DialInLog Roaster Library
176+ specialty espresso roasters with tasting notes, starting dose/yield ratios, brew temperature guidance, and origin information. Browse by region below. Full-text search is in the app.
Roasters by Region
176+ roasters organized by geography. Region matters — PNW roasters trend lighter, East Coast more transparent, and international producers often push further into light-roast territory than US counterparts.
US Pacific Northwest
28 roastersIncludes: Stumptown Coffee, Coava, Olympia Coffee, Heart Coffee, Water Avenue
The PNW is where much of the third-wave espresso movement took shape. Roasters here tend toward medium-light profiles with fruit-forward acidity. Stumptown's Hair Bender is one of the most-referenced blends in the database — a touchstone for dialing in ratio-first. Olympia Coffee entries include notes on their micro-lot sourcing and the higher brew temps their lighter roasts often need.
US East Coast
32 roastersIncludes: Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, George Howell, Onyx, Madcap
East Coast specialty roasters include some of the most technically rigorous producers in the US. Counter Culture's approach to transparency gives DialInLog users a reference point for shot quality expectations. George Howell entries stand out for Ethiopian naturals that behave differently under pressure than their washed counterparts — faster extraction, sweeter at the same yield.
US South & Midwest
22 roastersIncludes: Onyx Coffee Lab, PT's Coffee, Revelator, Odd Otter, Kaldi's
A growing specialty scene with roasters like Onyx producing competition-level espresso in Arkansas. Regional roasters here often source distinctively — Ethiopian naturals, Kenyan washed lots, Honduran anaerobic — and the database reflects those sourcing patterns in tasting notes. Onyx's Geometry blend entry includes the higher ratio (1:2.5) that works better than a standard 1:2 for their profile.
International
40 roastersIncludes: Square Mile (UK), Tim Wendelboe (Norway), Five Elephant (Germany), Proud Mary (Australia), Nomad (Spain)
International specialty roasters represent a different dialing philosophy — lighter roasts, longer extractions, higher ratios. Scandinavian-influenced roasters like Tim Wendelboe include notes on the higher brew temperatures (204–206°F) often needed for their ultra-light profiles. Square Mile entries reflect their systematic, documentation-heavy approach to espresso recipe development.
High-Volume & Accessible
24 roastersIncludes: Blue Bottle, Peet's Espresso, La Colombe, Caribou Coffee, Equator
Well-distributed roasters with consistent year-round offerings. Blue Bottle's Three Africas and Bella Donovan appear frequently in DialInLog shot logs precisely because they're consistent enough to build reliable recipes around. Good for benchmarking your machine and grinder — a stable reference roast is more useful than a rotating single-origin when you're validating equipment changes.
Natural Process Specialists
30 roastersIncludes: Passenger Coffee, Brandywine Coffee, Populace, Driftaway, La Cabra
Natural and anaerobic coffees behave differently under pressure than washed coffees. They extract faster, run sweeter at the same dose/yield, and often benefit from lower brew temps to avoid fermented or boozy over-extraction. The database notes process type prominently for every entry. Anaerobic naturals in particular need a different starting point — entries include the adjusted starting ratios that work.
Library updated regularly. Custom roaster entries can be added in the app for any roaster not listed.
Four principles that save wasted shots
Most espresso problems come from changing too many variables at once, or optimizing for the wrong target. These four rules fix that.
Start with ratio, then adjust time
A 1:2 ratio (18g in / 36g out) is a reliable starting point for most espresso blends. If the shot is too bitter, increase the yield toward 1:2.5. If it's sour or thin, drop toward 1:1.8. Don't change grind and ratio at the same time — you won't know which variable made the difference. Log each change separately.
Extraction time is a symptom, not a setting
Targeting 25–30 seconds is useful as a sanity check, not a goal. A 35-second shot at the right ratio and good flavor is a good shot. Chasing a time number by adjusting grind without tasting the result produces worse espresso, not better. Log the time — don't optimize for it directly.
Temperature changes flavor, not just speed
Most machines run 200–202°F. Lighter roasts often need 203–205°F to extract fully. Darker roasts run bitter at the same temp. If a shot tastes under-extracted at a 28-second pull and your ratio is right, try 2°F higher before going finer on the grind. Log both temp and result together.
Fresh beans dial in differently than rested beans
Beans off-roast (under 5 days) are gassy — shots channel, yields are inconsistent, and data is noisy. Most specialty espresso is best from day 7 to day 21 after roast. DialInLog's shot log includes a roast date field so you can track how your specific bag dials in across its rest window.
Extraction troubleshooting
Taste the shot first. Find the symptom. Fix one variable at a time.
| What you taste | Likely cause | What to adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, sharp, thin | Under-extraction | Grind finer, increase dose, or raise brew temp by 2°F |
| Bitter, harsh, dry finish | Over-extraction | Grind coarser, reduce dose, or lower brew temp by 2°F |
| Watery, no body | Yield too high | Reduce yield — stop the shot earlier |
| Thick, syrupy, one-note | Yield too low | Increase yield — let the shot run longer |
| Spurting or inconsistent flow | Channeling | Improve distribution and puck prep, check grind uniformity |
| Shot finishes under 20 seconds | Grind too coarse | Go finer in small increments, one click at a time |
Search the full library. Log every shot.
The DialInLog app has all 176+ roasters with full-text search, plus a shot log with dose, yield, time, and rating. Build a recipe for every bag you dial in. Free to download. $6.99 one-time for the full log.
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