Wholesale Coffee Pricing: Survey of 40+ Roasters Reveals Rates and 2027 Outlook

A roastery in the northwestern United States, roasting roughly 130,000 pounds annually, sells its top-selling wholesale coffee at $13.50 per pound—above the $12.85 median from our survey. Yet in the 2026 survey, this roaster chose the statement “We know we aren’t charging enough for what it costs us to produce.” The same company intends to raise prices in 2027.

That sentiment—feeling underpaid relative to production costs—permeates the wholesale pricing survey our website conducted this summer. We gathered 42 responses covering wholesale pricing, margins, and plans for the coming year. In August, roasters used the survey to share what they wish wholesale clients understood. Now we turn to the data.

All participating roasters are based in the United States, ranging from companies roasting up to 500,000 pounds per year to one-person startups. Most preferred anonymity.

While the sample is modest, the pricing figures and comments offer a directional view of how roasters perceive their pricing structures and where they intend to go.

2026 Wholesale Coffee Prices

We asked roasters to state the per-pound price of their wholesale coffee when sold in bulk—typically a five-pound bag. The question covered standard offerings only; roasters were told to exclude limited-release or otherwise special higher-priced coffees.

First, we inquired about each roaster’s most-purchased wholesale coffee, usually an espresso or daily-driver blend. The median price for these top sellers was $12.85 per pound.

More than half of the roasters (24) price their most-purchased coffee between $12 and $14 per pound. Ten charge under $12, and eight charge over $14. Across these top sellers, prices spanned from $10 to $17.99 per pound.

A roaster’s full range—from cheapest to most expensive standard wholesale coffee—is considerably broader. For the median roaster, the lineup runs from $12 to $15 per pound. A few reported much wider spreads. For instance, a roaster in Battlefield, Missouri, roasting about 145,000 pounds a year, prices its lineup from $11 to $24 per pound, while its most-purchased coffee sells for $12.95.

Is Current Pricing Sufficient?

We posed the question: “How do you feel about your current wholesale pricing strategy?” and offered three choices. Of the 37 who responded, 16 (43%) selected “We are charging enough to sustain and grow the business.” Another 15 (41%) chose “We are making it work, but absorbing too many rising costs,” and 6 (16%) picked “We know we aren’t charging enough for what it costs us to produce.”

Those selecting the last option generally charged less. Among the five who provided detailed pricing, the median most-purchased coffee sold for $11.75 per pound—well below the $12.85 overall median. For roasters who said they charge enough to sustain and grow, the median was $12.83.

Even some charging above the median still feel they aren’t charging enough. Evans Brothers in Sandpoint, Idaho, bases its wholesale price on all-in costs: green coffee, shipping, shrinkage (weight lost during roasting), roaster labor, power, and delivery. “We look for a minimum 40% margin on that cost,” says founder Rick Evans.

With volatile green coffee prices and rising labor and supply costs, getting the math right is difficult even for experienced roasters. “Wholesale pricing is often one of the most difficult things roasters grapple with,” says Jared Trimbo, founder of Full Keel Coffee, which roasts about 35,000 pounds a year in Washburn, Wisconsin. Full Keel chose “We are making it work, but absorbing too many rising costs,” but says it plans to keep wholesale prices unchanged in 2027.

Who Will Raise Prices in 2027?

We also asked, “In 2027, which will happen?” Of the 37 roasters, 19 (52%) chose “We will raise wholesale prices.” Seventeen (45%) chose “We will keep wholesale prices the same,” and only one (3%) chose “We will lower wholesale prices.”

Some increases will be small and gradual. Chapter One: Coffee & Tea, which operates Lakeside Coffee Roasters in Rouses Point, New York, and roasts about 90,000 pounds a year, reviews costs annually. “The more a customer orders, we’re inclined to keep their pricing low and will only raise their costs marginally when we recost beans during our annual review,” says Chapter One’s founder, Chris Rosenquest.

Other roasters are raising prices from a position of strength. La Prima Espresso, a Pittsburgh roaster, chose “We are charging enough to sustain and grow the business,” yet still plans an increase. Ron Kosko, director of operations at La Prima, advises roasters to know exactly what each product costs. “Make certain every revenue stream or singular product has a clear understanding of every expense that is directly tied to the revenue stream,” he says. “No loss leaders.”

Not everyone is moving prices up. One roaster chose “We will lower wholesale prices” despite also selecting “We are making it work, but absorbing too many rising costs.” That was Alex Eliscu Kipling of Aquarela Coffee, a farm-direct roaster in Los Angeles, who cited trade policy and harvest outlook as reasons for the decrease. “Prices will fall in 2027 because (for now) there are no tariffs,” Alex says. “It also is going to be a healthy harvest year, so we can probably manage farm purchases better as well.”

For cafés, the survey provides a practical signal. Two-thirds of roasters who chose “We are making it work, but absorbing too many rising costs” plan to raise prices in 2027. If your roaster has spent the past year absorbing rising costs, an increase is more likely than not.

One roaster who raised prices after a difficult year explained why they stopped seeking cheaper coffee. “During that time, we tasted a lot of coffees in the hopes that we could find savings somewhere without losing the quality we built our business on,” the roaster says. “We couldn’t. It was better to raise prices and be able to proudly stand behind and beside our coffee than chase a price that was barely lower.”

Photo courtesy of Battlecreek Coffee Roasters on Unsplash