Top 5 Best Coffee Roasters in Portland

We all know Portland is no stranger to delicious coffee.  As pioneers of many great local products, it only seems fitting that some of the world's best roasted coffee is made right here in this fantastic city of ours.  As a purveyor and distributor of these fine coffee products let me introduce to you the best coffee you can find, not called Stumptown, in Portland, OR.

Nossa Familia Coffee - www.familyroast.com
Clearly one of the best coffees roasted in Portland.  Nossa Familia gets all of their green coffee beans from their family farm in Brazil.  They've been growing coffee in the rich fertile lands of Brazil for over 100 years and the taste can't be matched.  With superb roasting skills to bring out the best of the coffee bean flavor, you simply can't help but love their coffee.
Where to find them?
2 N. Killingsworth, Portland, 97217 (Ethos Builiding) 
What makes them great?
Single origin coffees can be hit or miss, but when they hit they're out of this world.  Nossa Familia has perfected the art of consistency and quality.  You haven't lived till you've had an Ernesto's latte or a Teodoro's French press.

Cellar Door - www.cellardoorcoffee.com
This is one of our favorite little roasters.  Jeremy and Andrea have been working hard to produce one of the finest coffees you've ever tasted.  That would be good enough for most companies, but not for them.  They strive for perfection from roasting, packaging, and brewing.  Using 100% renewable energy to power their shop and their roaster they're dedicated to helping our environment.
Where to find them?
What makes them great?
Their café has that neighborhood feel that just oozes charm.  From the moment you walk in you can smell the waft of fresh roasted coffee as it seeps up from the cellar.  All of their coffee is hand roasted in small batches ensuring the finest quality.  From drip to espresso, there isn't anything they can't do.

Heart Coffee www.heartroasters.com
Heart Coffee is a new comer to the coffee scene but has made a grand entrance.  Small hand crafted artisan coffee that truly warms the heart.  Highly skilled baristas and great pastries to boot this place is surely a repeat visit.
Where to find them?
2211 E Burnside, Portland, 97214
What makes them great?
You mean besides the expertly pulled shots or the fantastic home baked goods?  The moment you walk into Heart you know you're in for a treat.  With a state of the art roaster located right in the heart of the café and a beautiful espresso machine to match, the ambience can't be topped.  This place is hip- Trendy hip.


Ristretto Roasters - www.ristrettoroasters.com
Ristretto Roasters has been around for a little more than a half a decade.  Time has really favored them as they have perfect their craft.  Artisan crafted coffee that is hand roasted in small batches.  As fine a coffee as I have ever tasted.
Where to find them?
3520 Northeast 42nd Ave, Portland, 97213 
3808 N Williams Ave, Portland, 97227

What makes them great?
Have you ever bought a bag of whole bean coffee that is still warm from the roasting process?  You can at Ristretto.

Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters - www.bluekangaroocoffee.com
Considered an Old World craftsmanship coffee Blue Kangaroo stands out with their roasting process.  Using no formulas or automated recipe cards they simply roast by sight, sound, and smell.  Their process starts with the search for the finest green coffee beans and then roasting those to make the finest black coffee you can drink.

Where to find them?
7901 SE 13th Ave, Portland, OR.

"Heat Exchangers Explained"

Heat exchangers are basically used to transfer heat. Examples where these are used include air-conditioning, car radiators, and fridges. So, what types of heat exchangers are there?
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
As the name suggests, this kind is composed of two types of tube or tube bundles. The first set is filled with the liquid that needs to be either heated up or cooled down. The second set runs next to the first and either heats this set up or cools it down. The shell is the section that surrounds the tube bundles. In general, shell and tube heat exchangers are used in high-pressure and high-temperature operations. Applications include power plants and steam engine locomotives.
Brazed Heat Exchangers
These heat exchangers are a form of plate heat exchanger. They're composed of a number of plates placed parallel to each other with a slight space in between each. Holes in the plates allow fluid to flow between them, and so heat can be transferred. With the more recent introduction of brazing, achieved with a vacuum furnace, heat exchange has become more effective. Also, because this design is smaller than shell and tube exchangers, it can be more effective in certain applications.
Plate Fin Heat Exchangers
In this design, heat is moved between fluids through finned chambers and plates. It's composed of a number of corrugated sheets, each of which is separated by smooth, metal plates. This results in finned chambers. Both hot and cold fluids flow through different layers. The heat transfer occurs through the fins, which also strengthen the structure of these heat exchangers. The fins can come in a number of types: plain, perforated, serrated, and herringbone. Basically, heat moves via a fin to a plate through to the next fin and then onto the subsequent flowing fluid. A main drawback in this design is that it's hard to clean.
Pillow Plate Heat Exchangers
These exchangers are used for cooling purposes. One main example is for cooling milk in the diary industry. A pillow plate is made by spot welding together a thick sheet of metal with a thinner sheet. It gets its name from the bulging appearance it has, which allows the liquids to move. Its design is created due to the fact that the sheets are welded either in a dotted or serpentine pattern. Then, when this enclosed space is put under high pressure, the thinner metal bulges out.
Fluid Heat Exchangers
This involves a shower of liquid through which a gas is pumped. The fluid is then transferred to another area, where it's cooled. The main function of such an exchanger is to cool down gases, but simultaneously, it also removes any contaminants. One application is in espresso machines.
The main role of heat exchangers can be found in their name: They transfer heat. There are a number of types available, each of which has its own benefits and advantages within certain fields and applications.