‘Like popcorn,’ Local coffee roaster has unique method for dark roast

WASCO CO. — Suze Riley, sole proprietor of Maupin Coffee Co., really does it all.

“I’m the roaster, the packer, and designer and the delivery girl,” Riley said, and on top of that, she’s a Realtor, a motorcyclist, and became very involved with the Maupin Chamber of Commerce during COVID.

Riley is passionate about making a beautifully roasted, ethical product for her customers. She uses an air roaster rather than a traditional drum roaster, which allows her beans to roast darker without burning against the barrel of the drum; it’s usually what prevents other types of roasters from getting the beans as dark as Riley prefers.

“In Portland, we’ve got hundreds of roasters who are drum roasting, but roasting light to medium, because they’re all trying to stay away from burn, which means you never get that full, full espresso taste,” she said.

Riley took over Maupin Coffee Co. from a couple she used to buy beans from herself. When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated prepared food safety standards for roasters, the previous owners — who had been running it from their garage — weren’t interested in adding a triple sink set up and the other requirements.

“Well, I’ll buy it,” said Riley, who got herself set up in the old Maupin city and now occupies the mayor’s former office (where she also produces another brand, Bold, a roast that predominantly sells to her fellow motorcyclist clientele).

“Roasting in Maupin is absolutely optimal because we are a very, very dry atmosphere here,” said Riley. This is ideal for storing and processing the green beans because she never has to worry about mold or other creepy crawlies, which can be a concern in other climates. With clean, sealable tubs, Riley’s set up is efficient and perfect for her small batch, roasted-to-order model.

“As long as they’ve been shipped to you in a good condition,” Riley said, “it’s really, really easy to keep them in a good condition.”

Riley is passionate about making sure her product is produced ethically.

“Four years ago, I didn’t know any of that stuff,” said Riley, describing that she’s learned about time frames, harvests, farmers and their infrastructure, alongside the Swiss Water Process —which is the only chemical-free way to decaffeinate beans, and the only method she’d buy.

During the pandemic, Riley would do doorstep delivery so people didn’t have to worry about contamination, “so I got to know pretty much everybody, and I still know pretty much everybody and I love that,” she said. Despite the distance, Riley still makes a round of deliveries in Portland every Friday and takes pride in shipping out each order quickly.

“You put an order in online, I see it come in, I roast and then if you’re doing a local pickup, then I will text you and tell you when it’s available,” said Riley. “I’ll ship it absolutely anywhere in the contiguous [U.S.], and it’s fast.” An order can come in on Monday, and be in the coffee pot on Thursday.

This year so far has been the biggest year Riley has seen, and she’s excited to continue providing the quality that originally made her say, “Oh my God, this stuff is the sh-t.”

Orders can be made at maupincoffee.com, and customers can pick from a number of blends all named after rapids and campgrounds along the Deschutes River.