Coffee guide
A few things worth knowing
Choosing coffee doesn't need to be complicated. Here's a short guide to our roast, reading an origin profile, choosing a grind and keeping your beans fresh.
Our roast: a lighter roast
We give every coffee the same lighter roast, so the flavors that come from where it was grown come through in your cup.
Roasting longer adds the roaster's flavors — toasty, smoky, bittersweet — and covers up more of what makes each coffee different. A lighter roast keeps more of the bean's own character: the brightness, sweetness and fruit or floral notes that come from where and how it was grown. That's why you choose our coffees by origin rather than by roast.
Roast level describes flavor, not strength — caffeine differences between roasts are small.
Reading an origin profile
Each coffee page lists what we know about where the coffee comes from. Here's what each line tells you.
- Flavor notes
- Flavors you may notice in the cup, like chocolate, citrus or brown sugar. They describe how the coffee tastes — nothing is added.
- Altitude
- How high above sea level it was grown. Coffee grown higher up generally ripens more slowly, which tends to mean a denser bean with more complex flavor.
- Climate
- Rainfall, temperature and shade all affect how the coffee cherries ripen.
- Varietal
- The type of coffee plant, much like grape varieties in wine.
- Harvest
- When and how the ripe coffee cherries are picked — often by hand, in several passes, as cherries ripen at different times.
- Process
- How the seed (the coffee bean) is removed from the cherry and dried. Washed coffees tend to taste clean and bright; natural (dried inside the whole cherry) tend to be fruitier; honey falls in between.
Always Organic
Every coffee we sell is organic — no exceptions. That's what Always Organic means to us.
Organic coffee is grown and processed under organic farming standards, which prohibit most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Whole bean or ground?
Whole bean stays fresh longer because grinding exposes much more of the coffee to air. If you have a grinder, whole bean and grinding right before brewing gives the best flavor.
Ground is convenient if you don't have a grinder. Buy smaller bags more often, and choose the grind that matches how you brew.
Choosing a grind size
| Brew method | Grind | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Fine | Table salt or finer |
| Pour-over, cone drip | Medium-fine | Fine sand |
| Automatic drip | Medium | Sand |
| French press, cold brew | Coarse | Coarse sea salt |
Too bitter? Try a slightly coarser grind. Weak or sour? Try a little finer.
Freshness and storage
- Keep coffee in an airtight container, away from light, heat and moisture.
- The pantry is better than the fridge — fridges add moisture and odors.
- If you buy in bulk, freeze unopened portions and thaw each one only once.
- Most coffee is at its best within a few weeks of roasting.