Green Beanery Frequently Asked Questions

How long do green coffee beans last?

A good rule of thumb is two to three years, but stored properly, green coffee can last many years. In fact, some species are especially prized if they are aged.

Store your green coffee beans at 10 to 30 degrees Celsius, or 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. While some prefer to store green beans in jute or canvas bags, to allow the beans to breathe, those who store them in plastic bags or jars report no deterioration in quality.

How long does roasted coffee stay fresh?

Dark roasts will stay fresh for several weeks but light and medium roasts begin to lose their flavor within days. To best enjoy fresh roasted coffee, consume it within a week of roasting.

Apart from dark roasts, coffee is at its absolute best in the first day after roasting, with the exception of the first 4 to 6 hours (during this period, the beans rapidly vent some of the CO2 that the roasting process releases). The coffee aroma is also strongest during the first day.

How should I store roasted coffee?

Wait for the roasted coffee to cool, which also gives the beans a chance to degas themselves of their CO2. Then store roasted coffee in a well-sealed, clean, dry container -- coffee spoils when exposed to oxygen, water and heat. Mason jars are ideal. Coffee should be stored in an air-tight container because its aromatic oils are volatile (one of the delights of roasted coffee, in fact, is the aroma that greets you each time you open the jar).

Do not keep coffee in the refrigerator or freezer. Every time the coffee is brought out into room temperature, water will condense on its surface, damaging the oils that give it its aromatic flavor.

How long does it take to roast coffee?

A typical home roast takes about 10 minutes, plus five minutes of cooling. Lighter roasts can take as little as 8 minutes, darker roasts 13 minutes or more.

What are the advantages of roasting your own coffee?

Everyone's taste is different. Roasting your own coffee allows you to roast beans to your particular preference, and also to experiment with a wider range of coffee bean varieties than even a Starbucks offers. Plus, coffee whose freshness cannot be beat.

How expensive is it to roast your own gourmet coffee beans?

Green coffee beans typically cost less than half as much as roasted beans, and very often one quarter as much. Home roasting not only provides vastly superior coffee, it provides substantial savings. For more information on the economics of home roasting, click here.

I am an espresso fan. What do you recommend?

Espresso can be made from almost any coffee bean. The term refers to the method of making the coffee (by forcing water through coffee under great pressure) rather than to any particular coffee bean or any type of roast. Most people associate dark roasts with espresso, but in fact many aficionados in Italy and Switzerland prefer a medium roast, which leads to a smoother espresso that brings out more of the coffee's cinnamon tones.

One coffee bean that many consider exceptional for espresso is the Tanzania Peabody. It's not a bad place to start, if you'd like to experiment with different coffee beans in your espresso maker. The Tanzania Peabody comes in our African sampler.

Contrary to popular belief, espresso tends to have less caffeine than other forms of coffee. In fact, to get as much caffeine from espresso as you might get in a cup of regular drip coffee, you’d need to consume four 1.5 oz. shots of espresso.

I don't see my favorite coffee. Can you get it for me?

We'll be pleased to consider your request when ordering our next shipment of beans. Drop us a line with your suggestions on this or any other matter. We'll do our best to meet your needs, and will let you know either way.

Can I use a popcorn popper to roast coffee beans?

Yes popcorn poppers work beautifully.

Electric popcorn poppers don't have all the conveniences of our home roaster units but they do the job and do it well, whether you like a light or a dark roast. Roasting with popcorn poppers is simple and eliminates the expense of a new roaster. This kind of roasting has other advantages, too: It lets you experience the various phases of coffee roasting – the "first crack" as moisture leaves the bean, the change in color as the bean roasts.

First, be sure to use a popper that has hot air enter the popcorn chamber through side vents – poppers that have hot air entering the popping chamber from a grill underneath are unsafe for coffee roasting. You want a popper that blows the chaff upward, out of the popper and into a waste receptacle, such as a sink or a large bowl. Poppers that draw their air from below represent a fire risk, because the chaff can ignite.

Your popcorn popper will take as much coffee as popcorn – generally about 4 ounces – so follow the manufacturer's recommendation. After putting in the green coffee beans, cover the popper with its plastic hood and make sure the butter dish is in place. Aim the chute where you want the chaff to go, turn on the machine and watch the action.

You should get coffee smoke and the "first crack" in 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the popper. In another minute, a light roast will be ready. By this point, you should be watching the beans carefully by looking into popping chamber, to make sure they're roasted to your preference. Once you get good at this, you'll know when the beans are to your liking by the smell of the smoke and the sound of the cracks.

Popcorn popper roasting takes less time than with other methods – a dark roast can be done in 6 to 7 minutes. And because the beans continue to roast even after they're out of the popper, you should pour them out of the popper before they're at the desired color.

To cool the beans, agitate them in a bowl or collander until they are warm to the touch. If you're using a metal bowl or collander, use oven mitts.

Then store the beans in an airtight glass jar, out of the light. Because the beans vent carbon-dioxide, many experts recommend that you wait several hours before tightening the jar, to allow the gas to escape without building up too much pressure. The gas will continue to escape for days, however, giving you the amazing experience of fresh coffee every time you open that jar.

Should I use boiling water when making coffee?

Coffee should be brewed at about 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit, just under the boiling point. Anything higher leads to a bitter taste. Boiling coffee also cooks off its delicate essences, robbing coffee of its nuances.

Why do US customers get better prices for some of your products than do customers in Canada and other parts of the world?

The cost of some manufactured products is lower in the US than in Canada due to extra customs, duties, taxes, shipping and warranty expenses that Canadians face. If it's any consolation, no one matches our prices in Canada and, as a rule, no one in the U.S. beats our prices (although many American retailers will match us).

What are the drawbacks in a Canadian buying an espresso machine, roaster, or other manufactured product directly from a US retailer?

Many Canadians expect to face higher courier costs when purchasing from the US, but they are often surprised at the hefty customs and brokerage charges that can apply. More importantly, if a machine needs to be repaired, there are additional courier expenses (and often customs and brokerage expenses). Finally, because of distribution agreements, many warranties are not honored on shipments of products out of the US. This is typical, for example, in the case of espresso machines.

Your merchandise seems to cost quite a bit less than on other Canadian sites. In some cases, you charge less than half as much as some competitors. Is this a temporary policy, designed to build your customer base, and will you raise your prices in future?

We are happy with our current level of profit and plan no change. Although it may be modest by some standards, it is more than adequate for our purposes. Green beanery is a non-profit organization that uses the revenue we earn to support the work of Probe International, an organization that works to protect small farmers in poor countries. In Canada, Probe International is a federally registered charity based in Toronto; in the U.S., a Buffalo-based sister organization, Probe International Foundation, is registered as a 501C-3.