Four signature roasts, each with its own character, history, and purpose.
Every roast tells a story. We've named ours after figures who embodied the qualities we seek in our coffee—and in our lives.
Blonde Roast
Named after Chien Dao, co-founder of Rittenhouse Coffee. The way of mindful energy.
Highest Caffeine
Medium Roast
Like the emperor who brought balance to Rome. Harmony in every cup.
Balanced
Dark Roast
From Hebrew kings to the King James Bible. Depth, authority, timeless strength.
Bold
Espresso Roast
The Anglo-Saxons built Britain. Bold origins for bold beginnings.
Concentrated
Contrary to popular belief, lighter roasts contain more caffeine. The longer beans are roasted, the more caffeine is burned off.
Named after Chien Dao — our co-founder, Brooklyn architect, and the reason Rittenhouse Coffee exists. His mother named him after Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (道德經), "The Book of the Way and Its Virtue" — the second most translated work in human history after the Bible.
The Tao Te Ching is just 81 brief chapters, yet it has influenced billions: Chinese emperors, Silicon Valley founders, martial artists, quantum physicists. The Dao is not a god or religion — it's the underlying principle of the universe. "道" means "The Way" or "The Path."
Central to Daoist philosophy is Wu wei (無為) — "effortless action." Achieving goals through patient, natural means rather than force. Just as the Tao Te Ching teaches that forcing things often backfires, our blonde roast philosophy is about minimal intervention — letting the bean express its true nature.
"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield."
The Dao Effect: Maximum caffeine preserved through gentle roasting. Bright, complex flavors. The bean's origin story shines through. Best for pour-over, drip, and cold brew.
Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76–138 AD) — the 14th Emperor of Rome and one of the "Five Good Emperors." Unlike his predecessors who expanded through conquest, Hadrian understood that true strength comes from consolidation, not endless expansion.
He built Hadrian's Wall — 73 miles across Britain, not as a sign of aggression, but to define boundaries and bring peace. He rebuilt the Pantheon in Rome — still standing today with the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome, nearly 2,000 years later.
Hadrian was a poet, architect, and philosopher who loved Greek culture. He traveled more than any emperor before him — not to conquer, but to understand. The name "Hadrian" derives from "Hadria," a town in northern Italy that also gave us the Adriatic Sea.
"Balance is not compromise, but mastery."
The Hadrian Profile: Perfect equilibrium between origin brightness and roast depth. Smooth, approachable, yet complex. Best for espresso, French press, and everyday drinking.
The name James traveled through millennia: from Hebrew Ya'akov (Jacob) through Greek Iakobos, Latin Iacomus, and finally English James. It has been borne by apostles, saints, and kings.
King James I united the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603 and commissioned the King James Bible in 1611 — a work that shaped the English language for four centuries. Phrases we still use today: "salt of the earth," "labor of love," "powers that be," "fight the good fight," "thorn in the flesh," "root of all evil."
Six Scottish kings bore the name James (I through VI). Saint James the Greater was one of the twelve Apostles, brother of John. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela ("Saint James of the Field of Stars") has drawn millions for over a thousand years.
"Coffee for moments that matter."
The James Profile: Deep, bold, authoritative. Chocolate and caramel notes emerge. Lower acidity, fuller body. Best for French press, cold brew, and those who like their coffee strong.
The Anglo-Saxons — a fusion of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes from Germany and Denmark — arrived in Britain in the 5th century. They didn't just conquer Britain; they became Britain. "England" itself means "Angle-land."
They gave us the English language — not the fancy Latin words, but the fundamental ones: house, water, mother, father, earth, day, night, love, life, death. They gave us Beowulf, the first great work of English literature. They gave us Alfred the Great — the only English monarch called "Great."
Their legacy runs deeper than any dynasty: common law, the jury system, parliamentary roots, the very concept of England. Every British monarch traces lineage back to Saxon roots. The word "Saxon" likely comes from "seax" — a single-edged blade. Practical, essential, effective.
"Bold, essential, the base upon which great things are built."
The Saxon Profile: Intense, concentrated, unapologetic. Designed for espresso extraction. Rich crema, bold flavor, the foundation for lattes and cappuccinos. For those who want their coffee to wake them up and mean it.