A fragrant adventure: experience coffee at the Usedom roasting plant

Usedom is not just a vacation island where you can enjoy the sun. We took a closer look at the island’s culinary experiences and visited the Usedom roasting plant. Here you can experience the art of coffee roasting up close.

We embarked on a journey into the world of coffee and answered questions such as “How is coffee refined? What happens during the roasting process? And how do you make a perfect cup of coffee?”.

Where is the Usedom roasting plant located?

If you stroll along the streets looking for the Usedom roasting plant, you will search in vain. The coffee roasting plant is somewhat hidden in the SEETELHOTEL Pommerscher Hof in the seaside resort of Heringsdorf.

The hotel is just a few steps away from the long Baltic Sea beach and in the immediate vicinity of Usedom’s longest pier and the beautiful promenade. The building was originally built in 1865 and lovingly restored in 1994. This combination of historic façade and modern interior gives the hotel a very special charm.

The Pommerscher Hof is classified as a 3-star superior hotel and offers its guests 95 comfortable rooms. A special feature of the hotel is the conservatory, which is a popular meeting place in the area. It offers a cozy atmosphere for guests who want to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

From green coffee to aromatic beans: how does the roasting process work?

The green coffee that is processed at the Usedom roasting plant comes from the best growing regions in the world, including countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia and Brazil. But before the green beans become fragrant coffee beans, they have to undergo a precise roasting process – this is where craftsmanship meets precision. Because even if you work with machines, every bean and every roasting process is different.

First, we get an explanation of the roasting process:

The green coffee is slowly placed in a drum roasting machine, which is heated to around 200 to 220 degrees Celsius. This slow heating is important in order to fully develop the natural aromas of the beans.

During the bean roasting process, a chemical reaction takes place, known as the Maillard reaction. This produces the characteristic roasted and caramel notes that make coffee so irresistible.

After around 8 to 12 minutes, you will hear a slight cracking sound. This is the moment when the bean breaks open due to the heat and its structure changes. At this point, you need a sure instinct and a lot of experience. The perfect time to cool the beans must be determined for each coffee blend, each bean and each desired degree of roast.

The beans are then immediately cooled with air to stop the roasting process and preserve the aromas.

The result is a variety of roasting profiles, from mild and fruity to dark and strong, which are combined to create individual coffee varieties at the Usedomer Röstwerk.

From the bean to perfect preparation

Not only roasting, but also the right preparation is crucial to exploit the full potential of the coffee bean. The Usedomer Röstwerk also teaches you how to best prepare your favorite coffee.

We have tried so many different types of coffee. Whether it’s “cheap coffee” from a discounter or fine coffee from a small producer, whether it’s ground coffee or whole beans – it’s hard to find your favorite blend. Sometimes you think you’ve discovered “the” coffee and the very next day it doesn’t taste so good. It’s not just your own daily form, but also the preparation that changes the coffee.

Here are a few tips for the perfect cup of coffee:

1. Choose the right bean: Light roasts are particularly good for filter coffee, while darker roasts are ideal for espresso.
2. Freshness is everything: Always grind the beans fresh. Coffee that has already been ground quickly loses its aroma.
3. Use the right water: Using soft, filtered water is ideal. Water that is too hard can distort the taste.
4. Pay attention to the quantity: A good ratio is about 60 grams of coffee per liter of water.

Try out different preparation methods: Whether classic filter coffee, French press, espresso machine or pour over – each method produces different flavor nuances.

Have we found our perfect coffee blend? There are already blends that suit our taste very well. But we like to experiment and try things out from time to time.

Coffee from the Usedom roasting plant

Of course, we also tried the coffee from Usedomer Röstwerk. Two varieties really hit the spot for me.

The winter coffee is somewhat unusual. Here, the coffee beans are flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla and orange zest during the roasting process. I find this very successful, because before I had even tasted a sip, I breathed in the Christmassy, wintery smell, which put me in a very special mood. Snuggled up in a blanket with a book in my hand and then, best of all, a view of the beach on Usedom – for me, enjoyment and relaxation with just one breath and one sip. The coffee tasted good too. Soft, round, low in bitterness and wonderfully full-bodied for my taste. I immediately treated myself to a second cup.

The second coffee blend from Usedomer Röstwerk that I liked is made from 100% Arabica beans from Peru. The single origin blend has a slightly earthy and chocolaty taste. The roast level is described as “medium” on the packet, which makes the coffee slightly stronger. For me, this was the perfect morning coffee with the “hello wake-up effect”.

In addition to these two types of coffee, we also tried the Single Origin blend with beans from Ethiopia, the Crema blend with beans from Nicaragua and Brazil, the filter coffee with Nicaraguan beans and the Espresso blend (80% Arabica and 20% Robusta) with coffee beans from India, Honduras, Colombia and Nicaragua. We also liked them.

However, as everyone’s taste is different, here’s our tip: just try it out! First buy smaller sample bags with quantities (usually around 80 g) that are enough for a few cups. Take your time to test which coffee suits your taste. Only buy a larger quantity of the blend when you have found your coffee blend.

Why should you visit the Usedomer Röstwerk?

A visit to Usedomer Röstwerk is a journey into the world of coffee. Not only can you buy the coffee here, but you can also take part in a guided tour of the roastery and learn a lot about coffee.

You can find more detailed information and, above all, the dates here.

And who knows, maybe there will be a coffee to drink too!

Address:

Seestraße 41
17424 Seebad Heringsdorf

The visit to the Usedom roasting plant took place as part of a research trip with Usedom Tourism.