Bernd Braune

For those not yet committed to the ritual of meticulous brewing each morning, discussing conical burr angles and technical polymers with a German engineer might seem uninviting. Engaging with someone as warm and jovial as Bernd Braune, however, is anything but. Despite spending much of his career immersed in lab work, Bernd looks back and highlights the places that have inspired him to innovate the way people brew coffee.

The Black Forest

Growing up amid the dense woodlands and rolling hills of Germany’s Black Forest, Bernd’s earliest memories are filled with nature and family. The region is known for its impressive heritage in precision engineering—home to the invention of the cuckoo clock and renowned watchmakers and tech companies. However, the Braune family trade was rooted in agriculture. Bernd fondly recalls those idyllic years, which included many days toiling in the fields. ‘We grew fruit trees for making schnaps—cherries, apples, pears… that's my country. We also made wine; I even had to clean the wooden wine barrels from the inside,’ he reminisced with a laugh.

On Sundays, the family set aside work to share a meal together. As an elaborate cake was presented and the adults gathered, Bernd had one simple task: to help prepare the coffee using his grandmother’s grinder. This hefty, solidly built appliance required stability, so Bernd placed its square, wooden base between his legs—and any time a coffee bean wedged between the burrs, the torque from his motion would painfully dig the grinder’s sharp corners into his thighs. ‘It was really hurtful,’ Bernd recalled, ‘but I also remember the smell of freshly ground coffee and that it was the one day the family came together. Drinking a cup of coffee was a social moment.’

Unbeknownst to him then, his grandmother’s grinder would later influence many of the design guidelines for the Comandante hand grinder. As a child, he managed his weekly chore because the old grinder was both effective and built like a tank (three generations on, I was assured it still works). Yet, as Bernd recounted his initial experiences with coffee, it became clear that this pain taught him an important lesson: in design, form is just as important as function; no one should have to compromise on either. Throughout his career, Braune has exemplified the belief that for a product or idea to succeed, it must not only be good, but also easy to use or follow; in other words, it needs to be both exceptional and approachable.

Creating a product or implementing an idea that works well takes time, and ensuring it excels takes even longer. When Bernd began working on the Comandante, the idea of using steel burrs in a portable product seemed ludicrous. ‘No one could understand what I wanted,’ he reminisced, recalling the days spent researching potential manufacturers. ‘Out of 10 burrs, every one looked a little bit different—I wanted 10 burrs that looked the same!’

After considering his options, Braune reached a straightforward conclusion: ‘I said, “Okay, I have to do it myself.” It may sound naive, but I’ve enjoyed that journey.’ Although it took him some five years to build his first prototype, Bernd has since created a product recognized worldwide for its ability to deliver results comparable to those of larger motor-powered devices, all through a smooth, effortless arm motion—so easy that even a child in Germany’s wine country could use it.

Silicon Valley

Before transitioning to the coffee industry, Bernd worked in microelectronics in California. He moved there with his young family in the mid-1980s and contributed to the development of early mobile phone technology. Each day began like that of any Californian: after an hour-long run at 5 a.m., he’d queue for a cup of coffee on his way to the office. ‘I really got used to that,’ he recalled fondly. ‘There was a Peet’s Coffee shop just around the corner that had just opened, and that’s where I went. When I retired and moved back to Germany in 2003, my family and I really missed that.’

Replicating this ritual soon became his raison d’être: having discovered good coffee in California, he was determined to bring it to Germany—improving upon the experience he had there. ‘That’s when I realized technology is kind of boring because you never see the customer buying the product,’ he remembered. ‘One of my kids was involved in coffee roasting, so I thought “Why don’t we select the best coffee on the planet and start a coffee roastery?”’

The Braunes’ Supremo Coffee opened its doors in 2005, quickly offering over 100 different beans on their bar and shelves. From the very beginning, Bernd understood that to provide customers with an unforgettable coffee experience that transcended the everyday routine, he couldn’t expect them to meet him where he was; instead, he had to put in the hard work first. Step by step, from farm to cup, Bernd set out to learn everything there was to know about coffee.

Bernd attributes much of his success to his unwavering attention to the small details that enable larger processes to function effectively. ‘It’s not nerdy, but curious,’ he told me. ‘When you find something that piques your interest and you delve into it to understand its intricacies, you can say “I can make this better.” I think that’s how companies are built.’ This philosophy is central to both Supremo and Comandante’s missions.

During his travels to source offerings for the roastery, Braune observed that the weakest link in evaluating coffee often lay with the grinders. He explained, ‘When we visited locations to select coffees, there was always one with an old grinder that might be completely messed up, or contaminated with stale, stinking coffee. When you run your fresh coffee through it, what do you taste? Then you have to make a decision [about that coffee].’

The Comandante grinder was born as a solution to this quandary. Much like the early days of Supremo, Bernd became fixated on gaining complete understanding of coffee bean biochemistry, burr mechanics, and steel alloy composition to deliver the best product possible. ‘You have to think of the burr as a concept,’ Braune stated. ‘Then you create one, test it, analyse the particle distribution, cup the coffee, and select the best option. You may do this a hundred times. As an engineer, you don't trust only your taste; you also want to know exactly what you’re getting out.’

Finca Doña Elsa

About 15 years after founding Supremo, the same instinct that initially drew Bernd to the coffee industry led him to the next logical step: growing coffee. He recalled, ‘In the early years, I travelled extensively and became fascinated by the coffee tree and its workings. It was incredible to witness farmers at work, knowing how challenging it is. After visiting so many farms, I thought, “Man I want to have my own little field and grow some crazy varietals.” When an opportunity arose to purchase a plot in Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region, the Braunes eagerly seized the chance, and set out to—once again—start from scratch.

Since the parcel had only been used for cattle grazing, it required complete renovation before coffee could be planted. ‘I'm not sure what was harder: building a grinder or growing coffee!’ Bernd recalled with a chuckle. Although this was his first venture into coffee farming, he had spent years cultivating friendships around the globe while sourcing for Supremo. He drew on the advice of these connections as he transformed Finca Doña Elsa—named in honour of his mother—into a coffee plantation growing SL28, an Ethiopian heirloom, and gesha.

As the farm’s infrastructure improved, the family ensured that they built roads benefitting their neighbours and provided access to running water for the local community. On acquiring the property, Bernd quickly realized that their relationships with the local farming community would be crucial to their success in Costa Rica. Surrounding himself with good people had proven to be a successful strategy so far, and Bernd wasn’t about to stray from that principle as he merged his second career with his passion for nature and the outdoors. ‘I think the older you get, the more grateful you become for life. When you're deeply connected to producing fruits on this planet, you feel humbled. You appreciate what you do and what you have, and you want to inspire those around you and support other communities.’

This commitment to community-building is part of what makes Comandante a vibrant contributor to the specialty coffee industry. Whether at trade shows, brewing competitions, or coffee auctions, their grinders are likely to be involved—much to Bernd’s delight. ‘Coffee is integral to my life; I enjoy it because I get to meet so many people. There are no age boundaries; when I go to these events, I see enthusiastic young people. I want to tell them, “Look, I’ve built you a super grinder; that’s taken care of. Now you can focus on sourcing great beans or perfecting your roasting without worrying about the grinder.”’ Clearly, hard work has brought Braune far, but it is people who have propelled him forward.

Munich

Although Bernd has not completely left his travelling days behind, Bernd has called Munich home since 2003. Here, both Supremo and Comandante operate under one roof, maintaining a family-run ethos—many team members, even those not related to Bernd by blood, have been with him for over a decade. As Bernd noted, this is a practice he cherishes, describing it as ‘a luxury you have when you're older: The business issues are not easier to resolve… but at least you can decide with whom to work.’

A distinct sparkle appeared in Bernd’s eyes whenever family came up in conversation, especially when he spoke of his wife of nearly 50 years, Veronika, whom he calls ‘the heart of everything we do’. He explained, ‘Family is the ultimate platform. When it's your family, you love your children, you love your wife, and you know you have to make it work. Yes, even when it’s difficult, the reward is so much bigger.’

Alongside Veronika, who has supported Bernd in every business venture, their daughter Bianca oversees production and product quality at Comandante, Rahel manages human resources, and son Raphael divides his time between sourcing green coffee for the roastery and marketing the family’s grinders internationally. One of Bernd’s granddaughters has also recently begun her first shifts at Supremo, demonstrating that he has not only built a grinder to last three generations, but also a workplace that can endure.

This approach has proven effective, as both Supremo and Comandante are fundamentally about people. ‘It's not the fastest road,’ Bernd admitted, acknowledging that prioritizing internal development over rapid growth can lead to challenges. However, he believes this business model fosters deep trust among his team, which he hopes will last for decades to come. ‘With a family business, you know exactly what you’ve got. You have this ultimate trust, and you feel you can build something, and someone else will continue to do what you did.’

And that’s exactly what they’ve done. With many of the businesses’ everyday needs no longer solely his responsibility, Bernd has carved out more time to pursue what he enjoys most: engineering for the joy of it. ‘In the beginning, we aimed to create the best burr on the planet—the nitro blade, which has been in production for ten years now.’ Braune summarized, ‘Now, I’m thinking, “What have we been developing and not yet produced? Let’s refine it and bring it to market.” It’s almost like little joyous play, because I love my little creations.’ Intent on preserving his curious spirit—‘I think if you lose that, it's over,’ he asserted—Bernd isn’t close to finishing his work in the lab, but he can do so knowing that everything he has built is in safe hands. As it turns out, creating a safe, enriching work environment is one of the best succession plans one can develop. No matter how many years go by, coffee will always be a festive, family occasion in Bernd Braune’s life.