LightSweet AromaticsCocoaOverall Sweet
51CBI
$5.67/oz
Typical $3.55 to $6.78/oz
Limited comparison
Roaster · Kailua, HI
Tradition Coffee Roasters
On YouTube
Meet the roaster on camera
About the roasterBrand film
San Francisco coffee roaster stays grounded in decades-old tradition
KPIX | CBS NEWS BAY AREA
Watch on YouTubeCherrybook summary of the video
This video profiles Tradition Coffee Roasters, a fourth-generation family-owned roaster in San Francisco. It highlights their commitment to traditional roasting methods, including the use of a fluid bed roaster that allows for lower temperature roasting.
Inside this video
From KPIX | CBS NEWS BAY AREA:
“Usually the term is said keep your eye on the ball, but we talk about keeping our eye on the bean.”
“A difference of 2 degrees Fahrenheit can change the taste of the coffee.”
Videos by their credited creators. Playing a video connects to YouTube. Privacy
The roaster
12 lots in stock, mostly United States, Colombia and Costa Rica.
- In stock
- 12
- House Index · limited data
- 45
- Save at Tradition Coffee Roasters
- Subscribe to Coffee Club for free monthly shippingFree shipping over $150Free upgrade to express shipping when ordering 2+ bags
OriginsUnited StatesColombiaCosta Rica
Roaster at a glance
- Tracked since
- May 202613 lots seen; 12 in stock now
- Origins
- 3 countriesColombia, United States, Costa Rica
- Process mix
- Other 83% · Natural 8% · Experimental 8%
- Sourcing
- 17% of lots name the producer or farm2 of 12
- Coverage
- 2 editorial mentionsVideos and articles about the roaster, not by it
- Their channels
- Instagram ↗YouTube ↗TikTok ↗Facebook ↗YouTube: 5 videos, 330 subscribers, last upload May 2026
- Where to find them
- Cafe in Kailua, HI905 Kalanianaʻole Highway #3201
- Merch
- 9 items in stock
How Cherrybook Index is calculatedavg coverage 10% · limited data
Coverage is below 50%. No Reddit or YouTube roaster-level signal is on file. 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 reflects the limited per-lot evidence plus the methodology's neutral baseline.
Roaster signals
Apply to every lot from this roaster.
- Reddit—weight 0%
- YouTube—weight 10%
Per-lot signals (averaged)
Vary across lots; averaged over 12 in-stock lots.
- SCA gradenot on file · weight 25%
- Coffee Review65/1003/12 lots · weight 20%
- On-shop ratingsnot on file · weight 12%
- Cherrybook reader ratingsnot on file · weight 30%
- Transparency32.9/10012/12 lots · weight 5%
Bonuses earned (per lot)
- stale decay12/12
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
12 in stock · 1 archived
LightCocoaBrown RoastOverall Sweet
50CBI
$5.67/oz
Typical $3.50 to $6.69/oz
Limited comparison
Elite Lot: El Vergel
Expect Tropical Fruit, Sweet, and Candy Like from this anaerobic natural lot.
Tolima, CO · Anaerobic Natural
LightTropical FruitRaspberryOverall Sweet+2
50CBI
$8.25/oz
Typical $2.77 to $4.41/oz
Broad comparison
Espresso Decaf
Cupping notes point toward Cocoa, Creamy, and Balanced.
MediumCocoa
49CBI
$2.08/oz
Typical $1.63 to $3.12/oz
Limited comparison
LightNougatWalnutBlack Tea+1
47CBI
—
LightFloralOverall Sweet
43CBI
$2.00/oz
Typical $2.09 to $3.99/oz
Limited comparison
Lava Legacy — Dark Roast
Roaster flags Rich, Roasty, and Earthy in the cup.
DarkMineralBrown RoastRoasted
43CBI
$2.00/oz
Typical $1.60 to $3.06/oz
Limited comparison
Aloha Blend
Roaster flags Brown Sugar, Key Lime Pie, and Macadamia Nut in the cup.
LightBrown SugarLimeNutty
43CBI
$3.08/oz
Typical $1.77 to $3.38/oz
Limited comparison
Firehouse
Cupping notes point toward Nutty, Cocoa, and Balanced.
MediumNuttyCocoaOverall Sweet
41CBI
$1.67/oz
Typical $1.72 to $3.29/oz
Limited comparison
Marine Reconnaissance Foundation Coffee
Think Clean Minerality, Earthy Depth, and Comforting Finish.
DarkOther
41CBI
$2.00/oz
Typical $1.69 to $3.23/oz
Limited comparison
Swiss Water Decaf
Roaster flags Creamy Cocoa, Nutmeg, and Molasses in the cup.
MediumCocoaNutmegMolasses
41CBI
$2.08/oz
Typical $1.63 to $3.12/oz
Limited comparison
Espresso - National Award Winner
Cupping notes point toward Caramel and Cream.
MediumCaramelOverall Sweet
40CBI
$2.00/oz
Typical $1.63 to $3.11/oz
Limited comparison
Also available · subscriptions, sample packs, gear
Kailua Cold Brew
Roaster flags Sweet, Cocoa, and Fruity in the cup.
MediumSweet AromaticsCocoaFruity
41CBI
$1.92/oz
Tradition Coffee Gift Card
Not much signal yet; the detail page has what we know.
—
Archived (1)
Bourbon Barrel
Roaster flags Bourbon, Caramel, and Malt in the cup.
MediumWhiskeyCaramelMalt+1
48CBI
$4.25/oz
Out of stock
Flagship cafe
Tradition Cafe and Roastery
905 Kalanianaʻole Highway #3201, Kailua, HI
Open in maps →Flagship cafe and roastery in Kailua, Hawaii with daily operating hours.
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.