Half of us think a wholesale partner should match our grinder. The other half think a coffee that only works on one burr set is not finished yet.

The compromise is that we dial in on whatever machine you own, then adjust the roast the following month if it fights us. This is slower than issuing a recipe card, and it has kept eleven cafes pouring the same coffee for years.

It means the first month with a new partner is mostly notes back and forth, adjustments on our end, not theirs, because the coffee has to work on their equipment, not the other way around.

The argument is not resolved. It resurfaces every crop change, which is probably healthy, because it means neither side of that disagreement has gotten lazy about defending their position, and the roast keeps getting checked against reality instead of habit.