Top 10 Best Toronto Coffee Roasters (Canadian Coffee Roastery)
Many great things have come out of the 6ix: TIFF, Drake, Suits, the two scientists who invented insulin (a certain Frederick Banting and J.J.R. Macleod). Another one of those things to add to the list in the myriad of magnificent coffee roasters!
After trying many (very, very many) coffee beans throughout the city, here is my list of the ones you need on your radar!
*NOTE: The order of this list is arbitrary. All of these roasters are excellent, and possess their own unique attributes.
If you want more Canadian Coffee Roaster suggestions, be sure to check out my other posts:
Keep Calm, and Brew On.
1. The Library Specialty Coffee Roasters
Location: Toronto (Dundas), ON
Café: 281 Dundas Street West
Toronto Purchasing Centre: The Library Speciality Coffee
Photo Courtesy of The Library Specialty Coffee Official Facebook Page.
The Library Speciality Coffee began as a downtown café, that only got into roasting a few years into operating.
The café clearly took note as to what its customers liked, as its beans are always well made, and varied. On top of classic offerings, TLS often has seasonal blends and geishas. Rather than all the coffee having the same price per bag, each bag of beans is priced dependant on the beans used.
The beans I would suggest sipping are either Los Narajos - Honduras and The Konga - Ethiopia.
Their website has free Canadian shipping over orders of $75.00 or more.
Read more about The Library on my downtown coffee shop post!
2. Java Roasters
Location: Toronto (Leslieville), ON
Café: 262 Carlaw Avenue
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Thirty Six Knots, Java Roasters
Photo courtesy of Java Roasters official Website.
Java Roasters is a coffee roastery owned and run by two girls who are, in their words, “obsessed with quality”.
Everything about their coffee seems to have been done with care, from the quality of the beans, to the amount of information available on each bag, and the outstanding design of their packages. On top of great tasting beans, these girls are also big on being eco-friendly and ethical. Information about the individual farms and the people from whom they source their beans is available on their website.
My particular favourites include Colombia Cosmic Goose, and Brazil Matão. If you’re all about supporting strong women in the coffee industry, do not overlook this powerhouse brand!
Photo courtesy of Java Roasters official Facebook page.
Photo courtesy of Java Roasters official Facebook page.
3. Pop Coffee Works
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: N/A
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Pop Coffee Works (190 Jarvis Street), 135 Ossington (135 Ossington Avenue)
Photo Courtesy of Pop Coffee Works Official Website.
I spotted a bag of Pop Coffee Works beans at 135 Ossington café, and purchased them on the spot.
These beautifully designed bags of coffee taste just as good as they look. The micro-roastery carefully curates beans that to ensure the best taste possible for their customers.
Another plus for me about Pop Coffee Works is their quick shipping times. For at-home brewing (especially during COVID self-isolation), this is a no-brainer!
Photo Courtesy of Pop Coffee Works official Facebook page..
4. STEREO COFFEE ROASTERS
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: Stereo Coffee Roasters (40 Cawthra Avenue)
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Stereo Coffee Roasters, Field Trip Café
If you haven’t heard of Stereo Coffee Roasters yet, turn up the volume!
This Toronto roastery is operated by Geoff Polci, who brings with him over 15 years of experience in the coffee business (and that’s not counting his years before as a coffee aficionado).
As a roastery, Stereo prides itself on bringing out the best from each individual coffee they produce. This is evident in the final product. Each of the coffee beans that I have tried have their own unique taste profiles that, frankly, are far more complex and delightful than one would expect from an affordable crafter.
Although I may not be as skilled a barista or coffee producer as Geoff (major, major understatement), the symphony of flavours I am able to produce from the cups I brew at home are undeniable.
If you’re unable to have a cup roasted at Stereo, absolutely buy some of their coffee beans for your home setup. These roasts prove that passion and expertise are truly the key ingredients in a good bag of beans. Highly recommended!
5. De Mello Palheta
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: De Mello Palheta (2489 Yonge Street)
Toronto Purchasing Centre: De Mello Palheta (2489 Yonge Street), Ninetails Coffee Bar (651 Bloor Street West)
Photo Courtesy of De Mello Palheta Official Website.
Even if you haven’t been to many Toronto cafés uptown, chances are you’ve still tried De Mello Palheta’s coffee beans.
As the suppliers for many cafés in the city, you can almost guarantee that any cup of coffee here will be well made. The coffee shop sells it’s own beans for those interested in roasting them at home.
During the coronavirus outbreak, De Mello Palheta is offering 20% off all online orders of their coffee beans with the code THANKYOU. Drinking good coffee at home just got easier.
Check out my other posts about De Mello Palheta for more information on this original café.
6. SETH TAYLOR coffee roasters
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: N/A
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Isle of Coffee, Boxcar Social (sometimes), Online
Photo Courtesy of Seth Taylor Official Website.
I discovered this fantastic coffee brand during a coffee cupping at Boxcar Social.
This speciality coffee roaster believes in offering full transparency in regards to how they source their coffee beans. They offer high-quality single origin beans that switch up depending on what’s in season. This ensures the highest caliber possible, every time. Bonus? They also roast to order, so freshness is a guarantee.
For those who want to mitigate their caffeine consumption without sacrificing the good ol’ taste of coffee, Seth Taylor makes excellent decafs. Their “Rotheca Project, Burundi” is one of my favourites!
If your tastebuds like to be tickled with something new and exciting, Seth Taylor is the way to go!
Photo Courtesy of Seth Taylors Official Facebook Page.
7. Subtext Coffee Roasters
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: Subtext Coffee (130 Cawthra Avenue)
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Subtext Coffee (130 Cawthra Ave), 135 Ossington (135 Ossington Avenue), Boxcar Social (1210 Yonge Street)
Photo Courtesy of Subtext Coffee Roasters Official Website.
Subtext Coffee Roasters are Torontonian micro-roasters who provide speciality coffee that is worth the price.
In their words, Subtext makes “deeply flavourful, terroir driven coffees”. This is a sentiment I mimic, and to which I can testify!
Something I admire about this Canadian roastery is that they don’t create blends, or dark roast coffees. They really care about the flavour notes in their coffee beans, and all of their production strives to showcase them.
If you are more adventurous with your coffee tastebuds, this is a must.
One of my favourite Subtext offerings is their “Costa Rica Volcán Azul, Natural Caturra”.
Be sure to give a try! It’s worth the splurge.
Photo Courtesy of Subtext Coffee Roasters Official Facebook Page.
8. Hatch Crafted
Location: Markham, ON
Café: 802 Cochrane Drive
Toronto Purchasing Centre: The Social Blend, 135 Ossington, Another Land Coffee
Photo Courtesy of Hatch Crafted Official Website.
This up-and-coming coffee roaster is popping up in cafés all across Canada, and with good reason.
Hatch Crafted works directly with coffee farmers, and source coffees from single origin farms. The company takes out the middleman, and takes pride in taking their time to select the highest quality beans available.
With a variety of beans available, it’s easy to find a bag of Hatch suited to your tastes.
My favourite Hatch Crafted beans are a tie between Damo and Santa Luzia.
Photo courtesy of Hatch Crafted official Facebook page.
9. Hale Coffee Company
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: Hale Coffee Roasters (300 Campbell Ave Unit #103)
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Hale Coffee Company (300 Campbell Ave Unit #103)
Photo Courtesy of Hatch Crafted Official Website.
Hale Coffee Company has a laid-back, cozy café downtown. This feeling is mimicked in their beans.
Overall, I’ve tried a number of Hale coffee beans, and I would say they’re consistent, and quite standard in regards to their taste.
These beans are good for people who are either new to roasting their own coffee beans at home, or who don’t enjoy ‘wildcard’-type flavour notes.
For a safe, crowd-pleasing choice, I would say give Hale Coffee a go. Their decaf is also great!
Photo Courtesy of Hale Official Website
10. Carbonic Coffee
Location: Toronto, ON
Café: Carbonic Coffee (37 Baldwin Street)
Toronto Purchasing Centre: Carbonic Coffee (37 Baldwin Street)
Photo courtesy of Carbonic Coffee official website.
Carbonic Coffee underwent a makeover in 2020, and along with it, they released their own roasted coffee beans!
Despite not having a large array of beans (yet), this micro-roastery offers a good selection of single-origin picks. My favourites include Costa Rica, and Ethiopia!
They often have great deals going on if you purchase more than one bag, so don’t be scared to stock up on them!
Photo courtesy of Carbonic Coffee official Facebook page.
THANK YOU FOR READING, LOVELY! Happy self-isolating!
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