Frequently Asked Questions
How fresh is your coffee compared to what I can buy at the grocery store?
We operate on three levels of freshness that grocery stores simply can't match:
- Fresh crop green beans only: We never use green coffee that's more than a year old - only current harvest season beans
- Small batch roasting: We roast in batches of no more than 20 lbs (compared to industrial roasters doing hundreds or thousands of pounds at once)
- Roast-to-order: We roast your beans specifically for your order, so you receive coffee that's 2-5 days from roast date
Compare that to grocery store coffee, which often starts with green beans that could be 2-3 years old, gets roasted in massive industrial batches, then sits on shelves for 3-6 months after roasting!
What does "roast-to-order" actually mean for me as a customer?
Roast-to-order means we don't roast coffee until you place your order. Here's our process: when you order on Monday, we roast your specific coffee in small 20-lb batches on Tuesday or Wednesday, and it ships to you that same week.
We keep minimal roasted inventory - instead, we store fresh crop green coffee beans (never more than a year old) and only roast what customers have actually ordered. It's more work for us, but it guarantees you're getting coffee at peak freshness and flavor.
Why does your coffee cost more than grocery store brands?
You're getting premium quality at every step: we only source specialty grade coffee beans that score 83.5+ on professional cupping scales (grocery store coffee typically uses commodity grade beans scoring much lower).
Our triple-freshness approach - fresh crop beans + small batch roasting + roast-to-order - means higher labor costs but superior quality. Plus, we source through Fair Trade and sustainable partnerships.
When you break it down per cup, our $20-22 bags make about 24-30 cups, so you're paying roughly $0.70-0.90 per cup for cafe-quality coffee at home. Compare that to coffee shops at $3-5 per cup, and the value is clear.
What makes your coffee "specialty grade"?
All our coffee meets specialty grade standards with cupping scores of 83.5 or higher. We inspect every batch of green coffee for defects and foreign materials, then perform color tests to confirm proper roast levels.
Our small batch roasting (maximum 20 lbs) allows us to carefully monitor each roast for optimal flavor development. We track every roast profile and perform post-roast quality control for consistency.
How can I tell if my current coffee is stale?
Stale coffee tastes flat or bitter without complexity, lacks aroma when you open the bag, and doesn't "bloom" when you pour hot water over the grounds.
Fresh coffee should have noticeable aroma, taste vibrant with distinct flavor notes, and show some degassing when brewing. With our coffee, customers often discover flavor notes like chocolate, fruit, or nuts they never noticed in grocery store coffee - that's the freshness difference.
How should I store your coffee to maintain freshness?
Store in our original bag (double wall aluminum lining) in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Don't refrigerate - moisture is coffee's enemy.
For best flavor, consume within 2-3 weeks of roast date. Since we roast to order, consider our subscription services for regular fresh deliveries with free shipping.