Pepe Jijon Sidra Wave Natural
Natural lot with Lemon, Mango, and Hibiscus in the cup.
Imbabura, EC · Natural
LightLemonMangoHibiscus
Well-reviewed roaster
75CBI
$8.16/oz
Typical $5.23 to $8.37/oz
Roaster · Jersey City, NJ
Modcup Coffee
On YouTube
Meet the roaster on camera
About the roasterShop tour
From Coffee Cart to 4 Cafes
Moii · 3.5K views on YouTube
Watch on YouTubeCherrybook summary of the video
This video traces the history of Jersey City-based Modcup Coffee from its origins as a coffee cart and garage roasting operation to its current multi-cafe footprint. Founder Travis shares the DIY beginnings of building out their first spaces, utilizing propane-powered espresso machines in the early days, and building relationships with origins like Ethiopia.
Inside this video
From Moii:
“We're based in Jersey City, the lovely dirty Jersey with these magical buildings as you can see behind us here. I wasn't always in coffee. I used to sell artwork for like 10 years of my life.”
“I owned a specialty coffee roasting company called Modcup Coffee. We're based in Jersey City.”
“And so we, yeah, basically ran roasting out here for 18 months before we moved on to another garage.”
Explore the videos
Across the coverage of Modcup Coffee
Reviewers and video features characterize Modcup Coffee as a fiercely independent, Jersey City-based micro-roastery that grew from humble beginnings of mobile carts and garage operations into a multi-cafe footprint. Outside coverage highlights their uncompromising freshness mantra, where founders assert that the vast majority of commercial coffee is stale and emphasize roasting in micro-batches every few days. Furthermore, creator coverage illustrates their active role in the broader coffee community, serving as an educational hub and roasting destination for passionate newcomers and specialty microlots.
Jersey City roots and DIY origins · Extreme freshness mantra and micro-batching · Evolution from mobile cart to multi-cafe footprint · Direct engagement with specialty coffee culture
Videos by their credited creators. Playing a video connects to YouTube. Privacy
The roaster
8 lots in stock, mostly Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
- In stock
- 8
- House Index · limited data
- 70
- Freshness
- Roast cadence not disclosed
- Save at Modcup Coffee
- Free shipping over $75
OriginsColombiaEcuadorPeruKenyaYemen
Roaster at a glance
- Tracked since
- April 202618 lots seen; 8 in stock now
- Origins
- 4 countriesColombia, Ecuador, Kenya
- Process mix
- Washed 38% · Other 38% · Natural 25%
- Price position
- 31% above what its profiles predictMedian of 3 in-stock lots against the price model
- Sourcing
- 75% of lots name the producer or farm6 of 8
- Coverage
- 2 reviewer videos · 3 press mentions · 2 Reddit threadsVideos and articles about the roaster, not by it
- Their channels
- Instagram ↗Linked from their own site
- Where to find them
- 4 locations, Jersey City, NJModcup Coffee operates four cafe locations in New Jersey including The Heights, Senate Place Roastery, Hoboken, and Bergen-Lafayette.
- Merch
- 1 item in stock
How Cherrybook Index is calculatedavg coverage 38% · limited data
Coverage is below 50%. Available roaster-level evidence comes from Reddit and YouTube. Per-lot evidence from SCA grades, Coffee Review entries, and public on-shop product ratings is limited across the catalog. With limited signal, scores are also pulled toward a neutral 50 baseline by the Cherrybook Index methodology, so lots can read flatter than the actual cup quality differences between them. The average Cherrybook Index therefore leans more heavily on roaster-level reputation than per-lot quality.
Roaster signals
Apply to every lot from this roaster.
- Reddit75/100weight 18%
- YouTube85/100weight 10%
Per-lot signals (averaged)
Vary across lots; averaged over 8 in-stock lots.
- SCA gradenot on file · weight 25%
- Coffee Review67.5/1002/8 lots · weight 20%
- On-shop ratingsnot on file · weight 12%
- Cherrybook reader ratingsnot on file · weight 30%
- Transparency62.5/1008/8 lots · weight 5%
Bonuses earned (per lot)
- sprudge8/8
- stale decay8/8
Base components are renormalized over whatever signals are available for each lot. SCA + Coffee Review are capped at 40% combined to keep the cupping story from dominating. Bonuses (accolades, awards, editorial coverage) and freshness decay are applied on top.
The catalog
8 in stock · 10 archived
LightWhiskeyChocolatePlum
Well-reviewed roaster
74CBI
$3.40/oz
Typical $2.72 to $4.36/oz
Broad comparison
DarkDark ChocolateStrawberryVanilla
Well-reviewed roaster
71CBI
$3.42/oz
Typical $2.06 to $3.93/oz
Limited comparison
Carmen Montoya Washed Chiroso
Expect Lime Zest, Chamomile, and Cotton Candy Grape from this washed lot.
Antioquia, CO · Washed
LightChamomileLimeGrape
Well-reviewed roaster
70CBI
$3.07/oz
Typical $2.94 to $4.71/oz
Juan Quilla Laura Washed Bourbon
Baked Apple Spices, Wildflower Honey, and Lemon Water on a washed lot.
Puno, PE · Washed
LightAppleSpiceHoney+1
Well-reviewed roaster
70CBI
$2.85/oz
Typical $2.42 to $3.88/oz
Broad comparison
Karatu SL28 Washed
Washed lot with Blackcurrant, Apricot, and Elderflower in the cup.
Kiambu, KE · Washed
LightBlack CurrantApricotElderflower
Well-reviewed roaster
69CBI
$3.13/oz
Typical $2.60 to $4.16/oz
LightCitrusTeaStrawberry
Well-reviewed roaster
67CBI
$3.40/oz
Typical $2.15 to $4.11/oz
London Fog
Cupping notes point toward Bergamot, Lavender, and Lychee.
LightBergamotLavenderLychee+1
Well-reviewed roaster
63CBI
$3.42/oz
Typical $1.93 to $3.68/oz
Limited comparison
Archived (10)
Wilton Benitez Natural Decaf
Expect Turkish Delight, Chocolate, and Rose Water from this natural lot.
Cauca, CO · Natural
LightCocoaRoseSweet
Well-reviewed roaster
79CBI
$3.40/oz
Out of stock
Finca Soledad Washed Typica Mejorado TyOxy
Washed lot with Blood Orange, Panela, and Sun Tea in the cup.
Imbabura, EC · Washed
LightOrangePanelaTea Like+4
Well-reviewed roaster
78CBI
$7.94/oz
Out of stock
Andres Martinez Blackberry Co-Ferment
Blackberry Compote, Berry Yogurt, and Brown Sugar on an experimental lot.
Cauca, CO · Experimental
LightBlackberryCane Sugar
Well-reviewed roaster
77CBI
$3.98/oz
Out of stock
CGLE Sidra Washed
Expect Orange Blossom, Chamomile, and White Peach from this washed lot.
Valle del Cauca, CO · Washed
LightOrange BlossomChamomilePeach+2
Well-reviewed roaster
77CBI
$6.80/oz
Out of stock
Deepcuts: Finca Soledad Pepe Jijon Gesha Wave
Jasmine, Lemon Tea, and Orange Blossom on an experimental lot.
Imbabura, EC · Experimental
LightJasmineLemonOrange Blossom+3
Well-reviewed roaster
77CBI
$8.39/oz
Out of stock
CGLE Gesha Hybrid Washed
Expect Jasmine, Mandarin, and Honey from this experimental lot.
Valle del Cauca, CO · Experimental
LightJasmineTangerineHoney+1
Well-reviewed roaster
76CBI
$6.80/oz
Out of stock
LightJasmineHoneyLemon
Well-reviewed roaster
76CBI
$3.97/oz
Out of stock
Granja Paraíso 92 Pink Bourbon
Expect Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Passion Fruit from this experimental lot.
Cauca, CO · Experimental
LightStrawberryPassion Fruit
Well-reviewed roaster
75CBI
$3.98/oz
Out of stock
Warm Apple Pie
Experimental lot with Baked Tart Apple, Cinnamon Sugar, and Caramel in the cup.
Quindío, CO · Experimental
LightAppleCinnamonCaramel+2
Well-reviewed roaster
74CBI
$2.25/oz
Out of stock
Yemen Auction — Best of 2025 Archive Release
Yemen / Natural; cup data hasn't landed yet.
Yemen · Natural
Light
Well-reviewed roaster
72CBI
$8.34/oz
Out of stock
Community reputation · Reddit
Well-regarded· sentiment 75/100
One thread author lists Modcup among new-to-them roasters tried in 2025. Another thread author states they really liked the co-ferments from Modcup and are a big fan of producer Edinson Argote after having them.
co-ferments
Threads cited (2)
- r/pourover · 11↑ · 60+ Coffees in 2025
…liday season trying different 2 cup recipes and grind settings on my ZP6. A few new to me roasters this year: 1. The Source (my new favorite) 2. Hydrangea 3. Modcup My top 3 coffee shops I visited this year: 1. Nordic Brew Lab (Malmo, Sweeden) 2. The Source (Edinburgh, Scotland) 3. Cafe Apotek (Quebec City, Canada) Th
- r/pourover · 8↑ · This was insanely good - should I try the Sidra too??
Im a big fan of Edinson Argote after having the co-ferments from Modcup which I really liked. Keep seeing this roaster pop up so I grabbed a bag since I recognized the producer, and holy shit. Might be one of my favorite new top 5 coffees. Not sure what I was expecting but it’s not like anything I’ve had before The bea
Press · Sprudge
- Build-Outs Of Summer: Modcup Coffee Company of Jersey City, New Jersey2016-08-29·sprudge
Modcup Coffee Company in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- New Jersey Rising: Modcup Coffee Shines In Jersey City2015-07-07·sprudge
We explore Jersey City’s Modcup with owners Travas Clifton and Justin Hicks.
- Build-Outs Of Summer: Roasting And Rolling With Modcup Coffee In Jersey City2014-08-06·sprudge
French bread trucks are so hot right now, and you better believe they’re heating up in Jersey City.…
Flagship cafe
mod01 - The Heights
Jersey City, NJ
Open in maps →Modcup Coffee operates four cafe locations in New Jersey including The Heights, Senate Place Roastery, Hoboken, and Bergen-Lafayette.
For roasters
Cherrybook runs a monthly Roaster Spotlight Series featuring one roaster with an editorial piece and a giveaway. Interested in being featured? See the format or email josh@cherrybookcoffee.com.