Coffee 101

WHAT IS COFFEE MILLING? Is it about a farm? Is it about a mill? Are those the same thing? How does any of this even apply to my life at all? In short: sometimes, yes; sometimes, no. Let's talk coffee milling!   All coffees are grown on farms (except in some parts of Ethiopia where coffee grows in forests, but that’s a story for another day.) All coffees are milled. Some coffees are grown and milled in the same place. Some coffees are grown in one place and milled in another. If you look on a bag of our coffee...

A majority of the coffee we bring you throughout the year is processed using the ever-faithful fully washed method, which makes incredible coffee, don’t get us wrong. But from time to time, we sprinkle a coffee that’s a little different into the mix. Say hello to honey processing! Allow us to elaborate: What is Honey Processing? Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with bees, hives, or actual honey of any kind. The word “honey” refers to the sticky mucilage (think the inside of a grape, but less fruit) that surrounds coffee seeds. Every coffee begins as seeds...

COFFEE IN AN INSTANT After months of research and trial runs, we are happy to share with you our collaboration with our friends at Swift Cup Coffee — Crema Instant Coffee. This is not your grandma’s jar of instant coffee that's been sitting in the cabinet for years. The folks at Swift Cup use a well-refined process to freeze dry and preserve our fresh coffee, so all you have to do is add water and you’ve got a cup of delicious. This process is in line with our aim to honor the work of the farmers and producers that came...

Let’s compare apples and oranges--and coffee--for a second. They’re all fruits. Coffee — that stuff in your cup — comes from a bean that originally grew inside a cherry. Most people know that, of course — today, coffee’s fruity upbringings are highlighted in roasting labs and in the tasting notes on the backs of coffee bags. And yet, it’s not overly clear how coffee goes from being fruit to being, well, not-fruit.  The magic, as we’ve said, happens at the mill. HOW COFFEE PROCESSING WORKS The mill is where coffee is processed. And this “process” is how, one way or...