Returns and Exchanges

Returns

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, contact us within 10 days of receiving the item, and ship back at least 80% of the opened product to us to receive a refund-- less the shipping and handling charges incurred. All orders returned are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Exchanges

If you are not satisfied with your purchase and would like to exchange it, contact us within 15 days of receiving the item, and ship it back to us. You will receive an exchange less the charges incurred, as well as the price difference of the exchanged product.

Note that shipping costs are not refundable.

Shipping

We ship primarily through UPS and orders $59 and over are shipped for free (except when there is a promotion running this may not apply, AND ALL EQUIPMENT IS EXCLUDED FROM THIS UNLESS LISTED) Shipping charges for other items will be calculated based on the weight of the product and the shipping distance. Please contact us if you would like your order delivered by another service or a faster delivery.

Delivery time: Depending on your shipping address, delivery takes from 1 to 7 business days. We provide tracking numbers as well as delivery confirmation on all orders. If you do not receive an email with your tracking number, please call us.

Destinations: We ship internationally via USPS and FedEx with these options:

• International Air via FedEx Expedited shipping. Duties will applyTariffs and duty fees may apply depending on which country your order is being shipped to. These fees are unrelated to shipping costs and will originate from your country's Customs Bureau, but they will be collected by UPS prior to delivery. If needed, UPS will attempt to contact the person listed on the order's destination and notify him or her of any additional charges. For more information, please contact your country's Customs Bureau..
• P63 international air parcel post. Duties will applyTariffs and duty fees may apply depending on which country your order is being shipped to. These fees are unrelated to shipping costs and will originate from your country's Customs Bureau, but they will be collected by UPS prior to delivery. If needed, UPS will attempt to contact the person listed on the order's destination and notify him or her of any additional charges. For more information, please contact your country's Customs Bureau..

Payment

We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Diners club debit or credit cards.

Ordering

Order online anytime or call 800.291.1202 Monday-Friday 7:30am – 4:30pm, or Saturday 10am – 2pm.  Note that minimal purchase for coffee and loose tea is 1 lb.

Gifts

How do I order a gift for a friend? At checkout, enter your friends name and shipping information in the "ship to" portion of the form. You can also add a note in the comments field so that they can receive a personalized gift message from you when they receive the package. The message can be up to 210 characters and it will appear on the invoice.

Gift Certificates

What to get the person who has everything! Available in amounts from $25 to $150 and can be used towards any purchase on the site. To purchase a gift certificate please click here.

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Kosher!

All our coffees are kosher. We also carry FairTrade and Organic Coffee.

Coffee Brewing Essentials

The Equipment

Make sure that your equipment — from bean grinders and filters to coffee makers— is thoroughly cleaned after each use. Rinse with clear, hot water (or wipe down thoroughly), and dry with an absorbent towel. It’s important to check that no grounds have been left to collect and that there’s no build-up of coffee oil, which can make future cups of coffee taste bitter and rancid.

The Beans

The quality and flavor of your coffee is not only determined by your favorite brewing process, but also by the type of coffee you select. There can be a world of difference between roasts, so check out our roasting guide below.

There are so many things I need in life…but right now the most important is my cup of coffee!!!

Some of the flavor factors include:

• Where the coffee is grown—country and region
• Coffee variety
• Roast—light, medium or dark
• Grind

While there are a lot of choices, remember that there’s no right or wrong — you can choose a dark, flavorful espresso roast coffee and still have it ground to be brewed in a drip system. Have fun trying and enjoying different combinations.

Freshness and Storage

Fresh roasted coffee is essential to a quality cup so purchase coffee as soon as possible after it’s roasted and consume it within two weeks. To keep coffee fresh follow these storage tips.

To preserve bean fresh roasted flavor as long as possible, store in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature. Avoid clear canisters which will allow light to compromise the taste of your coffee. Keep your beans in a dark and cool, location. The commercial coffee containers are generally not appropriate for long-term storage. Ideal coffee storage canisters with an airtight seal are a worthwhile investment.

If you are using beans, grind right before brewing.

While there are different views on whether or not coffee should be frozen or refrigerated, the main consideration is to use an airtight container because coffee absorbs moisture and odors. When using frozen coffee, quickly remove as much as you need for a week, and return the rest to the freezer before any condensation forms on the frozen coffee.

The Water

The water you use is very important to the quality of your coffee. Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water is not good or has a strong odor or taste, such as chlorine. If you’re using tap water, let it run a few seconds before filling your coffee pot, and be sure to use cold water. Avoid distilled or softened water.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

A general guideline is one to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. This can be adjusted to suit individual taste preferences. Be sure to check the “cup” lines on your brewer to see how they actually measure. And remember that some water is lost to evaporation in certain brewing methods.

The Grind

If you buy whole bean coffee, always grind your beans as close to the brew time as possible for maximum freshness. A burr or mill grinder is best because the coffee is ground to a consistent size. A blade grinder is less preferable because some coffee will be ground more finely than the rest. If your coffee tastes bitter, it may be over-extracted, or ground too fine. If tastes flat, it may be under-under-extracted, meaning your grind is too coarse.

Water Temperature

Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, while water that is too hot will also cause a loss of quality in the taste of the coffee.

If you are brewing the coffee manually, let the water come to a full boil, but do not over boil. Turn off the heat source and allow the water to rest a minute before pouring it over the grounds.

Brewing Time

The amount of time that the water is in contact with the coffee grounds is another important flavor factor. In a drip system, the contact time should be approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a plunger pot, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. Espresso has an especially brief brew time — the coffee is in contact with the water for only 20-30 seconds.

If you’re not happy with the taste, it’s possible that you’re either over-extracting (the brew time is too long) or under-extracting (the brew time is too short). Experiment with the contact time until the taste suits you perfectly.

Drink immediately after brewing

If you are drinking hot coffee, enjoy from a warmed mug or coffee cup so that it will maintain its temperature as long as possible. Prepared coffee begins to lose its optimal taste moments after brewing, so only make as much coffee as you’ll drink.

Should you need to wait a few minutes before serving, the temperature should be maintained at 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. It should never be left on an electric burner for longer than 15 minutes because it will begin to develop a burned taste. Otherwise, coffee can be poured into a warmed, insulated thermos to be used within the next 45 minutes.

Please, try to avoid reheating your coffee — you’ll ruin the flavor.

Enjoy!

Brewing a cuppa

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. It is the only beverage commonly served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere, for any occasion. On any given day, over 158 million Americans are drinking tea.

Where there's tea there's hope. Arthur Wing Pinero

Black, Green, Oolong, Dark and White teas all come from the same plant, a warm-weather evergreen named Camellia sinensis. Differences among the five types of tea result from the various degrees of processing and the level of oxidization. Black tea is fully oxidized and Oolong teas are partially oxidized. After withering and rolling, the tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions resulting in taste and color changes and that develop the teas distinguishing characteristics. Green and White teas are not oxidized after leaf harvesting. Oolong tea is midway between Black and Green teas in strength and color. Dark teas are fermented after manufacture.

Tea Essentials

Tea is naturally low in caffeine. A cup of Black Tea, for example, contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine. Tea contains no sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar. It is virtually calorie-free. Tea helps maintain proper fluid balance and may contribute to overall good health.

Brew Hot Tea

Four steps to brew a delicious cup of hot tea:

1. Use a teapot
2. Bring fresh, cold tap water to a full boil (Note: If your water is heavily chlorinated or contains other objectionable odors, filter before boiling for best tasting tea)
3. Use one teaspoon or one tea bag per cup
4. Pour boiling water over tea and brew by the clock 3 to 5 minutes and serve

For the best flavor, preheat the teapot with a little hot water prior to use and cover your teapot with a cozy to retain heat during the brewing process.

Refreshing Ice Tea

For small quantities, proceed as for hot tea and pour over ice.

For large quantities, prepare concentrate as follows:

Bring one quart of cold water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 8-10 teabags per quart of brewed tea as desired. Steep 3-5 minutes and pour over remaining cold water or ice cubes. To serve, pour into tall glasses filled with ice, garnish or sweeten as desired.

Special Guidelines for Green Tea

When water comes to a boil, remove from the source of heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Pour this hot water over the green tea and allow it to brew for approximately one minute and serve. (Note: The brewing times may be shortened or lengthened according to your taste)

Guidelines for “Big” Oolongs and White Teas

The best thing to say when dealing with any tea is – the larger and more delicate looking the leaf, the lower the water temperature. Usually, you will want to use between 180-190 degree water for big oolongs and white teas. Black teas need much hotter water for proper extraction. Boiling water will scorch a bold leaf like white tea.

Oolongs need to steep for 5-7 minutes and white tea for 3-4 minutes. Of course, all of this may be modified according to your own personal taste.

Everyone should adjust time, temperature and amount of tea up and down until they find their perfect pot!