Common Coffee Roasters

About Common Coffee Roasters

Common Coffee Roasters is a commercial coffee roastery and shared facility located within Orakei Bay Village in Auckland. Established by industry veterans Jordy Rimell, Chris Kastner, and Lara Rimell, Common operates on the belief that coffee improves when high-grade infrastructure, specialist equipment, and roasting expertise are shared openly across the coffee community.

Alongside contract roasting for hospitality groups and roastery hire for independent operators, the venue hosts exclusive, private group experiences and masterclasses led directly by professional roasters. From hands-on roasting on a sample roaster and commercial espresso extraction to guided multi-origin cupping sessions, Common offers visitors an unhurried, behind-the-scenes look at the technical craft of coffee production.

Inside Common Coffee Roasters: Auckland's Shared Commercial Roastery and Workshop

Located inside Orakei Bay Village alongside Ampersand Eatery, Common Coffee Roasters functions as both a busy commercial production plant and a dedicated educational space. Founded by a team with decades of combined experience across green bean sourcing, brand management, and specialty coffee roasting, the venture was designed to remove traditional barriers to entry in the coffee industry by making professional-grade equipment and knowledge available to everyone.

At the core of the operation are director Jordy Rimell, operations manager and head roaster Chris Kastner, and financial controller Lara Rimell. Together, they have built an infrastructure that supports contract roasting clients, independent operators hiring machine time, and curious coffee lovers looking to understand how green beans transform into the cup they drink every morning.

A Rare Glimpse Into Commercial Roasting

Unlike standard retail cafes, Common opens the doors to its working production floor for fully private group bookings. Visitors do not share the venue with other parties; instead, bookings secure private access led directly by the roasters who run the machinery daily.

The roastery floor houses commercial production equipment, including a Probat P25 roaster, as well as dedicated sample roasting stations, a quality control lab, packaging facilities, and an upstairs barista training room. Throughout the week, groups take over these spaces to engage directly with the chemistry and sensory mechanics of coffee.

The Group Experience Options

Common structures visits into three primary formats depending on group size and interest level. For those wanting an in-depth, hands-on workshop, the three-hour *From green to cup* session splits guests across roasting and barista stations. Each participant operates a sample roaster—managing heat adjustments, monitoring development curves, and calling the end of the roast—before moving to commercial espresso machines to dial in grind, dose, and milk texturing. The session concludes with a traditional coffee cupping and participants bagging and labelling a 100g sample to take home.

For larger teams and corporate offsites, *Behind the roast* runs as an integrated two-hour tour where guests witness a live production batch on the commercial Probat roaster and taste an array of origins, walking away with a fresh 250g bag. Meanwhile, the one-hour *A coffee tasting* offers a comparative sensory flight of six to eight distinct origins and roast styles, designed much like a structured wine tasting.

Demystifying Coffee Cupping

A central component of any visit to Common is learning to cup coffee like an industry professional. Rather than relying on complicated jargon, the team walks guests through simple sensory evaluation, exploring aroma, acidity, body, and tasting notes side by side in an approachable, social setting. Whether booking an end-of-year team gathering or diving into roast foundations, visitors leave with a deep practical understanding of the craftsmanship behind their daily brew.

Signature items

• From green to cup Experience
• Behind the roast Tour
• Guided Coffee Tasting
• Probat P25 Production Roast
• Sample Roaster Session

Menu

Add-Ons

• Custom-labelled coffee — Branded labels added to take-home coffee bags for corporate groups and private events.

Beverages

• Espresso coffee — Freshly pulled espresso and textured milk beverages, featuring standard or oat milk options.

Group Experiences

• From green to cup — Comprehensive 3-hour private session where groups roast coffee on a sample roaster, learn espresso techniques, conduct a cupping, and package their own 100g bag.
• Behind the roast — A 2-hour private tour and live production roast demonstration on the Probat roaster followed by a guided multi-origin tasting, including 250g of coffee to take home.
• A coffee tasting — A 1-hour private introduction to roasting mechanics followed by a guided comparative tasting of six to eight different coffees.

Courses & Education

• Sample roasting 101 class — Focused class on roasting small batches using sample roasting equipment and profiling curves.
• Roasting foundations course — Foundational educational course covering core roasting concepts and techniques.

Roastery Hire & Services

• Roast your own (Roastery hire) — Access to commercial roasting machines and floor space for independent roasters.
• The lab — Dedicated cupping and sensory evaluation facility for coffee quality assessment.
• Training room — Equipped space dedicated to barista workflow and extraction training.
• Packing room — Specialised space fitted for packaging and finishing roasted coffee.
• Contract roasting — Commercial roasting services tailored for established brands and hospitality businesses.
• Green beans — Sourced green coffee beans available for roasting clients.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Common Coffee Roasters located?

The roastery is located at 4/228 Orakei Road, Orakei, Auckland, inside Orakei Bay Village next to Ampersand Eatery.

Are group experiences open to the public or shared with other groups?

All group sessions are private. Your group receives exclusive access to the roastery for the duration of the booking with no outside public or overlapping groups.

What footwear is required on site?

Because Common is an active commercial roastery with high-temperature equipment, closed-toe shoes are strictly required on the roastery floor. Open sandals and heels are not permitted.

Are the roastery experiences accessible?

The ground-floor roastery, including the tour area, roasting equipment, and tasting lab, is step-free and accessible. The upstairs training room used for the espresso segment of From green to cup is not step-free.

Do non-coffee drinkers enjoy the sessions?

Yes. The roasting and production process is mechanical and interesting regardless of coffee consumption, and tasting sessions can be experienced purely through aroma without swallowing.

Are dietary requirements catered for during barista sessions?

Yes. The barista station provides oat milk alongside dairy milk, accommodating common dairy-free preferences.

How far in advance should experiences be booked?

Booking two to three weeks in advance is recommended, particularly for specific weekday dates or morning slots.

Tips

• {"body":"Commercial health and safety rules apply on the active production floor; sandals, open toes, and high heels are not permitted.","title":"Wear closed-toe footwear"}
• {"body":"Morning slots are particularly recommended for sensory tasting and cupping sessions when palate perception is fresh.","title":"Aim for a morning booking"}
• {"body":"The roastery is tucked inside Orakei Bay Village right next to Ampersand Eatery, with easy parking available across the lot.","title":"Look out for Plant Barn and Ampersand"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Oat milk is provided alongside standard milk for espresso sessions.","parking":"Free parking is available directly outside the roastery or in front of the nearby Plant Barn.","accessibility":"Ground floor roastery and tasting lab are accessible; upstairs barista room is not step-free."}