ABOUT US
RauchBohne: The Smoked Bean
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In German, RauchBohne means “smoked bean”—a name born from endless trials, errors, and quiet obsession. It’s the story of a small Amsterdam roastery chasing the perfect balance between roast and smoke, in an attempt to revive the ancient earthy-smoky flavors of open-air roasted coffee beans, but in a modern, hygienic way.
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​RauchBohne began as a humble webshop driven by a passion for crafting coffee that celebrates its natural character. Nestled in Amsterdam, our small-batch roastery operates on a per-order basis—no mass production, no shortcuts.
Every step, from roasting and cooling to smoking and packaging, is done manually, with automation limited strictly to administrative tasks. We roast using 360° hot air chambers, not traditional drums, following a precise temperature sequence that preserves the bean’s inherent flavors while avoiding the bitterness of over-roasting. That’s why we exclusively offer Medium (City+) roasts.
Our custom-built cooling machine halts bean development instantly, locking in the perfect roast. Years of experimentation led us to master a proprietary smoking technique, using natural charcoal and cherry wood in carefully timed phases.
The result? A subtle smoky aroma and aftertaste that complements—never masks—the joyful essence of coffee!
Architect of the Process And the Story
Hi, I’m Sam! And yes, I’m not wearing a barista uniform—because I’m not one!
I’m a consultant software engineer, working and living in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
And that has nothing to do with coffee… or does it?
​People often say there’s a “love affair” between software developers
and coffee. That seems to hold true for me. But I also have an intrinsic daily challenge:
the constant urge to create and innovate. Drinking the same base coffee every day,
everywhere, wasn’t giving me the joy that hardworking professionals deserve.​ My story with coffee is a bit funny—it started with experimenting and hacking a regular capsule coffee machine.
Gradually, I ended up buying a high-end piston espresso machine. Yet, that still wasn’t enough. So I went back to my workbench and continued experimenting—not only with bean types and origins, but also with the tools used to dial in the perfect shot. I even handcrafted some tools to make my coffee puck more precise. And finally, I nailed it!​
However, it was still the same coffee every day, no matter how well it was made or what it was mixed with. I realized the essence of coffee could be tweaked.​
It just so happened that, around that period of time, I was totally hooked on smoking whiskey with a dedicated smoking kit. And voilà!! What about smoking the coffee?
​Of course, smoking coffee using the whiskey kit was okay, but not particularly satisfying. I wanted to infuse natural smoke into the bean itself—not just the liquid—to mimic the smoky depth found in beans roasted over open wood fires, just like in the old days. ​That idea led me on a long journey of experimentation with different coffee beans, woods, charcoals, burners, ovens—you name it.
Due to the scarce resources and reliable information about smoking coffee beans, it took me much longer to develop the best possible smoking method. I had to rely on trial, error, and intuition. Eventually, I developed the perfect sequence of smoking phases, wood types, smoking intensity, and tools. I even had to handcraft my own coffee cooling machine and other tools to ensure the recipe was executed properly.
​And if you think all that experimentation and time was worth it—yes, you’re absolutely right. It was totally worth it.​
So how can I share my passion with you?
Check out the RauchBohne Recipes page, where I’ve laid out the how-to’s in the hope that you can recreate the product at home. I’m keen to hear your feedback!
