Recently updated on January 22nd, 2020 at 08:31 pm
In recent years, San Francisco has become known across the globe for its abundance of exceptional coffee bars and artisanal coffee roasters. Throughout each of the city’s neighbourhoods, these cool cafes are drawing people in with the aroma of freshly roasted, sustainably sourced coffee beans. Within this vibrant café scene, there are a handful of standout spots for that perfect brew – here’s where to find the best coffee roasters in San Francisco.
At Sightglass Coffee, as much importance is placed on the story behind the coffee as it is on the aroma and taste, with beans sourced directly from the origin before being roasted to meticulous perfection. What began as a small coffee cart has since grown to become a thriving roaster and coffee bar.
Four Barrel Coffee, meanwhile, now has three outlets, each within San Francisco, serving up coffee made from beans that have been sourced from farmers and mill-workers in Latin America, East Africa and Indonesia. Discovered through months of each year spent travelling to the very source, these beans are roasted in a vintage coffee roaster that was brought over from Germany for its unrivalled quality. In addition to serving up great coffee, Four Barrel Coffee hosts classes such as Brewing Better Coffee at Home, and Coffee and Chocolate.
The roaster and café Ritual Coffee Roasters first opened its doors in 2005, dedicated to providing customers with the very best cup of coffee. Now, there are five locations, four of which are in San Francisco. With its distinctive logo – a coffee cup-meets-hammer and sickle – and its emphasis on sourcing beans from individual coffee farmers, the roaster’s coffee bars have become exceptionally popular among San Franciscans.
With Andrew Barnett, the judge of both the Cup of Excellence and the World Barista Championship behind it, Linea Caffe is unsurprisingly one of the best coffee roasters in San Francisco. Based in the Mission District, this coffee bar sources and roasts beans from coffee farms around the world, with the aim of introducing people to these global flavours. Stop by the café for a brewed-to-cup coffee or espresso.
Situated in the Outer Sunset neighbourhood, Andytown Coffee Roasters focuses on serving specialty coffee sourced from farmers around the world and house-baked pastries. Expect interesting blends like Ethiopia Natural Misty Valley and Guatemala San Lorenzo, served in a warm, inviting space.
ArtÃs Coffee differs from the city’s other coffee roasters in that customers see the beans roasted right there before them in transparent Live-Roast tubes. Choose from a selection of coffees like Kimel Estates Peaberry from Papua New Guinea, or Malawi Mzuzu, then take a seat in the coffee bar – three cafes are situated in California, and another is in Bangkok – or perhaps catch one the events, like a coffee tasting or brew demo.
Finally, seek out Wrecking Ball Roasters in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighbourhood for their sustainably sourced, expertly roasted specialty coffee. Choose from a selection of brewed coffee, espresso and pourover coffee, best savoured in Wrecking Ball Roasters’ beautifully designed interiors.
 Visit San Francisco with Trafalgar and sample the city’s best coffee on the San Francisco and Wine Delights trip, California Dreamin’, The Californian, Western Discoverer, Northern California, and Adventures in the Wild Northwest.
Image credits: Cover photo, courtesy of Four Barrel Coffee © Eric Wolfinger. Food and drink at Andytown Coffee Roasters © Peter Cochrane. The interior of Four Barrel Coffee © Eric Wolfinger. Coffee preparation at Four Barrel Coffee © Eric Wolfinger. Sightglass Coffee from above © Michael Oneal. Black and white interior of Four Barrel Coffee © Jeremy Tooker.