Journey of The Coffee Bean: From Plantations to the Tchibo Roasters

Tchibo, a name synonymous with quality coffee, sources its beans from around the globe, particularly South America and Southeast Asia. Starting its journey on a coffee plantation, the beans travel a great distance before reaching Hamburg, where they are destined to become part of your favourite Tchibo coffees. How do the raw beans endure the trek while preserving their independent characteristics which give your Tchibo coffee its unique taste? Let's traverse this journey together.

From Plantation to Port: A Journey Begins

Even in the face of modernisation, the traditional method of shipping is preferred for coffee transport. Roughly 80% of the exported coffee is shipped as loose bulk goods in containers, while high-quality coff with lesser harvest volumes are still packed in sacks, an age-old practice.

The voyage from South America to Hamburg or Bremen takes approximately two to three weeks. Ensuring raw coffee beans withstand the travel without any quality loss is paramount. Therefore, the storage aboard is dry and as temperature resistant as possible.

Upon arrival at the destination port, Tchibo's coffee experts sample the beans to detect any deviations in quality or signs of damage.

From Port to Roastery: The Final Stretch

Before finally reaching the roastery, coffee may be stored at a warehouse. The containers are transported from the port to the warehouse, and the coffee beans are unloaded. Depending on the condition they were transported in, the beans may be transferred from containers or sacks into silos, or they might be stored in sacks, stacked on pallets in warehouses.

From these warehouses, the raw coffee sets off for the next stage of its journey: the Tchibo roasteries. Here, our coffee roasters, armed with an immense amount of love and passion for coffee, craft your splendid Tchibo coffee.

As the curtains draw on our tale, we invite you to explore more about:

• Coffee Cultivation
• Coffee Trade
• Roasting Techniques
• Roasting Levels