John and Pat Curry

Buona Caffe Artisan Roasted Coffee

If The Joy of Coffee manual is ever written, John and Pat Curry will be its authors. And illustrators. And historians. And marketing agents.

For the unabashed coffee enthusiasts, beginning their fledging premium coffee company, Buona Caffe Artisan Roasted Coffee, was more about a couple who intentionally pursued their natural passion than it was about business. But their business is good. As coffee connoisseurs, the Currys had always enjoyed freshly roasted brews, which they generously shared with friends. But when those friends began asking if they could buy the coffee blends created by the pair, the Currys wondered if there was more to their hot cup of pleasure than a coffee break.

So using a small roaster that they purchased through eBay, the couple prepared and sent multiple sample bags to potential clients with a brief questionnaire, exploring what people look for in a great cup of Joe. The response pushed the part-time aficionados into full-time roasting, all in just a little more than two years. As the business grew, it didn’t take long for the orders to outpace the Currys’ tabletop-style roaster, which took all day to roast 20 pounds of beans. Now, with a steel drum roaster that fills half the room, they can roast 40 pounds of beans in an hour. Oh, the difference the right tools can make.

And it’s not just the roaster that impacts the final taste of coffee, the self-taught coffee brokers will tell you. It’s also in the brewing. One of the Currys’ favorite methods for brewing their coffee is using a plain glass beaker-looking device called a Chemex. The circa 1940s apparatus allows for more control over the extraction process where the grounds can percolate and the core of the brew is drawn out.

Bringing out the best in any bean comes down to time and temperature, they say. In terms of temperature, the raw beans are roasted at more than 400 degrees. And as for time, well let’s just say that setting aside a little extra is worth it. Coffee Curry-style is not merely about grabbing a cup while rushing out the door, briefcase or backpack in hand, on the way to somewhere else. Time is an essential ingredient in achieving a better coffee, they assure. Time to brew. Time to take in the fragrant aroma. Time to revel in the rich flavor.

With a selection from some of the best bean suppliers in Nicaragua, Brazil, Ethiopia and beyond, the light to dark roasts offered at Buona Caffe compel attention. If individual brews don’t stir you, perhaps a specialty blend will hit the spot. Using a wide variety beans, the couple also creates custom blends on request, including two local winners: Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Bravissimo and the Kroc Center’s Red Kettle.

On the wall of the Buona Caffe office hangs an empty 150-pound-size burlap bag once filled with raw greenish Nicaraguan beans. The flat woven burlap bag serves as a benchmark of the company’s growth. It was the first full large bag the Currys purchased of the gravelly looking beans, illustrating their commitment as real roasters. Says the coffee duo, “When you get to the point where you order this much, you know you are serious.”