Our Coffee Journey

From Coffee Lover to Roaster

My coffee journey started young—sneaking sips of my mum's decaf as a child, then graduating to proper cappuccinos as a teenager when Dad would take my brothers and me to his favorite cafés around the city. I watched him build friendships over espresso, chatting with café owners who knew his order by heart.

That's when I learned: coffee isn't just a drink. It's the social ritual that brings us together—whether we're on team calls, gathered in boardrooms, meeting at cafés, or just relaxing on the couch.

The 30-Year Quest for the Perfect Cup

Thirty years ago, I bought my first espresso machine. It was cheap, disappointing, and tasted nothing like the café coffee I loved. I upgraded to a Breville with a stainless steel boiler, then eventually to a Barista Express so I could grind my own beans.

But something was still off.

The single-wall filter basket wouldn't work at all—coffee would pour through in seconds, far from the recommended 30-second extraction. I tried every grind setting. Nothing helped.

The Game-Changing Discovery

Then I discovered the problem: supermarket coffee is too old.

Big-brand coffee sits on shelves for months, losing the natural oils that give coffee its body and flavor. When I finally tried freshly roasted beans from a local supplier, everything changed. The single-wall basket worked perfectly. The extraction time was spot-on. The flavor was completely different.

From that moment, I was hooked on fresh coffee.

Why I Started Roasting

I experimented with roasting my own beans in a popcorn maker (fun, but not ideal). Then I invested in a proper roaster, and Citrine Coffee Co. was born.

I source green beans from a large Australian distributor, buying select varieties as I can afford them—remember, I'm not trying to be the next Jeff Bezos! I'm a small-batch roaster who's passionate about helping fellow coffee lovers experience what I discovered: fresh coffee changes everything.

My Promise to You

• Roasted to order - Your coffee is roasted within days of shipping

• Competitive pricing - I've added a small margin for my time, but you'll find my prices very reasonable

• Honest operation - Small batches mean I rotate through different beans, keeping variety fresh and costs down

• Community over profit - When you buy from me, we both save money compared to retail, and you get better coffee

I update the website regularly with my latest roasts. Thanks for supporting a small, local roaster who genuinely loves what he does.

— Travis
Founder, Citrine Coffee Co.