Coffee Roasters Rely on UGI Natural Gas to Bring Out the Best Flavors

“Coffee roasting is equal parts art and science,” says Andrea Grove, owner of Elementary Coffee Co.

An important part of that science is natural gas provided by UGI. Elementary Coffee Co. is one of a growing number of coffee roasters using natural gas to turn raw beans into a good cup of coffee. Grove runs a shop on North Street in Harrisburg, and a stand at the nearby Broad Street Market. She’s been in the coffee roasting business for more than a decade.

“I am lucky here in Harrisburg to be tied into natural gas,” says Grove. “Gas gives you a steady influx of heat to draw out flavors imbedded in the bean. You get good caramelization and the chocolatey sweet notes that comes out when you roast.”

Grove spends a few days a week at her roastery, which is a short drive away from her shop. There she fires up her natural gas-fueled roaster to roast beans sourced from around the world. The equipment alone costs tens of thousands of dollars, but Grove says this expensive investment allows her to also roast coffee for about 40 other restaurants and shops.

In downtown Lititz, Whiff Roasters has been roasting fresh small batch coffee for a quarter of a century. Run by husband-and-wife team Keith and Jenessa Frey, Whiff also relies on UGI natural gas to fuel its roaster.

“Gas is easier to control and is a hotter, more uniform heat,” says Whiff owner Keith Frey. “It gives me the ability to create or minimize instant heat, and to focus on the critical stages of the roasting process to reach my desired roasting profile.”

Both owners agree, roasting with natural gas provides a better process and a more flavorful product.

Grove says, “You can roast coffee many ways, but I love natural gas roasters. If I am sipping coffee from different roasters, I can taste the difference.”