H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. founded 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

1 minute read

San Antonio Express-News — The Story of Coffee feature, 19 September 1954

Magazine-style spread on industrial roasting — green bean intake, blending cylinders, gas ovens, cooling, grinding — useful general-period context for reading Hoffmann-Hayman plant operations.

Transcription

A Day in the Life of a Roastmaster — The Story of Coffee

Synopsis of visible article structure:

Describes the roastmaster as blending skills akin to pilot, artist, and chef — monitoring time, temperature, and color. Historical notes mention coffee use by Ethiopian tribes around 800 A.D. and roasting developing by the 13th century. Modern plants might process on the order of 500 pounds in ~16 minutes, releasing aromatic oils through controlled roast chemistry.

Process outline summarized from captions:

  • Cleaning: air separation of lint and dust from green coffee.
  • Blending: multiple origins mixed in rotating cylinders.
  • Roasting: gas-fired ovens; operator judges completion by sample color.
  • Cooling / separation: pneumatic handling before storage above grinders.
  • Grinding: regular, drip, or fine specifications with periodic checks.

Regional taste notes: lighter roasts on the Pacific Coast; darker in the South; intermediate on the East Coast.

(Full multi-column text and five photographs appear on the clipped page — transcribe verbatim from the scan as needed.)

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