases a specific terroir, a house blend that delivers consistency every morning, or a Fairtrade organic espresso that aligns with your values while tasting amazing – we've spent 35 years as one of Melbourne's leading roasters, making sure you're covered.

Every espresso in our collection is roasted in small batches at our Melbourne roastery, backed by our B Corp commitment to doing coffee right, and guaranteed to make your espresso machine very, very happy. (Your tastebuds too, probably.)

Still not sure which espresso is right for you? Pop into one of our Melbourne cafes and our coffee-obsessed team will happily talk your ear off about extraction rates, crema consistency, and why we're slightly unhinged about espresso quality. Or just call us – we love talking coffee almost as much as we love roasting it. Seriously, try stopping us.

Jasper Coffee: Melbourne roaster since 1989 | Fairtrade pioneers since 2003 | Committed to B Corp principles