US Light-Roast Roasters, Ranked by Mentions in 12 r/pourover Threads: 20 Names
15 sources researched
The same question keeps arriving on r/pourover: which US roasters sell light and ultra-light coffee without Nordic import pricing. Across 12 threads posted between November 2025 and October 2026, 520 comments were read with their replies, and Sey is named in 45 of them, Shoebox in 35.
Quotes
Quotes“Most Sey offerings are pretty cheap. Especially if you do monthly subscription. I'd also recommend taking a look at Shoebox, Basecoat, Port 2050, H&S, and Thankfully as well.”
“Flower Child! Preston is a great dude and I consider Flower Child to be the West coast Sey”
“Sey is one of the standards for light washed coffees.”
“Roasters who roast Ultralight: H&S, Shoebox, Coffee With Dongze, Mirra, Port 2050, Ceto, Norml”
“UL realllllly requires good green, and that stuff is just not cheap (nor should it be)”
20 most mentioned US light-roast roasters
1 mention = 1 Reddit comment naming the roaster, replies included; 12 r/pourover threads carrying 760 comments, 520 of them read 24 Oct 2026; threads = distinct posts naming that roaster.
| Roasters | Mentions | Threads |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | 10 | |
| 35 | 10 | |
| 27 | 9 | |
| 25 | 8 | |
| 24 | 9 | |
| 24 | 9 | |
| 23 | 8 | |
| 23 | 8 | |
| 20 | 7 | |
| 14 | 6 | |
| 13 | 8 | |
| 12 | 6 | |
| 12 | 5 | |
| 11 | 3 | |
| 10 | 4 | |
| 9 | 6 | |
| 9 | 5 | |
| 9 | 5 | |
| 9 | 4 | |
| 9 | 4 |
Related beans
Sey
2026 Duber Mejia; El Diamante, Surprise Encore - Colombia
Tropical Fruit · Soft Florals
250g · 26.5
Shoebox Coffee Roasters
Honduras Alexia Meija Parainema Washed
Fuji Apple · Raw Honey · Limoncello
125g · 22
H&S Coffee Roasters
Colombia José Giraldo Rio Dulce
White grape · Gardenia · Orange blossom
125g · 29
Fatima Honey Gesha
Citron · Cranberry · Jasmine tea
100g · 14
Ecuador Finca Soledad - Mejorado Wave Washed
Cranberry · Lemonade · Honeysuckle
150g · 33.75
S&W Craft Roasting
Bali Batukaang Karana Extended Fermentation Anaerobic Natural
candied berries · red berries · blueberries
100g · 11.25
Kiamugumo
Orange · Pomegranate · Cherry
250g · 26.5
gachatha AB - rested final batch
Cotton candy grape · D'Anjou pear · Sugarcane juice
125g · 15
Marlon Bolaños - Gesha Washed
Jasmine · Raw sugar · Earl grey
120g · 21.11
Facts
FactsBrooklyn and Chicago — Sey began in 2013 as Lofted Coffee, took its current name and opened a Bushwick flagship in 2017, roasting Nordic-style light. Shoebox is a Chicago roastery that sells its coffee in weekly drops.
Berkeley and North Canaan — Hydrangea is Bill and Shuxin's Berkeley roastery, built around anaerobic fermentation and process-focused microlots. Ilse is a two-person operation in North Canaan, Connecticut, founded in 2019 by Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith.
Laramie and Boulder — H&S was co-founded in 2014 by Joshua Heien and Coulter Sunderman and roasts small batches at high elevation in Laramie, Wyoming. Prodigal was founded in 2021 in Boulder, Colorado, by Scott Rao and Mark Benedetto.
Coatesville and Lancaster — S&W is a veteran-owned, owner-operated roastery in Coatesville, Indiana that sells single origins only and prints each bean's roast level on the bag. Passenger was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2014.
Oakland and Palo Alto — Flower Child is Preston's Oakland roastery, describing its coffee as fully developed light and organized around cultivar and region. Norml is a very-light-roast project run under MIN MAX COFFEE in Palo Alto, California, releasing small and large bags plus a rotating-blend subscription.
Voices
VoicesVerdict · Reddit · r/pourover — Sey as the benchmark — One reply calls Sey "one of the standards for light washed coffees" and another says most Sey offerings are cheap, especially on the monthly subscription; the same reply puts Shoebox next (
comment).Verdict · Reddit · r/pourover — The ultralight tier — H&S, Shoebox, Coffee With Dongze, Mirra, Port 2050, Ceto and Norml are the names a regular gives for roasters who actually roast ultralight, while Sey, Thankfully and September sit a touch more developed but still light (
comment).Verdict · Reddit · r/pourover — Drops, resting and price — Shoebox sells in Sunday-morning drops and replies push a 50-day rest before opening an ultralight bag; the counterweight is that ultralight "requires good green, and that stuff is just not cheap (nor should it be)" (
comment).
AI-written from public sources and may contain errors. Check the sources yourself.
