Name: El Jefe Espresso
Brand: Ember Coffee Co.
SKU: ESP-JEF-12OZ-WB
Price: 22.0 USD
Availability: InStock

El Jefe Espresso

BEST USED FOR:

Filter

Espresso

Cold Brew

Moka Pot

"Pulled a double shot before heading out the door — rich, creamy, and just a little nostalgic, like the cocoa you sipped as a kid. Deep chocolate notes, easy finish. Makes a beautiful latte, too."

Grace M. VERIFIED BUYER

Notes of milk chocolate, molasses, nostalgia

Grind

Whole Bean

Ground

Size

12 oz. ~ 21 cups Price Per Cup: $1.04

BEST VALUE 4 lbs. ~ 115 cups Price Per Cup: $0.70 SAVE 30%+

4 oz. sample ~ 7 cups Price Per Cup: $1.14 LOW RISK

Voted "Best Coffee" in Minnesota (2023-2025)

Air Roasted For Smooth Flavor

Roasts and Ships Within Days

Milk chocolate arrives gentle as memory—not the sharp bite of dark, but comfort that tastes like Saturday mornings before the world got complicated. Your espresso cup holds more than coffee; it holds what happens when Matt, one of Ember's owners and their roast master, names a blend after his dad.

Molasses follows, slow and deep, the way wisdom moves when it's earned rather than taught. Dark sweetness that doesn't hurry, that understands some things can't be rushed—not good espresso, not understanding, not the conversations between fathers and sons that echo in every batch Matt roasts.

Then nostalgia blooms, unexpected as finding dad's handwriting in an old book margin. It's not a flavor exactly, more like recognition—of strength worn smooth by patience, of lessons that only made sense years later.

This is coffee that knows legacy isn't loud. In your afternoon pause, porcelain cup precise between fingers, you taste what tribute means. Some things we inherit. Others, we choose to carry forward.

Air roasting uses clean, hot air to roast each coffee bean evenly—resulting in a smoother, cleaner flavor without the bitterness or burnt taste you get from traditional drum roasting. Because the beans don’t sit on hot metal, there's no smoky aftertaste—just pure, nuanced notes. It’s a gentler process that lets the bean’s true character shine.

100% Specialty Arabica Coffee

{"id":43281621811447,"title":"Whole Bean \/ 12 oz.","option1":"Whole Bean","option2":"12 oz.","option3":null,"sku":"ESP-JEF-12OZ-WB","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":61001058779383,"product_id":7777859305719,"position":1,"created_at":"2025-08-15T05:59:27-05:00","updated_at":"2025-08-15T05:59:58-05:00","alt":null,"width":1620,"height":1620,"src":"\/\/embercoffee.co\/cdn\/shop\/files\/12oz_ElJefe.png?v=1755255598","variant_ids":[43281621811447,43315155239159]},"available":true,"name":"El Jefe Espresso - Whole Bean \/ 12 oz.","public_title":"Whole Bean \/ 12 oz.","options":["Whole Bean","12 oz."],"price":2200,"weight":397,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"espresso-12oz-whole","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":53035987894519,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1620,"width":1620,"src":"\/\/embercoffee.co\/cdn\/shop\/files\/12oz_ElJefe.png?v=1755255598"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[{"price_adjustments":[{"position":1,"price":1760},{"position":2,"price":1870}],"price":1760,"compare_at_price":2200,"per_delivery_price":1760,"selling_plan_id":3069247735,"selling_plan_group_id":"0d07d5f8598f1a8caa0eb6bae94d7cb4556a7a0c"},{"price_adjustments":[{"position":1,"price":1760},{"position":2,"price":1936}],"price":1760,"compare_at_price":2200,"per_delivery_price":1760,"selling_plan_id":3069280503,"selling_plan_group_id":"0d07d5f8598f1a8caa0eb6bae94d7cb4556a7a0c"},{"price_adjustments":[{"position":1,"price":1760},{"position":2,"price":1980}],"price":1760,"compare_at_price":2200,"per_delivery_price":1760,"selling_plan_id":3069313271,"selling_plan_group_id":"0d07d5f8598f1a8caa0eb6bae94d7cb4556a7a0c"}]}

About the Producer

Colombian slopes demand everything. Families rise before dawn to work plots too vertical for machines, filling hand-woven baskets one cherry at a time. Their two-hectare farms—small by choice, not circumstance—represent a deliberate resistance to scale's false promise.

Papua New Guinea's highlands remain unreachable by road. Here, tribal communities grow coffee in forest gardens, mixing heirloom varieties with food crops as their ancestors always have. No chemicals touch this soil—the jungle provides its own balance. Beans travel by foot for hours before reaching the first washing station.

Sumatra's farmers read monsoons like calendars. They practice giling basah, wet-hulling coffee between rains, a method so demanding it exists nowhere else. Volcanic earth and tropical storms create conditions that require absolute presence—one day's inattention ruins everything.

Three points on the Pacific's ring of fire, where farmers choose isolation over infrastructure, tradition over efficiency. This blend exists because difficulty still means something.

About the Coffee

ROAST

LIGHT DARK

BRIGHTNESS

MELLOW SPARKLING

BODY

DELICATE FULL

This is coffee that knows legacy isn't loud. In your afternoon pause, porcelain cup precise between fingers, you taste what tribute means. Some things we inherit. Others, we choose to carry forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s all in the roast. While most coffee is drum-roasted, which means the beans are scorched as they come in contact with the hot sides of the metal drum. In contrast, we use superheated air for heat transfer—a method used by less than 1% of roasters worldwide. It delivers smoother, more balanced flavor with zero burnt bitterness.

Our air-roasting process reduces acidity and eliminates that harsh, burnt bitterness found in most coffees. That means no gut-bomb effect, no acid reflux, and no regret after your second cup. Even customers who’ve sworn off coffee come back for Ember.

Crazy fresh. We roast in small batches right here in Minnesota and ship quickly—so your beans haven’t been sitting on a shelf for months losing flavor. You’ll taste the difference the moment you open the bag. Plus we stamp our bags with the roast date, not the "best buy" date. Note: Most coffees actually improve in taste in the two weeks following its roast date. If you receive a bag that was roasted 7-10 days from your date of order, we've likely held it to allow for off-gassing and maximum flavor.

We believe great coffee starts at the source. That’s why we build direct trade relationships with farmers who care as much as we do. Better pay for them, better beans for you, and a whole lot more integrity in your cup.

Yes, yes, and yes. Whether you’re team drip, AeroPress, Chemex, or full-on espresso, Ember’s roasts are engineered to perform across all brew methods without losing flavor, depth, or smoothness.

Because once you taste coffee that’s roasted right, sourced right, and doesn’t wreck your stomach… it’s game over for the grocery store brands and chain coffee shops. Ember becomes the new standard.

Specialty-Grade Coffee, Delicious Taste

We only roast the top 5% of beans in the world—carefully selected for clarity, character, and consistency. When you start with exceptional quality, you don't need shortcuts. Every cup begins with a promise: good beans, done right.

We partner with producers who prioritize fair wages, sustainable practices, and long-term relationships. From seed to sip, this coffee is as good for the growers as it is for you. Because doing it right means doing it together.

Air roasting unlocks the bean’s full aroma and complexity—think vibrant notes that actually reflect the origin. It’s a cleaner, more expressive cup that delights your senses from the first inhale to the last warm sip—so you actually taste the coffee's origin and not just the burntness of the roaster drum.

Most roasters use scorching-hot drums that can leave bitter, smoky notes. We air roast with precision and patience—preserving delicate flavors and skipping the scorch. The result? Coffee that’s smooth, never harsh, and always easy on your taste buds.

Air roasting reduces acidity and surface oils, making Ember coffee gentler on digestion. It’s a clean, smooth experience—even black—that doesn’t leave you with jitters or heartburn. Just calm energy and a ritual you can feel good about.

Science-Backed Ingredients

We only roast Arabica beans that score 82+ on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale—a mark of exceptional flavor, cleanliness, and complexity. Grown at higher elevations and harvested by hand, these beans mature slower, developing deeper sweetness, brighter notes, and a more layered cup. It’s the top 5% of coffee in the world—and you’ll taste why.

Every lot we roast meets SCA’s rigorous grading system, which evaluates 10 key attributes—like aroma, acidity, balance, and aftertaste. Each batch is cupped, scored, and traceable, ensuring not just quality, but integrity at every step. This isn't marketing fluff—it’s a globally respected benchmark for true specialty coffee. We source, roast, and brew with purpose—so you get a cup you can count on.

Clean beans matter. All Ember Coffee is tested and certified mold-free, ensuring a healthier cup without hidden contaminants. Lower-quality coffees often carry higher risks of mold and mycotoxins due to poor storage or processing. We hold every batch to higher standards—because you deserve a cup that’s as pure as it is delicious.

Over

20,000

Bags of Ember Coffee Sold

thousands have made Ember part of their mornings

Here’s what they’re saying

Put Better Mornings on Autopilot

Subscribe to Ember Coffee
and feel the benefits

Immediately

Your order joins our fresh roast plan—no stale beans, just coffee roasted specifically for you.

In a few days

Freshly roasted beans rest and off-gas, unlocking full flavor, smoothness, and a clean finish.

Within 7 days

Delivered to your door—thoughtfully packed, perfectly timed, and ready to brew your best cup yet.

EMBER COFFEE VS REGULAR COFFEE

Coffee Made Thoughtfully

Coffee Quality

Specialty Grade

Unknown Origins

Air Roasted

Low Acidity

Ethically Sourced

Full Traceability

Small Business

The Difference

Rooted in values, roasted with heart, and delivered fresh for real life.

Mass-made with little thought and even less flavor.

Crafted in the North. Shared Nationwide.

Ember Coffee is Born

We opened our Big Lake coffeeshop and roastery and launched our first full production run. Built by family, led by women, and grounded in the values of the North—humble, honest, and quietly exceptional.

Winning Minnesota's Best

We were honored as Gold Winner for Best Coffee, Coffeehouse, and MN-Made Product for THREE years in a row. No gimmicks—just fresh air-roasted coffee, crafted with care and shared by a community that truly feels like home.

20,000 Bags Sold

With over 20,000 bags brewed, Ember continues to grow—without ever growing out of what matters. We roast with purpose, deliver with heart, and help make your mornings more meaningful.