How it all began

Everyone seems to know someone named Scott Miller. I happen to be the one who spent 25yrs working as a construction manager in central PA while roasting coffee on the side since 2010.

My interest in coffee beans began in 2003 while working on Penn State’s Main campus. I noticed a distinct aroma blowing across my jobsite in the early morning air. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I thought it might be from one of the dining halls or bakeries, but it just didn’t seem like that is what it was. So, I decided to follow my nose in town where I found the owner of a small specialty shop roasting coffee beans which I had never seen done before. I spent the next several early mornings with him gaining an introduction to the craft of roasting. This is what sparked my interest to learn everything there was to know about coffee beans and the roasting process.

My first step involved purchasing a small Behmor 1600 home coffee roaster which is about the size of a large toaster oven. For the next few years, I experimented and took detailed notes while roasting, sampling, and dialing in my personal roasting approach. Eventually, I developed a process that resulted in great coffee and began sharing it with friends and neighbors. Demand quickly outgrew my available time to roast, so I decided to take the next step and increase production.

In 2008 I purchased a commercial grade coffee roaster and converted my den into a roasting room. I selected a Diedrich IR-3 with manual controls so I would truly learn how to manage all aspects of roasting. After receiving professional training, I returned home and recreated my small batch approach in a scaled up fashion for my new larger commercial roaster. By 2010, I opened a website to take orders during the week and roasted on the weekends. Local customers began picking up their beans on my front porch and I shipped to customers outside of the area. In January 2022, I decided to make roasting my full time career.

My journey to this point has spanned over 20 and began with a discovery of a small roaster through my sense of smell. Today, the aroma of my coffee can be enjoyed while I’m roasting in Hollidaysburg and while my customers are brewing in their homes.

Appalachian Coffee Roasters is all about connecting coffee lovers with craft-roasted beans. As the business Owner and roaster, I personally manage every part of the bean roasting process and enjoy sharing in my customers’ coffee experiences.

Whole or ground coffee beans can be ordered by the pound on-line, via text, or by phone. Freshly brewed coffee can be enjoyed by visiting select local coffee shops. Best of all, coffee can be shared with friends and other coffee lovers as a gift. I will soon be offering a personalized coffee experience for those who desire a customized roasting process paired with their own personalized blend of beans. If you are unsure where to begin, select “roaster’s choice” and I’ll make the first selection towards finding your perfect bean.

Scott Miller
Owner / Roaster