Does dark roast or light roast have more caffeine?

Light roast has more caffeine. Caffeine is destroyed in the roasting process.

Should I store my coffee in the refrigerator/freezer?

NO! Storing coffee in your fridge is good for your fridge, not for your coffee. The increased humidity in the refrigerator will cause your coffee to develop a flat taste. Coffee is also very good at scrubbing smells out of the air.

How long does coffee stay fresh?

Coffee is best consumed in the first 3 weeks after roasting, however it will stay fresh for up to 3 months if stored in a sealed bag in whole bean form. Ground coffee (standard drip) goes stale in 20 minutes exposed to air. Espresso grind goes stale in 90 seconds.

Why does my coffee taste burnt?

Because it probably is burnt! It is common practice amongst many US roasters to “flash roast” coffee, which chars the outside layer of the bean while not fully charring the inside. This practice causes a lingering burnt flavor that consistently overwhelms any natural flavor of the bean allowing big roasters to get away with using any beans they want.

In order to develop the rich smooth coffee flavors in fine craft coffees, the starches found in the green coffee bean need to be converted to sugar along with allowing time for the Maillard reaction to take effect. This allows you to explore all of the wonderful natural complex flavors found in coffee.

Why can’t I get consistency in my coffee?

A better question is, when opening a new bag/can of ground coffee, why does the first pot of coffee taste so much better and all the others just taste like coffee? Simply put, ground coffee goes stale in minutes once exposed to air. (“Just tastes like coffee” is the taste of stale coffee that you have become accustomed to.)

The “terroir” of the coffee can change the same beans’ flavor from harvest to harvest just as you find in wine. Even a difference of a few seconds or a few degrees in the roaster can cause a big difference in taste of the same bean.

Why should I buy whole bean coffee vs freshly ground?

Ground coffee goes stale so fast (20 minutes to 90 seconds) that even a freshly ground bag will only guarantee you 1 good pot of fresh coffee. (“Just tastes like coffee” is the taste of stale coffee that you have become accustomed to.)

How are coffee beans decaffeinated?

There are several processes for decaffeination. The only certified organic process is called the Swiss Water Process where green coffee beans are soaked in a large vat of water. Half of the beans are discarded. A chemical that is naturally found in coffee is added to the liquid to cause the caffeine to clump up. The liquid is filtered to remove the caffeine clumps then placed back on the remaining beans and slowly evaporated to add the coffee essence (minus most of the caffeine) back to the beans.

What does coffee actually taste like?

That first pot of coffee that tastes so much better is exactly what those beans really taste like. Arabica coffee beans have a wide variety of flavors: Fruit, Citrus, Nutty, Chocolate, Sweet, Floral and many more. A good coffee has so much more to offer than just waking you up in the morning.

What is different about espresso beans?

There is no difference! Espresso is a process of extraction and has nothing to do with the bean or roast level. That being said, there are some beans that are better for espresso than others, but that is usually just because they’re higher quality overall.

Are high acid coffees bad for me?

Acid in coffee contains powerful antioxidants which are widely accepted as being good for you. Caffeine, catechols and N-alkanoly-5-hydroxytryptamides found in coffee have been scientifically proven to cause increased acid production in the stomach, which leads to heartburn. There is no proven evidence of coffee causing acid in the blood to increase, yet a lot of evidence that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup causing increased blood uric acid levels which are commonly consumed with coffee.

Acid and Flavor

Higher acid coffees tend to have more citrus and floral flavors and just taste better. Low Acid coffees tend to have a bigger body or mouth feel and go better with milk or cream.