Seven Hills Coffee was started with a Sivetz Coffee Roaster, 11 bags of coffee, and a whole lot of hope.
In 1986, Cincinnati natives Joe Morris (left) and Andy Timmerman (right) rented a small warehouse in Bond Hill and purchased a ¼ bag Sivetz Coffee Roasting Machine. Dissatisfied with the corporate world they had discovered in their 20s, the former college roommates yearned to create a company with a product and culture they could believe in.
In those early years, our fresh roasted coffee reached consumers through independent food co-ops and health food stores throughout the Midwest. As entrepreneurs like Peet’s Coffee began to spread the concept of the espresso based coffeehouse, our focus turned to providing the coffee and equipment needed to produce a uniquely sweet and creamy espresso. Later we added fine teas, Italian syrups, chai and other popular items to create a one-stop shop of coffee bar necessities.
In 1999, Seven Hills Coffee joined the sustainability movement, becoming one of the first Fair Trade certified coffee roasters in the country. Since then we have sold nearly 700,000 pounds of organic Fair Trade coffee, helping farmers and their families enjoy a better life through better wages and environmental stewardship.
Our guiding philosophy is that we succeed only when you succeed.
In sourcing our green coffee, we are directed by two priorities.
Never compromise on quality. Ever.
Over the last 30+ years, we have established and built upon relationships with some of the world’s top coffee importers and farmers. We are continually cupping and evaluating green coffee samples to ensure we offer only the best to our coffee partners.
Freshness starts at the beginning.
We strive to purchase all of our coffees at their peak of freshness after they are harvested. Our green coffees are bagged at origin in grain pro or ecotact bags to preserve their fresh cup character throughout the year.
We roast differently than the rest.
At Seven Hills Coffee, we roast our beans in 3 Sivetz coffee roasters. This process roasts the beans as they float on a column of fresh, hot air. This is a complete departure from traditional drum roasting where the heated beans are tumbled and stirred inside a closed roast chamber. During any roasting process, smoke, chaff, any number of other compounds are created. The Sivetz roast method flushes all of these byproducts from the roast chamber as soon as they are created. This prevents the beans from retaining any flavors but those of its origin, the result being a cleaner tasting, better developed flavor profile. Additionally, the Sivetz process roasts the beans to a set temperature, not a subjective color. This allows for a roast that is consistent and can be exactly duplicated, batch after batch.
Since September 1999, Seven Hills Coffee has been among the first Fair Trade Certified coffee roasters in the country.
Want to join our team?
We may not be hiring right now, but if you have a can do attitude, an eye for detail, and a love for coffee, we’d love to grab a resume from you and we will contact you the next time we are hiring.