Michael Sivetz

Michael Sivetz (1922 - 2012) spent most of his life researching and studying the entire chain of the coffee trade and sharing what he discovered with the rest of the world through the publication of numerous books and articles on coffee quality and coffee technology. Beginning in the 1950s, his early experience as a pioneer in the field of large scale coffee processing opened his eyes to that fact that the big coffee players were more concerned with profit than quality, and that consumers were being duped into believing that their mass produced products (pre-ground coffee in a can and instant coffee) were the pinnacle of taste and aroma.

Mike gave the industry the knowledge to lift the fog and peek behind the curtain to unveil this misleading marketing, and he did so through the authoring of numerous books and articles in industry publications. Most importantly he wrote the iconic and groundbreaking 736 page book Coffee Processing Technology, first printed in 1963, and revised to Coffee Technology in 1979. This was followed by the less technical Coffee Origin & Use.

Mike was first exposed to fluid-bed technology while he worked for Kaiser aluminium designing a fluid-bed drying system for magnesium in the 60s. This was one of the rare non-coffee related projects he worked on, but this experience would end up planting the seed for his revolutionary roaster design.

“Mike’s work in advancing the science and technology of coffee set a new standard of excellence for intelligent, authoritative, and intellectually honest debate on a wide range of coffee issues, lying to rest a number of “old wives tales” and “half truths” that had hobbled scientific advancement of the collective industry wisdom up until his book was first published. All of us who care deeply about coffee science will forever be in his debt.” Ted Lingle, SCAA co-founder and former ED in this article after Mike’s passing in 2012.

It would take another 10 years before he would apply this technology to coffee, and it was his frustrating experiences with the limitations of industrial size drum roasters that led him down this path. “I felt I could build a better machine, so I started experimenting in my garage in early ‘70’s. And the first few models didn’t work so well.” He soon had the kinks worked out, and the result would revolutionize the coffee roasting world.

Michael moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1980 and converted an old church into a new business. His space was part science lab, part showroom and coffee shop, and part manufacturing facility. Over the next 30+ years over 300 of his roasters would be built and shipped to all corners of the world. 

Some of Mike’s other achievements include:

• 3 patents

• SCAA Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)

• 2003 Coffee Person of the Year - Tea & Coffee Trade Journal