The Story
Manhattan Coffee Roasters was established in 2017 by Esther Maasdam and Ben Morrow in the harbor city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands . The name Manhattan is inspired by the history of the Holland-America line that sailed from Rotterdam to Manhattan in the 19th Century, and Esther and Ben have over 30 years of combined experience in the coffee industry, building their relationship over many years meeting up at competitions . They first met at a Latte Art smackdown and continued to compete against and with each other for years .
The duo set up their roastery focusing on mind blowing and exceptional coffees, unique and small lots with close cooperation with producers. With a combined experience of more than 30 years in the coffee industry and many competitions under their belt, they’re now focusing all their drive on sharing competition coffees with the world . At their roastery you’ll find a jam-packed trophy cabinet containing many years worth of awards including multiple Latte Art competitions, Cup Tasters and Coffee Masters titles .
The roastery has evolved dramatically since its inception. Their roasting operation started in a much smaller facility, but by 2023, they moved to a nearly 1,000-square-meter space . It includes a vast production floor, quality control lab, training rooms, and even dedicated space for collaborative projects .
Sourcing & Relationships
Manhattan forges partnerships with producers who champion sustainable practices from cultivation to processing . They source coffee by way of direct trade partnerships as well as through trusted importers, and are committed to a healthy future for the coffee industry through their cooperation, partnership, and investment with farmers, producers and community leaders around the world .
The roastery has cultivated particularly notable relationships with several key producers. Diego Bermudez, owner of El Paraiso farm in Cauca, Colombia , has become one of their most celebrated partners. Diego is an absolute genius when it comes to advanced methodology in coffee processing, using carefully selected local micro bio-organisms to influence the coffee during fermentation instead of relying on the random microbial load from the natural biome . About 12 months ago, they reached out to Diego Bermudez to commission a special batch of high quality coffee developed specifically for Manhattan Coffee Roasters .
Manhattan have long-standing buying arrangements with estates and specialty exporters where they pay above Fairtrade prices. They are focused on trade which offers community support & purchase coffee from Rebero Farm, processed at the Kinni washing station, which was set up solely to fund the community and bring more money to the region. This project has built roads, 12 schools and countless other investments . They are working toward a relationship with Jansens and hope to have coffee from them year-round .
Roasting Philosophy
Manhattan’s roasting approach has undergone significant evolution while maintaining their commitment to exceptional quality. They roast on a refurbished 1950s Probat Lg12 that Ben had customized with pt1000 probes that measure Air, Bean and Environmental temperature to ensure complete accuracy, control and consistency every roast . However, at the heart of production is their striking pink Typhoon roaster, a fluid bed machine that replaced their original Probat L12. The shift from gas to a fully electric system represents both a technological and environmental upgrade .
According to Esther, “Electricity gives us a cleaner roast and a cleaner conscience.” The Typhoon’s convective roasting allows for consistent results with a remarkably clean flavour profile . Ben, although his cowboy days are behind him, is still very much a maverick and has created somewhat of a cult following with an innovative approach to roasting and an unapologetic drive for better coffee. It’s all blood and sweat, Ben roasts every batch at Manhattan and is also the lead man when it comes to green acquisition, buying and planning .
Behind every roast is Denys, the head roaster and a mechanical engineer by trade. Together with Ben, who focuses on sourcing and profiling, they’ve created a systematic approach to production. Each coffee has a unique, pre-tested profile that can be activated with the touch of a button—allowing the team to execute flawless roasts with consistency .
What to Try
Manhattan has developed a sophisticated categorization system that helps customers navigate their offerings. Recognising the confusion consumers face when it comes to pricing and quality, they’ve introduced a category-based system: Specialty, Rare, Exceptional, Competition, and World Class . This structure allows customers to understand exactly what level of coffee they’re purchasing and why it’s priced accordingly.
Their signature Diego Bermudez series represents some of the most innovative processing work in contemporary coffee. The return of one of the all-time favourites from the master of processing, Diego Bermudez, resulted in a coffee he requested be named after his eldest daughter Luna . The sheer integration of flavour from the processing stage in combination with the natural aspect of Cauca geisha have created a delightful layered experience. This coffee comes in waves of flavour from blueberry to yellow peach and custard .
For seasonal offerings, they selected a fantastic SL-28 from Edelweiss in Tanzania for their holiday coffee. They have always loved the coffees being produced by Neel and the Finagro/Edelweiss team and believe they are a great display of what Tanzanian coffees are all about . Their Ethiopian offerings include Bombe Mikicho, Setami - a fantastic release of Ethiopian filter coffee. The producers of Bombe live high in the lush and lovely Bombe mountain valley. Like the other coffees from this site, the Bombe coffees always stand out on the cupping table .