Coffee Laboratory Services
Developing the best-tasting and highest-quality coffee takes expertise, sharp taste buds, and a modern facility that can provide comprehensive lab testing services.
Joe’s Garage Coffee is the premier private-label coffee company specializing in roasting and packaging products for businesses. We provide a range of lab services, including coffee color analysis, grind particle analysis, and other useful tests like sensory reporting to ensure you have the data you need to create consistent blends.
Why Choose Joe’s Garage Coffee Lab Services?
With more than 20 years of experience in the specialty coffee Industry, we have produced a wide range of products for happy clients worldwide. Joe’s Garage Coffee works with companies ranging from growing startups to well-established brands — no matter your business’s size, we can meet your unique requirements.
When you choose our coffee lab services, you get access to a team of experts who can help you increase the quality of your product. You’ll receive their support throughout the entire process.
Our state-of-the-art facility spans 50,000 square feet and is equipped with advanced technology and efficient machinery. Joe’s Garage Coffee can carry out lab requests, both big and small, to a meticulous standard while maintaining fast turnaround times.
We pride ourselves on meeting the highest quality assurance standards. Our facility is registered and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. We have also received certifications from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Kosher Check, and Fair Trade Certified.
Our Comprehensive Coffee Lab Services
Explore our coffee lab services below.
Roast Color Analysis
Knowing your ideal roast color is crucial to producing a superior blend. The color of your roasted beans determines the flavor profile of your coffee. Our coffee color analysis services can help you achieve a roast that brings out your beans’ delicious tastes and aromas. Send us a sample, and we will examine it using a special machine to determine its exact roast color.
This machine reflects a laser light onto a sample of your coffee beans and assigns what is called an Agtron Gourmet or Commercial score, which accurately represents your perfect roast. These scores generally range from around 25 to 85 — the smaller the number, the darker the roast. Readings from about 50 to 55 are typically considered a medium to medium-light roast.
The main benefit of sending your beans in for coffee color analysis is to obtain your Agtron score for ease of repeatable roast performance. This number allows you to have a consistent batch every time. Your roaster can use this data to achieve perfection, regardless of who does the roasting. If you allow Joe’s Garage Coffee, or any other contract roaster, to roast your beans for you, you can use your Agtron score to ensure you’re getting what you pay for.
Grind Particle Size Analysis
The size of the grind particle dramatically affects the coffee’s flavor when brewed. Finer particles produce strong and bitter flavors, releasing many complex agents during the brew. Larger and coarser coffee grinds often have a smoother, more rounded flavor. Choosing our particle size analysis service will help you discover the optimal grind for your beans.
Our coffee laboratory uses leading technology to obtain quantifiable data on which we base our grind size recommendation. An essential piece of machinery we utilize is the laser diffraction particle size analyzer. This machine plots the results of the data on a graph called a grind particle distribution curve. This graph shows the average particle size, the largest, and the smallest.
Some beans require an extremely precise curve to achieve the desired brew. With your coffee grind analysis data, you can ensure your grind meets specific standards. We can also share this information with any contract manufacturer who grinds your coffee beans for you.
Additional Lab Services
We also offer the following lab services:
- Oxygen content measurement. Exposure to oxygen can cause coffee to go stale much quicker. To preserve its freshness, flavor, and shelf life, you can package your coffee in nitrogen-flushed packaging with a high oxygen barrier. Testing the oxygen content of your product can give you peace of mind that your packaging materials and methods are working as intended.
- Brewed beverage extraction analysis. Extraction refers to the percentage of dissolved coffee in a brewed cup. Under-extracted coffee can taste quite sour, whereas over-extracted coffee can taste bitter. The ideal extraction percentage depends on the type of coffee. Extraction analysis will determine the best percentage for your beans.
- Complete sensory report. Most coffee drinkers are highly selective, basing their purchasing decisions on a blend’s sensory characteristics. Evaluating your coffee’s sensory qualities will identify potential shortcomings in its aroma, taste, and appearance.
Benefits of Using Coffee Laboratory Services
Coffee is an intricate product, with many factors affecting its taste and longevity. When you invest in our lab services, you are investing in the success of your business. The benefits of using our coffee laboratory services include:
- Achieving consistency in product quality. Customers expect to experience the same product each time they repurchase a specific brand of coffee. Rigorous quality control measures, such as testing samples against certain specifications, will help you consistently produce high-quality coffee.
- Making better decisions. Collecting and reviewing your coffee’s data will enable you to make well-informed decisions and capitalize on opportunities to improve your product.
- Meeting industry standards. Besides receiving third-party analysis or verification from a trusted company in the industry, testing your coffee in our lab guarantees that you have the data to back up your standards.
Get Started with Joe’s Garage Coffee Lab Services
Eliminate the guesswork. Use Joe’s Garage Coffee’s lab services to get the data you need to ensure your customers have the perfect cup of coffee. With our services, you can achieve a consistent product that performs as expected.
Learn more about our coffee lab services today by speaking to our experts at 206-466-5579. You can also contact us online, and we’ll respond promptly.