Who are we?

Public wants to increase the visibility of specialty coffee

Public was created because of our love for specialty coffee and the exceptional work of roasters.

We want to provide a platform for roasters to showcase their products and increase their visibility to consumers.

At Public, we operate differently to ensure our products are delivered to you in optimal condition. When you place an order on our website, it is transferred directly to the roaster in question, and we take care of collecting all the bags to send your products to you in a single box.

By operating this way, we can ensure optimal coffee freshness and offer you a constantly evolving product catalog. Additionally, this approach allows us to quickly expand our catalog to offer you an unparalleled selection. This approach is optimal for maintaining a quality and fresh product, but may result in some delivery delays.

What is specialty coffee?

Specialty coffee refers to high-quality coffee, usually grown under optimal conditions and carefully harvested to preserve its unique flavor . These coffees are distinguished by their traceability, meaning that the precise origin of the beans (country, region, farm) is known, as well as the cultivation and processing methods used.

When a coffee is classified as "specialty," it has achieved a score of at least 80 points out of 100 according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards. This ranking is based on criteria such as complexity of flavor, acidity, body, balance, and the absence of defects in the bean.

Specialty coffees are often artisan roasted to bring out distinct flavor profiles, with notes ranging from fruity, floral, and spicy to chocolatey or caramel. Roasters and baristas typically work closely with producers to ensure exceptional quality at every stage, from farm to cup.

This type of coffee is also distinguished by its sustainable and ethical approach. Producers are often fairly compensated for their work, with an emphasis on direct and fair trade. Organic or environmentally friendly cultivation is also an aspect frequently associated with specialty coffees.

Roasting Degrees

Light Roast

Color : Light brown, without any trace of oil on the surface.

Temperature : Between 180 and 205°C, stopped just after the first “crack” (cracking of the grain).

Aromas and Flavors : Light roasting further preserves the coffee's original aromas, reflecting specific terroir characteristics such as altitude, botanical variety, and bean processing methods.

Typical aromas : Fruity notes (citrus, berries), floral (jasmine, rose), lively and complex acidity.
Profile : Lighter body, high acidity, with vibrant and bright flavors. Notes of fruit, flowers, honey and sometimes even sweet spices can be found.
Example : Coffees of Ethiopian or Kenyan origin, renowned for their fruity and floral profiles.

Medium Roast

Color : Medium brown, with very little or no surface oil.

Temperature : Between 210 and 220°C, between the first and second “crack”.

Aromas and Flavors : The coffee still retains some of the original aromas, but roasting begins to add its own characteristics, including increased roundness and a balance of acidity, sweetness and bitterness.

Typical aromas : Chocolatey, caramelized, nutty, brown sugar notes.
Profile : A rounder body and a harmonious balance between acidity, sweetness and bitterness. We find flavors of chocolate, caramel, cooked fruits, with sometimes a hint of dried fruits or sweet spices.
Example : Coffees from Central or South America (such as Guatemala or Colombia) are often roasted this way for a balanced profile. Typical aromas : Chocolatey, caramelized, nutty, brown sugar notes.

Dark Roast

Color : Very dark brown to black, often with surface oil from intense heat.

Temperature : Between 225 and 240°C, reaching or exceeding the second “crack”.

Aromas and flavors : Roasting takes over the original aromas of the bean, introducing rich and intense notes from the caramelization of sugars and the degradation of fibers.

Typical aromas : Notes of dark chocolate, smoke, burnt wood, spices, sometimes slightly bitter.
Profile : Heavy body, very low acidity, with dominant flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, smoke, sometimes even notes of ash or toast. The sweetness tends to disappear in favor of a more pronounced bitterness.
Example : Sumatran or Caribbean coffees, where a dark roast brings out robust, spicy notes.

Specialty Coffee vs. Commercial Coffee

Grain quality

Specialty coffee is distinguished by its superior quality, with beans grown in optimal conditions, often at high altitudes, and rated by experts. It must obtain a score of more than 80 out of 100 from the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), while commercial coffee is mass-produced without such strict criteria.

Aromas and flavors

Specialty coffee is roasted to highlight its unique and subtle flavors, while commercial coffee is often roasted at a high temperature for a uniform taste, masking the subtleties of the bean.

Sustainability and traceability

Finally, the specialty coffee supply chain is more ethical and transparent, offering a fair price to producers, unlike commercial coffee, which follows more industrial practices with little traceability.