What is the minimum order for green coffee?

Many UK importers sell single bags of 60 kg to 70 kg, and some sell smaller quantities. Buying direct from origin usually means a pallet or a container.

How much does green coffee cost per kg?

Prices move with the futures markets, currency, freight and quality. Ask suppliers for current prices per kg delivered and compare on a landed, per-roasted-kilo basis.

How long does green coffee keep?

Properly stored, many coffees hold well for months, but they slowly lose freshness and character. Buy what you can roast within a sensible period and use first in, first out.

How to buy green coffee for a roastery

From the first sample request to the sacks on your floor: where green coffee comes from, how much to buy, how prices are set, and the checks that stop you paying for a disappointing lot.

9 min read Updated 9 October 2026

Green coffee is your largest variable cost and the biggest influence on what your coffee tastes like. Buying well is a skill built on samples, records and relationships. This guide covers the process most roasteries follow, from the first purchase to buying ahead.

Where green coffee comes from

Source	Typical quantities	What you get
Green coffee importers and merchants	From a single bag, held in UK or EU warehouses	Spot coffee ready to deliver, samples, credit once established, quality claims handled for you
Exporters and cooperatives at origin	Often a pallet to a full container	Closer relationship and traceability; you or an agent handle import, finance and logistics
Producers directly	Varies; usually needs an exporter and importer in the chain	Relationship and story; most risk and admin
Other roasters' surplus	A few bags	Quick, small lots, often at a discount; check age and storage

Most roasteries start with importers and add direct relationships as volume grows. See importers vs direct trade.

Spot or forward

Spot coffee is already landed and sitting in a warehouse; you can taste it, buy it and have it delivered within days. Forward coffee is bought before it ships, sometimes before it is harvested, for delivery months later. Forward buying secures specific lots and can cost less per kilo, but ties you to a volume and a price before you know your sales. New roasteries mostly buy spot.

The buying process

Decide what you need: a role on the menu (blend base, espresso single origin, filter, decaf), a price range per kg and a monthly volume.
Request samples from two or three suppliers for each role. Ask for the lot reference, process, altitude, arrival date, bag size and price per kg delivered.
Sample roast and cup them blind, side by side, with your current coffee as a reference. See samples and sample roasting and grading and cupping.
Check the physical green: moisture, visible defects, screen size and smell. See moisture and density.
Calculate the landed cost per roasted kilo, not just the green price. See landed cost.
Agree terms in writing: price, quantity, delivery, payment terms, and what happens if the delivered coffee does not match the approved sample.
On arrival, cup the delivered coffee against the approved sample before you roast it for customers.
Store it properly and log the lot in your inventory. See storing green coffee.

How much to buy

Buy roughly what you will roast in two to four months for a spot coffee, more for a core blend component you will use all year. Smaller, more frequent purchases protect cash and freshness; larger ones may earn a better price and secure supply of a lot you love. Bag sizes vary by origin, commonly 60 kg, 69 kg or 70 kg, and many importers sell single bags.

How prices are set

Arabica prices are referenced to the ICE coffee futures market in New York (quoted in US cents per pound), robusta to the ICE London market (US dollars per tonne). Commercial coffee often trades as a differential to those markets. Specialty lots are usually fixed-price, reflecting quality, scarcity and relationship as much as the futures market. Your price from an importer also includes their freight, financing, warehousing and margin.

Terms to agree

In writing before you pay

Price per kg, currency and what it includes (delivered, ex-warehouse, or FOB at origin)
Quantity, bag size and lot reference
Delivery or collection date and address
Payment terms
Approval sample and what happens if the delivered coffee differs
Who arranges and pays for haulage
Storage terms if the supplier holds it for you

Where Roastnet helps

Questions roasters ask

What is the minimum order for green coffee?: Many UK importers sell single bags of 60 kg to 70 kg, and some sell smaller quantities. Buying direct from origin usually means a pallet or a container.
How much does green coffee cost per kg?: Prices move with the futures markets, currency, freight and quality. Ask suppliers for current prices per kg delivered and compare on a landed, per-roasted-kilo basis.
How long does green coffee keep?: Properly stored, many coffees hold well for months, but they slowly lose freshness and character. Buy what you can roast within a sensible period and use first in, first out.

Official sources

Rules change. These sources were checked on 9 October 2026; always confirm the current position with the body that publishes them before you act.