WELCOME TO THE STORY OF COFFEE ON THE PORCH
Retired teacher, noted photographer, and master roaster, Dan Dishner, spent many evening and weekend hours experimenting with different origins of beans from around the world in pursuit of creating the perfect cup of coffee.
Dan tried various combinations of several origins and roasts levels until he came up with perfect combinations. Amen Again was among the first that commanded a hands thrown up in the air followed by a shout of “WHOA I DID IT!”
A unique fun fact about Coffee on the Porch is that it was never intended to be a business. It was always about enjoying delicious coffee and sharing it with family and friends. Dan & his wife Judy began inviting family and loved ones over on Friday mornings to delight in Dan’s artistry.
One of these friends convinced Dan to start selling his creations, and slowly but surely the word got out: first to friends and acquaintances, then online and in a few local stores. Over the next few years the buzz spread and COTP gained a loyal following. Coffee on the Porch® was born and is now in over 40 local stores, schooners, restaurants, and cafes and enjoyed by coffee lovers and connoisseurs across the country.
Coffee On The Porch Family & Friends Photo Archives
Meet Your Roasters - Dan Dishner and His Son, Jesse Dishner.
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Dan Dishner
Region: Born in Economy, Indiana and moved to Maine after high school.
Grade/Rating: A+ / Excellent at roasting and blending specialty coffees.
Altitude: 1.778 meters (5’10” Tall)
Varietals: German, English, & Cherokee
Harvest Month: February
Hobbies: I love photography, spending time with my family, working with my hands, being in the outdoors, reading, and selecting fine coffee.
Favorite Genre of Music: Instrumental
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Jesse Dishner
Region: Born in Lincolnville, Maine. Lived in Chicago for 23 years. Currently lives in Camden.
Grade/Rating: A+ / Excellent at picking single origin beans
Altitude: 1.8796 meters (6’2” Tall)
Varietals: English, Irish, German, Welsh, Cherokee
Harvest Month: June
Hobbies: Family Life, reading books, writing, listening to music.
Favorite Genre of Music: African Gospel
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Behind The Beans
We are a micro-roaster (under 50k lbs./year) using a 5K roaster from US Roaster Corp in Oklahoma City. Each batch produces about ten pounds of roasted coffee. Because of our small batch size, we roast several days each week to keep our customers supplied with fresh coffee. A distinguishing characteristic of our coffee is the complexity: several of our blends have six or more different origins. The result is a more nuanced cup of coffee that is nearly impossible to match with a blend of two or three beans or a single origin.
Q & A
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What inspired the name Coffee On The Porch?
Coffee on the Porch was actually an event that started years ago with just a friend and myself. We would meet Friday mornings in the summer to sample my coffee on the porch and talk about coffee, family and life. At some point other family and friends joined us and it became a summer event that at times had over twenty people. Once I decided to start the business it only seemed fitting to call it “Coffee on the Porch”.
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What’s your favorite way to brew coffee and why?
If I am not in a hurry, my favorite cup of coffee is doing a pour-over. To me, this is the best way to experience the best of a roast. That being said, I love the French press. I use it for most of my coffee brews. I have a whole procedure that I do from pre-heating everything to using a timer. And a burr grinder of course. With the French press you can make more than one cup and if you have a carafe you are good for the day.
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How do you come up with blends that work?
When I first started roasting coffee for myself I would roast enough coffee to last me about a week. I started buying beans from different countries, roasting them at different levels and trying them with other origins of beans. I took a lot of notes, did a lot of cupping and rated what worked well together. We still roast and sell many of those same blends today.
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How do you select your greens?
We begin with focusing on the different characteristics of the origins and what those profiles are best used for. Recently we started offering single origins alongside our signature roasts and specialty blends, and this selection process involves researching the characteristics of the region as well as the profile of each offering. We then roast and cup several samples and select our favorite lots. Our goal is to offer a variety of premium single origin coffees our customers will love.