Coffee Roasters in the Akron Area
Rubber. City. Roasting. It’s alive and well.
Here we’ll take you through the best small-batch roasters in the Akron area and highlight some of their signature roasts. We’ll also incorporate Canton and areas just north of Akron such as Cuyahoga Falls in this guide.
Yada Yada
FOUNDED: 2022
FOLLOW ‘EM: @yadayadacoffee
Quirky coffee lovers from Cuyahoga Falls are an official partner of Ohio Coffee Club! They roast blends from traditional coffee bean producing countries but also branch out and source beans from cool places off the beaten track like Rwanda, for their Rwanda Kawa Yacu roast, sourced from the Rwanda Kawa Yacu Women’s Coffee Exchange which helps women-owned farms get a fair price for their coffee. The coffee bean combines bright, fruity notes with brown sugar and chocolate.
Their famous blend is the Osme, combining catuai, caturra, and obata beans for a really versatile roast.
There are certain things that just make you smile, as a coffee lover, when you see them on social media, and Yada Yada recently gave me one of these moments: they had a temperature probe issue on their roaster and were super honest about throwing that day’s roast away as they didn’t want to pass bad tasting coffee onto consumers. Some roasters will not do that! This is the kind of local business you support!
Akron Coffee Roasters
FOUNDED: 2012
FOLLOW ‘EM: @akroncoffeeroasters
You’ll find fresh seasonal blends and limited roast single origins being put out year round by Akron Coffee Roasters at their downtown Akron roastery and coffee shop.
One thing that remains consistent is the incredible artwork on the bags themselves, and in the coffee shop. Why do the Akron Coffee Roasters love tigers so much? I don’t know, but it sure makes for great coffee bag art!
Portal West
FOUNDED: 2022
FOLLOW ‘EM: @portalwestcoffee
These third wave roasters only recently opened, but consistently get 5 star reviews for both their cafe in West Akron, and their beans.
One of their standout blends is their Mexico Finca Izhuatlan, a bourbon/typica/mundo nuvo variety with beans sourced from female owned farms that are backed by the “Women Cultivating Quality” initiative. The beans from this region are yeast-washed, as part of a general focus in the region on more sustainable farming. This is a great story behind some great beans, and exactly what we love to see from new third wave roasters in Ohio.
If you fancy stopping in, some of their seasonal drinks look to die for: their brown butter and roasted banana lattes and cold brews were part of their recent winter menu. Sign me up for that!
M&H Beans
FOLLOW ‘EM: @mhbeanscofee
These Canton-based roasters offer a range of light roast blends such as the Costa Rica Benefico San Diego and the Kenya Nyanja AA. They also cater to dark roast lovers with their famous “Nan’s Roast” beans, and sell a mean cold brew latte by the 64oz jug!
A veteran and woman-owned business, they source their beans from community-driven farms and believe in paying fair market value for their greens.
Artisan Coffee
FOUNDED: 2015
FOLLOW ‘EM: @artisancoffeeshop
Artisan embodies what a community coffee shop should be: a fun space to relax, regular open mic nights, and of course, fair trade coffee roasted in Akron with the roast date clearly visible on the bag.
Their Barista espresso blend is their most highly rated and reviewed coffee going. Medium roast, with syrup and chocolate notes, it’s a hit for espresso and pourover fans of Artisan.
Heartwood Coffee Roasters
FOUNDED: 2014
FOLLOW ‘EM: @heartwoodcoffee
Heartwood have a real dedication to where their coffee is sourced from, and that’s reflected by them highlighting the coffee farmers that provide the beans for their delightful roasts, from regions ranging from Colombia to Ethiopia.
Old River is their traditional single origin roast, and they regularly rotate seasonal blends.
Heartwood can technically qualify as a Cleveland coffee roaster, but with a location in Hudson it seemed fair to include them on this list.
Pearl Coffee Co.
FOUNDED: 1919
FOLLOW ‘EM: @the_pearlcoffee
Pearl Coffee Co. earns the distinction of being the oldest roaster in the Northeast Ohio region (that we know of!)
Pearl beans are served by a plethora of old school diners around the state, and generally specialize in medium to dark roasts, but their Diana blend is a light roast and arguably their most famous coffee. You can pop into their roastery/coffee shop on S Broadway St. in Akron.
Bent Tree
FOUNDED: 2011
FOLLOW ‘EM: @benttreecoffee
They’ll be one of the more well-known roasters on the list as their coffee can be found on the shelves of local grocery stores.
The Kent-based roasters have a huge selection of different blends sourced from many regions, and their commitment to small-batch roasting helps get fresh beans out to a wider reach of consumers in the Northeast Ohio area.
Be sure to check out our guides to the best Cincinnati coffee roasters and the best Columbus coffee roasters for even more great Ohio roasters!
