Roast Magazine
Roast Magazine is a privately held, Portland-based trade media company founded in 2004 that publishes a bi-monthly technical magazine, Daily Coffee News, podcast, books, and Summit events for the global specialty coffee roasting industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Roast Magazine does
Roast Magazine is a privately held, Portland-based trade media company serving the specialty coffee industry. Founded in 2004 and operated by publisher Connie Blumhardt with a team of 1-10, the company publishes a bi-monthly (six issues per year) technical trade magazine covering the art, science, and business of coffee roasting. Core products include the print and digital Roast Magazine subscription ($30-$80/year), the Daily Coffee News website (launched 2012), the Roast Podcast, and a portfolio of specialty coffee books including The Book of Roast (Volumes 1 and 2), Green Coffee, Cheap Coffee, and Coffee Covered.
The business operates a multi-revenue-stream model combining recurring subscriptions, single-issue and back-issue sales, book and merchandise e-commerce, advertising across print, web, newsletter and social channels, and event registrations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer globally with free shipping on subscriptions, complemented by a licensed translation and distribution partnership with Giesen Korea (since 2011) that reaches 1,050 copies bimonthly. The Roast Summit event franchise (Portland and Chicago in 2026, Melbourne in 2027) and the annual Roaster of the Year awards program (20th annual in 2024) anchor an ecosystem that also includes a coffee industry job board and directory. The core technology is a standard digital magazine and e-commerce platform with no proprietary AI or API layers; the 132-issue editorial archive (2004-2025) is itself a productized asset, sold as a $275 USB bundle.
Roast Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Roast Magazine
- Legal name
- Roast Magazine
- Website
- https://roastmagazine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Roast Magazine is a privately held, Portland-based trade media company founded in 2004 that publishes a bi-monthly technical magazine, Daily Coffee News, podcast, books, and Summit events for the global specialty coffee roasting industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Roast Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Trade Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF)
Keywords
Where Roast Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Roast Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from print and digital magazine subscriptions, published six times per year.
- Single Issue Sales: Individual magazine issues sold as print or digital copies.
- Books and Publications: Published books including The Book of Roast (Volumes 1 and 2), Green Coffee, Cheap Coffee, Coffee Covered.
- Events: Roast Summit event registrations and associated programming.
- Advertising: Print and digital advertising across magazine, website, newsletter, social media, and events.
- Merchandise: Apparel (t-shirts, baseball shirts), wall calendars, fire prevention posters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | One-Year Print Subscription - United States |
| Subscription | Annual | One-Year Print Subscription - Canada |
| Subscription | Annual | One-Year Print Subscription - International |
| Subscription | Annual | One-Year Digital Only Subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Two-Year Print Subscription - United States |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Two-Year Print Subscription - Canada |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Two-Year Print Subscription - International |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Two-Year Digital Only Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issue |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Book of Roast: Volume 1 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Book of Roast: Volume 2 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Covered Book |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cheap Coffee Book |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Green Coffee Book |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Roast Summit Registration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2004-2025 USB Bundle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Roast Baseball Shirt |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Caffeine Molecule T-Shirt |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Roast 2026 Wall Calendar |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Roast Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Roast Magazine publishes a bi-monthly technical trade magazine dedicated to the specialty coffee industry, covering the art, science, and business of coffee roasting. The company distributes print and digital subscriptions (six issues per year), operates the Daily Coffee News online portal, runs the Roast Podcast, and produces the Roast Summit conferences plus the annual Roaster of the Year Award program. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions, advertising across print/digital/event properties, book and merchandise sales, and event registration fees.
Product overview
Roast Magazine operates as a multi-platform media company serving the specialty coffee industry with print and digital publishing products, events, and educational resources. The core offering is Roast Magazine, a bi-monthly technical trade journal covering the art, science, and business of coffee roasting, published six times per year. The company extends its reach through Daily Coffee News (online news), the Roast Podcast (audio content), and Roast Summit events. Publications include The Book of Roast (Volumes 1 & 2), Green Coffee: A Guide for Roasters and Buyers, Cheap Coffee, and Coffee Covered. Merchandise includes wall calendars and apparel. The company also offers issue bundles (yearly compilations of all six issues) and a 2004-2025 USB Digital Reprint containing all historical issues. International distribution includes Roast Korea. Resources include a Coffee Job Board and Industry Directory. Subscriptions are available in 1-year, 2-year, print, and digital-only formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Roast Magazine (Print & Digital) A bi-monthly technical trade magazine dedicated to the specialty coffee industry, covering the art, science, and business of coffee roasting with high-quality editorial. Published six times per year with print and digital subscription options; current issue is Issue 136 (July/August 2026).
- Daily Coffee News An online news platform for specialty coffee professionals providing breaking news, in-depth feature stories, and insider columns. Operating continuously since 2012 as the digital editorial arm of Roast Magazine.
- Roast Podcast Audio content featuring interviews with scientists, subject matter experts, and professionals from across the coffee industry, covering the latest research and insights. Distributed on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
- Roast Summit Industry conferences bringing together coffee roasting professionals for education, networking, and workshops. Editions include Roast Summit Portland 2026 (October 1-2, 2026), Roast Summit Chicago 2026, and Roast Summit Melbourne 2027 (March 2-3, 2027). Registration priced at $100-$150 per pass.
- The Book of Roast: Volume 2 A nearly 500-page curated collection of articles from Roast magazine covering coffee production, evaluation, sourcing, and roasting techniques. Expands on concepts from Volume 1.
- The Book of Roast: Volume 1 A nearly 500-page compilation covering the history of coffee roasting, coffee production, science of roasting, roasting techniques, and basics of running a coffee roasting business.
- Green Coffee: A Guide for Roasters and Buyers A comprehensive resource about unroasted coffee by Chris Kornman, covering history, processing methods, sourcing practices, analysis, and roasting guidance.
- Cheap Coffee: Behind the Curtain of the Global Coffee Trade A book by Karl Wienhold explaining the economics, mechanics, and power structures defining the coffee industry, synthesizing academic literature and expert interviews.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20+ years of continuous publication
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Roast Magazine
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Roast Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Roast Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Giesen KoreacorePartnership since 2011 to translate, print and circulate Roast magazine in Korea. Giesen Korea facilitates distribution with over 1,050 total circulation (500+ paid subscribers and 550 bookstore bimonthly sales). Giesen Korea is a trusted partner described as part of the Roast family.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Roast Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tea & Coffee Trade Journal: Long-running trade publication covering the tea and coffee industries with print magazine, digital editions, and industry news. Directly comparable to Roast Magazine as a trade periodical serving coffee/tea professionals, with overlapping coverage of roasting, sourcing, and equipment.
- Fresh Cup Magazine: Trade publication covering specialty coffee and tea professionals with print magazine, digital content, and events. Directly comparable as a specialty-coffee periodical serving roasters, baristas, and café operators with editorial and live-event monetization.
- Sprudge Media Network: Leading specialty coffee online news and editorial network covering coffee professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. Closely comparable to Roast's Daily Coffee News vertical, with a shared audience of roasters and baristas and a content-driven, ad-supported business model.
- Perfect Daily Grind: Global coffee industry news and information platform serving producers, roasters, baristas, and consumers. Directly comparable to Roast's editorial and news properties in specialty coffee, with overlapping advertising and content monetization in the same niche.
- Coffee Review: Specialty coffee review and editorial site publishing tasting notes and rankings of green and roasted coffees. Comparable to Roast Magazine as a specialty-coffee editorial authority with a content-led, advertising-supported model targeting roasters and serious enthusiasts.
- Barista Magazine: Trade magazine for the specialty coffee and barista community with print, digital, and event components (including the Barista League). Closely comparable to Roast as a sibling coffee trade periodical serving an overlapping but slightly more barista-leaning audience.
Broad incumbents
- Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): The primary global trade association for specialty coffee, producing educational content, certifications, and major events (e.g., Specialty Coffee Expo). Comparable to Roast as the dominant industry-body competitor for audience attention, advertiser spend, and event revenue in specialty coffee.
- Beverage Daily (William Reed): B2B media brand covering beverages including coffee, owned by William Reed. Comparable to Roast Magazine as a broader-scope trade media outlet serving coffee industry professionals with news, reports, and advertising opportunities.
Emerging players
- Coffee Intelligence: Subscription-based coffee industry intelligence and research service covering market data, analysis, and news for coffee professionals. Comparable to Roast as a paid coffee-business information product targeting roasters, traders, and retailers, though positioned more as data/research than editorial.
Regional players
- Bean Scene Magazine: Australian specialty coffee trade magazine with print and digital editions, plus industry events. Comparable to Roast as a specialty-coffee trade periodical with events, but focused on the Australian and Asia-Pacific market rather than North America.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Roast Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceRoast Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Roast Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Roast Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Roast Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Roast Magazine
What does Roast Magazine do?
Roast Magazine publishes a bi-monthly technical trade magazine dedicated to the specialty coffee industry, covering the art, science, and business of coffee roasting. The company distributes print and digital subscriptions (six issues per year), operates the Daily Coffee News online portal, runs the Roast Podcast, and produces the Roast Summit conferences plus the annual Roaster of the Year Award program. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions, advertising across print/digital/event properties, book and merchandise sales, and event registration fees.
Is Roast Magazine a public or private company?
Roast Magazine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Roast Magazine founded?
Roast Magazine was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Roast Magazine based?
Roast Magazine is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Roast Magazine make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are single Issue Sales, books and Publications, events, advertising and merchandise.
Who are Roast Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, Fresh Cup Magazine, Sprudge Media Network, Perfect Daily Grind, Coffee Review and Barista Magazine. Broad incumbents are Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Beverage Daily (William Reed). Coffee Intelligence is listed as an emerging player. Bean Scene Magazine is listed as a regional player.
Does Roast Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Roast Magazine.
What industry is Roast Magazine in?
Roast Magazine's product category is Specialty Coffee Trade Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAF, Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.