Coffee and tea blenders
Vanilla that scents a blend without coating it
In a blend, vanilla is not the product, it is what makes the product recognisable. Too little and the customer does not notice. Too much and it stops smelling of coffee.
What decides in your trade
Dry blends carry aroma differently
A tea or coffee blend releases its vanilla in the cup, not in the bag, and a dry contact transfers far less than an infusion would. Ground beans and powder work better here than whole pods, because surface area is what does the work.
Roasting comes before blending, or after
Vanilla added before roasting will not survive it. Added after, it scents the beans without being cooked. This decides the format you buy and the dose you need, so settle it before asking for a price.
Visible pieces are part of the product
In a loose leaf tea, visible vanilla pieces read as quality and justify a price. In a ground coffee they are invisible. Whether you need to see it changes what you should order.
Cost per kilo of finished blend
You dose in grams per kilo of blend, so the figure that matters is the vanilla cost per kilo of what you sell. At those doses, a cheaper grade often makes more sense than a premium one.
What we supply for this use
Volumes
Roasters and blenders usually order between 5 and 50 kg a year, sometimes less. Small quantities are welcome: under 10 kg you receive an indicative price list rather than a bespoke quotation.
Questions we get asked
Whole pods or ground vanilla for a blend?
Ground vanilla and powder transfer far more aroma in a dry blend, because surface area does the work. Whole pods or visible pieces make sense when you want the customer to see them in a loose leaf tea.
Does vanilla survive coffee roasting?
Not well. Roasting temperatures destroy most of what makes vanilla worth buying. Blenders normally add it after roasting, which also gives more control over the dose.
What grade for a scented blend?
Usually a drier, less expensive grade. At doses of a few grams per kilo of blend, paying for gourmet appearance buys you nothing your customer can perceive.