Contact Us

Want to get in touch with us? Simply fill out the form and we will be in touch within 48 hours (usually sooner though).

We offer wholesale services in addition to retailing at local shops. If you are interested in sampling our products or would like information regarding wholesale, please let us know. Our goal is to make quality coffee available in every avenue of the marketplace.  Whether you are affiliated with a restaurant, retail store, diner, or corporate office, we want your customers and employees to have access to a great cup of coffee. 


La Mesa, Ca

619-905-6293

A small-batch craft San Diego coffee roaster. We are focused on making quality, ethical, and amazing tasting coffee and on doing good in our community and for our farming communities abroad. In a sense making good coffee common as well as good for everyone farm to cup. 

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Coffee Blog

Common Good Coffee’s blog. Learn about coffee origins, roasting, and home brewing tips. Answers to questions like: What is the best affordable coffee grinder? What is the best way to make cold brew? How do I make a better pour-over?

How It All Started

Ryan Beagley-Reiner

In 2015, childhood friends Patrick Neal and Ryan Beagley-Reiner founded Common Good Coffee Roasters in San Diego, California. Their inspiration started from the simple desire to see truly good coffee become more common and to make coffee that worked for the good of everyone involved.

Ryan recalled their early motivation, stating, “We looked around us and saw that so many of the smaller, owner-operated cafes and restaurants were selling coffee severely lacking in flavor and uniqueness, and coffee that was almost always over-roasted. On top of that, few people knew where their coffee came from and how the producers were compensated… I had been roasting at home and researching the coffee supply chain and thought, we can do this, let’s get these people better coffee.”

Having worked for both "big-brand" coffee corporations and specialty coffee establishments, Pat and Ryan envisioned merging the best of both worlds. CGC aimed to deliver the accessibility of corporate coffee with the transparency, ethics, and quality embodied in specialty coffee—a vision that sets CGC apart in the diverse world of coffee.

At the core of CGC's vision is a commitment to roasters and baristas openly sharing their coffee sourcing and knowledge, consumers understanding the intricate process behind their brew, and coffee producers receiving fair compensation for their high-quality beans. It's not just about specialty coffee; it's about Coffee for the Common Good—an approach that distinguishes CGC in the coffee landscape.

To achieve exceptional quality, CGC collaborates with specialty coffee importers and cooperatives to source green coffee beans that not only meet but surpass specialty coffee standards. These beans, selected for their exceptional flavors, traceability, and ethical sourcing, undergo small-batch roasting. Each batch receives meticulous attention to bring out the unique characteristics of its origin, ensuring that every cup brings a smile to the consumer's face.

However, CGC is more than just a coffee company—it's a philanthropically focused entity. It believes that good coffee should benefit everyone involved, from the farms where it's grown to the communities served by business owners, roasters, and baristas.

Supporting various non-profits and initiatives, CGC invites patrons to join them in making the world a better place. The emphasis is on collaboration, urging individuals to partner on causes that matter, underlining the belief that collective efforts can achieve much more.

Recognizing the pivotal role of coffee shops in shaping the coffee experience, CGC extends its commitment to quality, transparency, and ethical sourcing to these establishments. It's not just about being a supplier; it's about being a partner in the pursuit of excellence, providing coffee shops with a product that stands out in its quality, uniqueness, and commitment to Specialty Coffee.

In the realm of coffee, the term "roast" takes on a dual significance—it's not just about the roasting process but also about the passion and commitment to making a positive impact. CGC's roast is more than the transformation of green coffee beans; it's a symbolic representation of the transformation they aim to bring to the entire coffee industry.

The journey begins with the selection of green coffee beans, where CGC's commitment to quality shines through. Partnering with reputable specialty coffee importers and cooperatives ensures that the beans chosen are not only of the highest quality but also sourced in a manner that respects the producers and the environment.

The roasting process at CGC is a craft, an art form. Small-batch roasting allows for the careful calibration of time and temperature, bringing out the nuanced flavors inherent in each origin. The result is not just a cup of coffee; it's a sensory experience that transports the drinker to the very region where the coffee beans were grown.

The focus on fair compensation for coffee producers reflects CGC's commitment to fostering sustainability and ensuring that the benefits of the coffee industry are shared equitably. Beyond the nuances of coffee flavor profiles and brewing techniques, CGC's story is one of conscious capitalism and social responsibility.

As a company that recognizes the interconnectedness of the global coffee community, CGC takes deliberate steps to contribute to positive change. The philanthropic focus aligns with the broader trend in the coffee industry, where consumers seek products that align with their values. By supporting various non-profits and initiatives, CGC not only contributes to meaningful causes but also invites patrons to be part of the journey.

In conclusion, Common Good Coffee Roasters is not just a brand; it's a movement—a movement to redefine the coffee experience, to elevate the standards of quality, and to contribute to a better world. Through meticulous sourcing, a commitment to Specialty Coffee standards, and a steadfast dedication to ethical practices, CGC invites coffee lovers, coffee shops, and communities alike to join in creating a positive and sustainable future—one cup of coffee at a time.

My Favorite Coffee Brewing Products and Resources

Ryan Beagley-Reiner

Looking to improve your home coffee setup but not quite sure where to start? This post is for you.

Finding the best drip coffee maker or the burr coffee grinder with the most "bang for your buck", can be a pretty overwhelming task. There are so many options and tons of coffee "experts" ready to give you an opinion on this subject. In this post I am going to try and keep things simple(and helpful) by providing you with some coffee resources that I trust and a list of the brewing equipment that I use at home. Let's get to it!

Coffee Resources

With the myriad of websites,ads, and opinions out there it can be hard to know where to look for good coffee product research. Below are some companies I have grown to trust over the years:

  • *To See Whose Certified: The Specialty Coffee Association has a list of "SCA Certified Home Brewers" that meet their guidlines that include "proper water temperature, brewing time, and ability to brew within the SCA Golden Cup recommendations."
  • To See Coffee Products In Action: Seattle Coffee Gear has tons of Brewer comparision videos that breakdown what is good (and not so) about all kinds of coffee products. I have reffered to their site for years.
  • For a Barista Level Education: Barista Hustle takes a deep dive into coffee science in their classes but also have a free blog with great coffee info. They also have and has a few great producst work checking out.

My Home Coffee Set-up:

Below are the coffee brewing tools I use at home:

How To Make Better Coffee on Your Keurig

Ryan Beagley-Reiner

There are no two ways about it, the specialty coffee industry does not like K-Cups and Pods and there are some very good reasons for this:

  1. The coffee generally sold in pods is not specialty grade, is rarely fresh, and is almost always over-roasted.
  2. Pods generally do not hold enough coffee to provide proper extraction ratios that yield a flavorful cup (hence the over roasting).
  3. The waste resulting from single-use plastic pods is just plain bad for the environment.

However, these machines are very convenient, and we know there are many of you who are loyal coffee pod peeps. So, here is how to make better coffee on your Kuerig:

What We Used:

• Our Colombia Loro medium roast

• A Keurig K-Mini brewer

• A My K-Cup reusable pod

Recipe:

Grind: Medium grind, like for a drip brewer. **Disclaimer: Keurig tells you to grind coffee coarse, however you have to push the limits a little to get better extraction and flavor. We had no problems even up to a pretty fine grind.

Coffee: Use between 16 - 22 grams ~ 3-4 Tablespoons of coffee depending on your strength/flavor preference

Water: Between 8-10 Oz (purified water)

Summary: If done right, it is possible to have a pretty decent cup of coffee on a Keurig. Buy good coffee, grind it fresh, and use a refillable k-cup or pod.

Have Questions, Suggestions, or thoughts? Comment below! **

Transparency: An Interview With Cedro Alto

Ryan Beagley-Reiner

Last month we had an Instagram Live Q&A with Karl Weinhold from Cedro Alto - the coffee collective where we souce most of our Colombian coffees. We focused on supply-chain transparency and why/how we should care. We attempted to cover a lot of ground but my main take-away was that there are no simple answers, however if we care about where our coffee comes from and making sure it is good for all involved, we need to pay attention to some serious details.

Interview Notes:

  1. Why and How can we Care about Supply Chain Transparency?

    1. Transparency only matters if a coffee source (importer, collective, roaster, shop) claims to be focused on altruism (common good) in their coffee dealings. If this is something we truly care about we need some serious information:

    2. What does fair mean to us? What is the actual price paid to farmers? In what currency? Milled or Green?

  2. What is the difference between Direct and Fair Trade?

    1. Fair Trade is a 3rd-party verified certification that sets a price floor for coffee (minimum price paid to farmers). 

      1. Fair Trade is only as good as a farmers ability to market and sell their coffee customers willing to pay a higher price.

      2. The minority of Fair certified coffee is sold as actual Fair Trade price, due to consumer demand and the “C Price” (the price that coffee as a commodity is traded at). 

    2. Direct Trade isn’t a certification, it’s a term that implies the cutting-out of middlemen but it has been used in many different ways.

      1. What do we mean by Direct? Farmer to Importer to Roaster? Farmer to mill to logistics company to roaster? Does the farmer plant, harvest, mill, ship, finance, roast, brew, and sell direct to consumers?

      2. Cutting out intermediaries isn’t always a good thing.

      3. There are many steps from seed to cup so many special skills and a lot of money is required to make this process happen. 

      4. Why shouldn’t whoever can do each process most efficiently, handle that work?

      5. Only the largest and most capitalized companies can afford to be truly direct trade. 

  3. Why can I find coffee labeled Fair Trade and/or Organic for so inexpensive?

    1. Scale- Large operations can afford to finance, hold, and coordinate in ways that allow them to cut cost overall and get guaranteed sales on a huge scale.  

    2. Creative blending of multiple origins

    3. The question is:  Will the coffee you love be available in 1, 2, or 5 years if farmers are selling coffee, often at a loss, to compete with commodity prices.

  4. What part of Cedro Alto’s work are you most proud of?

    1. We offer our farms a purchase-guarantee for a fixed price

      1. This takes much of the financial risk and stress off the shoulders of farmers as Cedro Also pays up-front with very little buyer-guarantees.

  5. What can we as roasters and cafe owners do better?

    1. Plan purchasing of green coffee ahead of time so collective/farmers can count on our money.

    2. Keep in contact and coordinate with importers and farmers in regards to green coffee demand. Price volatility is the most significant hurdle and hardship for coffee farmers.

IGTV Interview:

View this post on Instagram

Q&A with @cedroalto

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