The Art of Business

J.B. Peel Coffee Roasters

There’s nothing like a good cup of coffee, especially when it’s freshly roasted, certified organic, Arabica coffee from the J.B. Peel Coffee Company.

Gil Klein, owner of the company, located on North Broadway in Red Hook, knew he’d mastered the art of coffee roasting when people began traveling all the way from Manhattan to enjoy his signature roasts.

“I’m no magician,” said Klein, who grew up near Manhattan. “Roasting coffee entails experience and know-how.”

Both of which Klein has plenty of. His 30-year history in the gourmet coffee business began in San Francisco when he became director of operations at a coffee company. Klein lived with his wife in San Francisco for 18 years until, 12 years ago, he jumped at the opportunity to open his own business in Red Hook. Having summer camped in Rhinebeck as a child, he knew the area and felt it was a great place to bring up his two kids.

Since then business has been bustling for Klein, who also sells his beans wholesale to restaurants and gourmet stores including: Dean and Deluca in Manhattan, Home, Gallos, and Heaven restaurants in Woodstock, and 40 West, Beekman Arms and the Rhinebeck Health Food Store in Rhinebeck. This success Klein attributes to the simple fact that his beans are roasted and ground the same day of shipment. Not to mention, he uses only “the best Columbian coffee you can buy.” Unlike Robusta coffee which is used by most supermarket brands and contains a high percentage of defects, Klein explains, his coffee is the highest quality green Arabica coffee in which no defects are allowed.

“We roast in the more romantic way,” said Klein, pointing to a big old German roasting machine at the back of the store, roasting 13 pounds of beans an hour. “It’s harder than hitting a button,” he said, referring to the computerized method of roasting employed by most coffee roasters today. Instead Klein “sight roasts” his beans, a process by which the roasting is under his constant supervision. And to decaffeinate his coffee, Klein uses the Swiss water process instead of the more typical chemical process, he said.

J.B. Peel features traditional as well as special coffee blends named after nearby towns such as the “Rhinebeck”, “Clermont” and “Red Hook” blends.

As far as flavored coffee goes, “I’m not a snobby purist in that way,” Klein said. He offers 35 different flavors, which are mixed in liquid form and added to the beans after roasting.

And what is the future of J.B. Peel? Klein has no ambition “to make it big.” He’d rather continue making quality coffee with the ensured consistency that his small business allows and have the extra time to spend with his family.

J.B, Peel Coffee is located at 7582 North Broadway, in Red Hook. For more information, call 758-1793, or visit www.jbpeelcoffee.com.

—Becca Pedinotti