850 Roasters Shipshewana, Indiana

Low-acid coffee, air roasted.

Roasted in small batches by Norman Yoder and his family. Sold through Wellspring Components.

See the coffeeWholesale

How 850 Roasters started

Norman Yoder had trouble with coffee for years. Most coffee is roasted for brightness, and brightness usually comes with acidity. He found that lower-acid coffee sat better with him, and he liked the milder taste.

He went looking for low-acid green beans, and at first a local roaster roasted them. When the Yoders started selling it, they set up the packaging as a work program for women receiving care at a mental health facility. Before long Norman wanted control over both the beans and the roast, so he started roasting it himself.

The name comes from the road. The business is on 850 West, and for more than ten years the family ran a community building there called the 850 Center.

Norman does the roasting. His wife and their grandchildren pack the bags and fill the K-Cups, and women from the facility still help when they can.

He has spent years developing barbecue sauces and seasonings, and coffee was a natural next step. Rather than build a big coffee company, he wanted 850 Roasters to be a mission for God's kingdom.

Green coffee beans in an open burlap sack

“A light went on when I drank some low-acid coffee and felt good.”

Norman Yoder

How we roast

Every coffee is roasted here in Shipshewana, then destoned, bagged and dated.

  1. Beans turning in the roaster, seen through the sight glass

    Roasted with air

    We roast on a Valenta-7 fluid bed roaster, which uses hot air instead of a heated drum. The air lifts and turns the beans as they roast and separates the chaff, which is carried out with the smoke through a filter. Most large roasters use drum roasters, where chaff can scorch in the drum and add a smoky, bitter taste.

    The roaster holds the same roast profile whether the batch is large or small. We settle on the roast level for each coffee by roasting and tasting until we find what suits that bean.

  2. Roasted beans pouring into the cooling tray

    Cooled and destoned

    The roasted beans drop into a cooling tray. Once they cool, they go through a destoner, which pulls out any small stones that came in with the green coffee, so none reach your grinder.

  3. Roasted beans poured from a scoop into the bag funnel

    Bagged and dated

    The coffee is sealed in kraft bags with a one-way valve and a resealable zipper. The valve lets fresh coffee release gas without letting air in. Each roast is dated.

We roast anywhere from a couple of times a week to nearly every day so stock stays fresh. Orders for coffee shops are roasted to order. Nothing is added to the beans.

The coffee

Twelve coffees in two groups. All are sold through Wellspring Components, and each link takes you to that coffee's page there.

Low-acid coffees

12 oz bags · 5 lb bulk · 12-count K-Cups

Chosen for low acidity. Many of our customers drink these because other coffee was too acidic for them.

Bright coffees

1 lb bags · 5 lb bulk

More acidity and brightness, for people who like a livelier cup.

For coffee shops and businesses

We supply coffee shops and other businesses with any of our coffees, roasted to order. Many shops ask for a particular roast level, and we can roast to that.

Call Norman at (260) 768-7336 ext. 204, or send a note below and we'll get back to you.

Where to buy

  • Online

    All 850 Roasters coffee is sold through Wellspring Components.

    Shop coffee at Wellspring

  • In person

    Stop by the counter at Wellspring Components.

    1085 N 850 W
    Shipshewana, IN 46565

  • Local stores

    You may find 850 Roasters at stores in the area. If yours doesn't carry it, ask them.

Common questions

What makes a coffee low-acid?

Mostly the bean itself. Coffees grown at lower altitudes, and many Indonesian coffees, tend to be lower in acid. Roast level matters too: longer, darker roasts generally reduce acidity. We choose beans with that in mind, then set each roast to suit the bean.

Is there mold or mycotoxins in coffee?

Mycotoxins are compounds produced by certain molds. They’re found in small amounts in many crops, including grains, nuts, dried fruit and coffee. In coffee, the risk is controlled mainly on the farm and in storage, through proper drying and stable, dry storage, and lots that show mold are rejected at grading. Roasting kills mold but doesn’t reliably remove mycotoxins already present, which is why where the beans come from matters more than the roast. Levels in specialty coffee are typically very low.

For a fuller explanation, see Mycotoxins in Coffee: What You Actually Need to Know by Evan Kluender.

How should I store coffee?

Keep it in the sealed bag or an airtight container, away from heat and light. Coffee goes stale faster once it’s ground, so grind just before brewing if you can. If you have more than you’ll use soon, freezing helps: seal it airtight, freeze only what you won’t need right away, and avoid taking it in and out, which causes condensation.

Whole bean or ground?

Online orders are whole bean. If you’d like it ground, call or stop by Wellspring and we’ll grind any coffee at no extra charge.

Do you make K-Cups?

Yes. Most of the low-acid coffees come in 12-count boxes, and every K-Cup is filled by hand.

Shop at Wellspring(260) 768-7336