Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve heard that to keep coffee fresh, the best place to store it is in the refrigerator. Is that true?

The refrigerator is perhaps the LAST place you want to berth your beans. You see, it’s not really cold enough, and much too moist, to keep coffee from going stale. But the biggest blow to those who don’t know is that a bag of coffee – just like that box of baking soda you might hide in the back to keep your fridge fresh – is a highly efficient methane magnet when it comes to absorbing odors. Refrigerated coffee, you’ll surely discover, give new meaning to the meaning of “blend.”

So what is the best way to keep coffee fresh? Well, if you’re going to use all of your coffee within a week, store your beans in a clean, airtight container. That’s by far the best way to ensure freshness and flavor. Oh, and make sure you always buy whole beans (not ground), grinding only as needed.

Though it’s always best to buy only as much fresh roasted coffee as you will use in a week (two at the most), you can freeze it to preserve freshness and flavor. Unlike the refrigerator, the freezer is fine – up to a point. Coffee stored in the freezer will stay fresh for a month or two, but only if beans are kept airtight. Wrap beans in several layers of plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Once your beans have been frozen and thawed, don’t refreeze. Though it’s recommended to do so, you don’t have to thaw beans before grinding

You guys seem to put a lot of emphasis on locally produced products and “buying local.” Tell me, is Bold Bean Coffee locally grown?

Uh, no. And we get that question all the time. But unless you happen to live in or visit the tropical zone spanning the globe between the Tropic of Capricorn at Latitude 23º south to the Tropic of Cancer at Latitude 23º north, you’ll never be buying locally grown Arabica coffees. Producers in about 35 countries that are within that zone grow most of the world’s premium gourmet coffee. Couple that with the fact that Arabica coffees require distinct rainy and dry seasons, and altitudes from 1,800’ to 3,600’ (or more) above sea level, and the regions of the world suitable for coffee production become even more limited.

OK, so even if the raw products (green, unroasted coffee beans) that we use and that go into making your cup of coffee are sourced from around the world – South and Central America, Mexico, Africa and Indonesia – and don’t come from around here, we do craft and create the finished product. And, by doing so, we’re adding that local element that is so important to the concept of sustainability. The best-tasting and most sustainable choices that you as a consumer can make are foods that are fresh, seasonal, and produced close to home.

But what, you might ask, do we mean by sustainability? Well, in terms of our environment, sustainability refers to how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For us, sustainability is the potential for long-term well being – environmentally, economically and socially.

For instance, most food in the U.S. travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles to get from farm to table, and requires as much as 10 percent of the nation’s expenditures on fossil fuels (Worldwatch Institute). So, by purchasing local products, we can significantly reduce our use of and dependence on those fossil fuels.

OK, so you stress buying locally, and seem to concentrate your sales close to home. How, then, can you justify selling to online customers hundreds or even thousands of miles away?

Good question, because at first blush it might seem that selling online to customers hundreds or even thousands of miles away is a contradiction to our locavore principles. But, put simply, it’s not. Let me explain.

You see, though we always encourage people to shop close to home and buy products that are locally produced whenever possible, the reality is that buying local isn’t always that simple – at least not when it comes to finding the variety, quality or method of production that a person might want or demand. So, if you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, you should at least be able to feel good about buying online from a company or companies that share your ideas and sensibilities in regard to those products. That’s what we offer.

For instance, all of our products are certified organic, and most are either Fair Trade CertifiedTM or Rainforest Alliance Certified®, as well. And, to help reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuels used in shipping our products, we pay a carbon offset fee on every shipment.

So, if you CAN buy local, DO. If you can’t, then feel good about finding and buying from a compatible, conscientious company that you can embrace and that embraces you.

Which of the coffees that you roast is your favorite?

Well, on any particular day the favorite might be a South or Central American, Mexican, Indonesian or African – light roasts, dark roasts or in between. It really doesn’t matter. It’s always changing. And that’s a good thing, because it reinforces my belief that variety truly is the spice of life. To my palate, none of our coffees are better than another. They’re simply different.

That difference is what makes sampling coffee, wine, beer, cheese, oysters or barbecue so interesting – and enjoyable. Different origins, regional twists, and even the environment a product is produced in create the unique regional and artisinal foods we celebrate. We’re all about trying new foods and beverages, and we always encourage our customers and the curious to do the same. There are always new discoveries to be made, new combinations to explore, and new methods to try.

Each coffee boasts certain characteristics that are distinctive to a particular place of origin, and our small-batch, artisanal approach to roasting brings out the best flavor and aroma characteristics in every batch of beans.

An Ethiopian coffee, for instance, will likely burst with berry and citrus flavors; a Sumatran, dark chocolate and spice.

A favorite? Don’t ask us. Decide yourself.

What brewing method do you recommend?

That’s like asking what our favorite coffee is. It depends on the day of the week. Oh, and the particular coffee we’re brewing (though that can change, too). In short, it’s all about individual tastes. Check out our online Brew Guide for the how and why of each method, and decide for yourself which is best.

I’ve always thought that the darker the roast and bolder the brew, the more caffeine there is in a cup of coffee. But a friend just told me that it’s the lighter roasts that have the most kick. Is this true?

Yes, though different species (Arabica vs. Robusta) and varietals (Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, etc.) can have different caffeine content, and the way the coffee is brewed can also change the values. For instance, a “typical” 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee contains on average between 60 – 100 mg caffeine, compared to 45 – 100 mg of caffeine in a 2 oz. double espresso.

Robusta coffee, an overall inferior, bitter-tasting species of coffee widely used in inexpensive mass market blends, instant coffee and some espressos, contain about twice as much caffeine as do Arabica coffees.

All of our Bold Bean coffees are 100% Arabica.

Among Arabica coffees, however, the differences in caffeine are slight. The roasting process reduces the amount of caffeine, but the amounts are actually minimal. If you’re wanting more caffeine, have another cup. If you’re looking to reduce your caffeine, a dark roast isn’t the answer. Go with a decaf (which, by the way, still contain a small amount of caffeine).

I keep hearing about “shade-grown” coffee. Is this something new?

No. But, thankfully, it’s a matter of something old being new again.

Coffee is naturally a small, shade-loving shrub that up until about 40 years ago was always grown alongside other shade-loving agricultural crops under the canopy of the rainforest. Grown in the shade, coffee is easily cultivated without the need for chemical inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides), so it’s a crop well suited to be grown organically and in harmony with the natural environment.

With the development of trees that could tolerate the sun and thus produce higher yields, producers began clear-cutting rainforest areas, shifting coffee from being one of the lowest impact crops on the environment to one of the highest. Farms went from being shade- covered, biologically diverse operations with no or little use of agricultural chemicals, to single-culture enterprises requiring huge amounts of fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. This full-sun, industrial-style method of coffee cultivation eradicates the winter homes of North American migratory birds by destroying habitat, as well as poisoning the environment.

Fortunately, many small growers continue to produce their coffee crops in the shade of the forest canopy. And, more and more growers who had previously abandoned their traditional methods are now realizing the destruction this has caused, and are today returning to the old ways. These traditional, conservation-minded farmers are the ones we seek out when sourcing our 100% shade-grown coffees.

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