In the years since developing a serious coffee habit, I have also acquired an unhealthy addiction to coffee-making gadgetry.
My kitchen overflows with grinders, gooseneck kettles, Aeropresses and other paraphernalia dedicated to making the perfect brew.
But despite all the toys, I know that the most important part of any cup of coffee remains the roasted beans.
Unfortunately, this is the one part I can’t do myself.
Luckily, these days, there are plenty of places to buy quality roasts. And because some of them are in our own backyard, we’ve put together a list of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire’s best coffee roasters.
Long Walk Coffee
Colin Redman may already be the owner of the fantastic Birdhouse Cafe in Banchory, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking bigger.
So, when he went for a long walk with a friend during lockdown, the pair hatched a plan for a new business.
That project — the aptly-named Long Walk Coffee — launched in 2021, and expanded recently with the opening of a cafe on Aberdeen’s Huntly Street.
Meanwhile, Colin and his partners have even bigger ambitions. In May, Long Walk Coffee announced plans to convert the former Natwest branch on Union Street into a coffee shop.
Colin rests each roast for two weeks prior to sale, and the extra time really lets the beans settle.
I picked up a 250g bag of a Colombian Long Walk roast (£8) and was delighted with the jammy flavours and mellow brew.
Highly recommended.
Address: 74 High St, Banchory AB31 5SS
MacBeans
Long Walk may be relatively new, but coffee roasting goes back some years.
And if you are looking for the best coffee roasters in Aberdeen, then you might want somewhere with experience.
MacBeans has been at it for more than 30 years and could be considered the granddaddy of the region’s modern coffee scene.
Housed on the corner of Back Wynd and Little Belmont St, the Aberdeen business has a wide range of quality roasts.
And though founder Ian Cukrowski recently hung up his coffee shovel, new owner Brian Milne has kept the Aberdeen stalwart at the forefront of the city’s roasting scene.
Address: 2 Little Belmont St, Aberdeen AB10 1JG
Roaring Stag Coffee Roasters
Beautiful river walks, soaring mountain scenery — Ballater has it all.
It also boasts a top-class coffee roaster in Roaring Stag, a husband-and-wife operation that makes a great selection of speciality roasts with solid local names such as Braveheart Roast and Cairngorm.
Prices start from about £7 per 250g bag, and they also do teas.
Address: Ballater Business Park, Craigview Rd, Ballater AB35 5PN
Figment Coffee
Figment operates out of a bright and airy coffee shop in Countesswells that serves as an excellent spot for lunch.
The coffee is great too, and I can personally vouch for the company’s decaffeinated blend.
But there is a wide selection of full-strength coffee on offer at the Aberdeen cafe, including roasts of beans from China, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru.
Address: 70 Countesswells Rd, Aberdeen AB15 7YJ
The Coffee Apothecary
UK reality star and Instagram star Georgia Toffolo recently gave The Coffee Apothecary a big thumbs up on social media, saying she is a “religious fan” of the Udny roastery.
Her praise may have something to do with her boyfriend, James Watt, whose Brewdog brewery, the company he founded in Ellon, helped fund the opening of The Coffee Apothecary’s Ellon shop in 2019.
But don’t just take Toff’s word for it — Apothecary owners Ali and Jonny Aspden really do make excellent coffee.
Their seasonal food menus, made with local produce, are also top drawer.
Address: Udny, AB41 7PQ and 21 The Square, Ellon AB41 9JB