FAQ's
Coffee
When will my coffee be roasted?
As a small batch roastery, we have the advantage of being able to roast on demand. Your coffee will always be roasted on the day we process your order. Orders received before 11:00am Monday to Friday will be roasted and shipped the same day.
Are you able to grind my coffee?
A lot of what we love about the coffee is lost very quickly once it is ground. We'd prefer you ground your coffee at home, but if you don't have a grinder at home, we can grind the coffee for your preferred brew method. You can select your preferred brew method and grind size on the product page before 'adding to cart'.
We use a superior Rancilio grinder to grind your coffee beans. It boasts a very even particle grind size for better extraction.
Our grinds are measured in Microns. A human hair is about 70. Espresso grind is the finest (200-300) and French Press the coarsest (900-1200). We have selected grind sizes based on research conducted by SCAA.
Why do your coffees always change?
Coffee is a seasonal product with one or in some countries two crops a year. We buy small lots from many farms in each country – so when one coffee runs out, we go right on to the next one we have bought. In some places the farms are very small, just one or two acres, and these coffees change more frequently.
Why don’t you have the same coffee I ordered last time?
We are sorry we have run out of the coffee you enjoyed last time! We can help with a recommendation if you’d like – just let us know what you had and what you liked about it and we can point you in the right direction.
How long does the coffee keep for?
We recommend using the coffee as soon as you can to get the most flavor from it, especially if it is ground. We recommend the coffee is best enjoyed within 4 weeks of the date you received it.
Is there a strength guide to your coffees?
No. Strength is determined by the ratio of coffee to water, grind size to contact time and water temperature. Coffee extracts faster at higher temperatures and smaller grind sizes.
A light roast does not mean you will have a weak flavored coffee, nor does a dark roast mean you will have a strong flavored coffee.
A light roasting profile will be used to preserve the natural fruity, sweetness and acidity characteristics of a bean.
A medium roasting profile will be used preserve the natural nutty, chocolatey and mild acidity characteristics of a bean.
We produce specialty coffee.
The SCA (Speciality Coffee Association) came up with a system to give every coffee a score out of 100. Here’s how it works...
65 to 80 = Commodity Coffee
The type used to make supermarket coffee and instant.
80+ = Speciality Coffee
The flavors are more subtle, the cup more balanced.
90+ = Presidential Award
These prestigious coffees make up less than 1% of the speciality coffee market because they are so rare. And very good!
What’s a coffee’s Quality Score based on?
Following a series of ‘cuppings’ from coffee tasting pros, a score is awarded based on several criteria:
Lack of defects
A coffee with any defects is unlikely to score more than 80 points as the penalty for meeting the criteria is so high. Between 1 and 3 points can be dropped if a defect is detected in the cup and multiplied by the number of cups in which it’s present.
Sweetness
There are lots of different types of sweetness in coffee; fruit, honey and sugar are three examples, the more distinct and pleasant, the higher the score.
Acidity
Acidity can be malic (apple), tartaric (grapes) or citric. To get a high score the acidity shouldn’t be overwhelming.
Balance
We all know coffee is bitter but the bitterness can often be pleasant. The best coffees have a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness.
Mouthfeel
Coffees all have a slightly different viscosity. Think of the difference between the feel of butter, juice and tea in your mouth, if consistent, they all have their own merits.
Flavor
All of the above happens in your mouth, but when you taste something there’s usually a lot going on behind your nose also.
A high Quality Score will reflect well-developed flavors, which might include: peach, chocolate, cherry, blackcurrant and even Earl Grey tea.
Shipping
When will my coffee ship?
Orders received will be roasted and processed by the end of the next business day.
When will my coffee arrive?
Our ‘Standard Delivery’ option uses USPS Mail 1st Class postage for orders under 2lb. USPS aims to deliver your parcel within 3-5 business days.
Our 'Express Delivery' option uses UPS NEXT DAY postage for orders under 2lbs. UPS usually delivers your parcel next day but may take up to 3 business days depending on your region.