SwitchBack Coffee Roasters

Although gourmet coffee is always a good idea, it should be geared to those who love coffee. I bought a bag of Mexican coffee and was completely disappointed. After making two batches, I still could not get it dark enough to actually taste the coffee. It tasted like slightly smoky water. For $ 15 I expected much more. I will not buy again.

Love the ambience of this coffee place. It has a chill vibe and all the employees were really friendly. Definitely worth the visit!

First things first: SwitchBack does mainly roasting – you can have their coffee served NEXT DOOR at Fifty Fifty. The same guys owns both.
Speaking of, I met Brandon the owner because I walked over from Fifty Fifty. He’s a great guy, extremely personable, and loves coffee. I gave Fifty Fifty a great review before I met and spoke with Brandon because the place has great coffee and service. It’s not hard to see why now.
Brandon also gave me his recommendations for other coffee places he loves in other areas when I told him I was traveling. Heather, another roaster, was there and was extremely friendly and helpful as well.
If you want great coffee, go to Fifty Fifty next door. If you want to see where it’s made and talk to the owner who is really nice and passionate about coffee, stop at SwitchBack and see if Brandon is in.

While I was visiting Colorado Springs last week I was in desperate need for whole bean coffee to bring back home with me. I heard about this place from a friend and the positive Unilocal reviews so I decided to check it out when I had some free time. I arrived and I first felt like I was intruding on the roasters. The roasters were just finishing a cupping and I quickly realized I was in their office. I thought it was going to be coffee shop but it wasn’t. Rather it was a small single room with a large probate roaster and tons burlap bags of coffee. Once the roasters realized I was in their store they were hospitable, engaging and helpful. They asked me what kind of coffee I enjoyed in the past and assisted me to find the coffees he believed I would enjoy the most. The roasters were friendly and down to earth. I couldn’t find any coffee snobbery that is common in the industry. We swapped stories about our favorite coffees and he hooked me up with two bags of coffee. I was surprised to discover the cost of the whole bean coffee to be very reasonable $ 13 a pound. He could easily be charging $ 18. Also they had simple straight forward flavor descriptions on all of their coffee. The only thing I was disappointed in was that I couldn’t stay longer. This morning I made a pour over of their Colombian and it is fantastic. If I lived in Colorado Springs I would only get my coffee from them. They also have a their coffee in a number of coffeeshops in the area is if you cant make it here you can try it at either fifty-​fifty, wild goose or peak place.
Overview
Pros
–good price
–friendly, humble, and knowledgeable staff
–locally roasted
–descriptive coffee profiles.
Cons
–not a good hang out place, but there is a coffee shop next door (fifty-​fifty).

I will try and keep this short while describing the best customer experience ever! We recently moved to Colorado Springs, and had read about this place. Nothing could prepare us for how great switchback truly is ! Nathan took the time to describe all their coffees and advance our knowledge on roasting. We had three samples: winter beard, Kenya coffee having been aged in wine barrels, and Papua new Guinea. All of which exceeded my expectations!!! We have never been to a place that was so friendly and passionate about their trade. I can’t be more adamant about how awesome this business is.

As both a coffee roaster and a small local business, this place nails it. The owners are friendly and EXTREMELY helpful, the product is GREAT, and their prices are very reasonable. When I arrived, the owner currently working quickly explained their business, helped me choose a coffee, and expertly brewed a cup of my selected coffee for me to sample (for free!). He also managed to share a lot of coffee knowledge without sounding at all pretentious which is an impressive feat. I followed his advice and also bought a sample bag to give as a gift. The coffee they helped me choose is exactly what I was hoping for and flavor is amazing. If I lived nearby, I doubt I’d ever buy coffee anywhere else. With their reasonable shipping prices, it’s very likely I’ll continue to buy from them on a fairly regular basis. GREAT job!

For anyone looking for fresh, nicely roasted coffee beans, this is the place. Always a nice variety to choose from, be it an old favorite or a new taste. And the owners, Kyle and Nate, are always enthusiastic to share their coffee expertise. Great roasters with a great vibe.

Best roaster in the springs, hands down. The guys put a lot of effort into the sourcing and roasting of their coffees to give us, the consumers, the best experience possible for our daily coffee rituals. They’re also ready and willing to impart their coffee knowledge to anyone who is willing to learn… without any pretentiousness! Go check ‘em out, you’ll be happy you did.

This coffee is as good as it gets! I’ve been buying coffee here since the spring, and even though I have since moved away from the Springs, I have yet to find better coffee. I’ve tried a lot of different coffees and Switchback has the best coffee at the best price I have ever found. I order their coffee online now, and they are very helpful and accommodating for whatever I ask. I would highly recommend their coffee, whether you live in Colorado or not! And if you do, definitely stop in and check them out!

This place is AWESOME. Friendly, accessible, and run by true artisans. One week I was without a grinder and sheepishly asked them to grind my beans for me. In other coffee roasters in town I’ve been met with a sales pitch for a grinder in this case. However, SwitchBack is different –they happily ground my beans without judgment or a sales pitch! The Peak Bagger blend is the best I’ve found in town! Thanks, guys!

Okay, I have to admit that I don’t actually drink coffee, but I am in this place quite frequently to buy coffee to send to my boyfriend in Afghanistan and he definitely gives it five star reviews. The Tanzania Peaberry is one of his favorites.
Their hours are a bit odd, but this is because they are only a roasting company, not a coffee shop. It’s worth it to me to make the extra effort to get over there to send my BF something that is a good quality product. Plus, I like supporting local businesses when I can. They do sell some coffee accessories, in addition to coffee, but otherwise the shop is pretty bare-​bones… just a storefront with coffee.
I’ve delt w several different staff members and they are all very helpful and polite. As of summer/​fall 2013, their prices are generally $ 12.99−13.99 per 1 lb. bag, which is pretty competitive, especially once you realize that many of the bigger commercial brands are selling 10 – 12 ounce bags.
They have a great website that lists their current coffees as well as their hours (hours are under FAQ’s). They also do flat rate shipping anywhere in the US for $ 4.99.
Overall, I genuinely like this place and the way they do business, which seems good for a non-​coffee drinker :-)

This is a class act coffee shop. If you love coffee, and want to get the best possible product then this is by far the best place to go in Colorado Springs. Kyle graciously took me through their process for bean selection, roasting, and brewing and I had a cup of coffee like none I’ve ever tasted.
If you are a coffee aficionado or a wannabe like me, check it out.

Hands down, the best place for coffee in the Springs. Besides being thoughtful, knowledgeable and gregarious fellows, the product is UNPARALLELED. if you get excited about really good coffee, you should already be going here.

I am an unashamed coffee connoisseur (read «snob»). I was very excited to find Switchback. The coffee is EXCELLENT with a capital everything, and Kyle and Nate are really great guys. (I don’t dislike the third bloke, I just haven’t met him, yet.) When you need coffee beans go see these guys.

Great small batch roaster! These guys know what they’re doing and the coffee is high quality. Highly recommended. Drop by and check them out!

I am so glad to have found this gem in my neighborhood! The guys at SwitchBack are absolutely wonderful. You can tell when you walk in that coffee is their passion, and they are so excited to be there. They are very knowledgable and are happy to impart that knowledge on you. They are also incredibly accommodating, offering sampler packs of different roasts to help you find your perfect cup! They’ll even brew you a cup if you have time to hang out! There’s no pretension here (unlike some other places…), just happy guys doing what they love and sharing it with the world. Thank you for the delicious coffee!

I love what they do here! Being a small-​batch roaster, they are able to get the perfect roast for each lot of beans they get in. They brought me into the joy of good coffee. There are so many myths out there, so many different opinions, so many different techniques… the guys here are so helpful to talk you through it all. It’s a great place to go to just talk coffee.
They don’t sell cups of coffee — but they are more than happy to brew up a fresh cup for you and demonstrate how a fresh roasted, fresh brewed cup of coffee should be. They will tell you the styles and techniques they use and what they are looking for, but they aren’t snobbish about it.
With a full range of manual brewing products to demonstrate and purchase, they are perfectly capable of getting you set up to have the best cup of coffee at your office or home.
Check them out!

You know that feeling of walking into a high-​end store and having the sales people patiently wait on you to find exactly what you’re looking for? No? I hadn’t either until I stopped by SwitchBack Coffee Roasters this week. Not that the place emits an exclusive vibe; it’s wonderfully laid back. While their coffee – perfectly roasted and expertly brewed – is top-​notch, the prices are absolutely reasonable.
I entered the tiny shop and was immediately asked what kind of coffee I prefer. I was looking for a dark, full-​bodied Indonesian bean so the owner quickly whipped up two pour-​overs that I could compare. While they have several single-​origin beans (roasted and green) available at any given time, Kyle offered me their Sumatra and Christmas Blend. Both cups were incredible – deep, complex, lingering and everything coffee should be. Their Sumatra has a typical earthy flavor, well-​balanced and heavy. The Christmas Blend had similar body but was accompanied by sparkling high notes. (I chose a bag of just-​roasted-​and-​still-​toasty Sumatra beans.)
SwitchBack Coffee Roasters doesn’t do brewed coffee to go, so if you’re looking for a quick joe this might not be your best bet. But if you’ve got a couple minutes to wait and want to learn how to create outstanding coffee at home, swing in. You won’t be disappointed.

Switchback has been around for a little while, selling small batches of freshly roasted coffee to friends, family and local coffee shops such as Jives. As of TODAY they’ve opened a store front at 1635 W. Colorado Ave. They’re having an open house until 5pm Friday and Saturday. Sooo go check them out and support local business!