 What’s so special about your coffee?
All the beans we buy go through stringent cupping controls – tasted both before
shipping and after arrival at our roasting plant. Our buyers have over 50 years
combined experience in buying and importing green coffees; if the beans fail to
meet our standards we reject them. All our coffees are shade
grown and sun dried. We try to support the
small farmer who controls all aspects of production from seedling to export. To
cap it off we slow roast and then "smoke" the beans at the end of the roast to
seal in the flavor and give the coffees an added dimension!
Do you franchise your coffee shops?
We license our name to you for free so long as you buy our coffee exclusively.
We will help you with floor plans, equipment and even grant you exclusivity in
your zip code in the coffee house segment. We
also encourage you to become a Steaming Bean distributor and provide you with
POS and literature to help make the sale. Contact us for details
sales@thebean.com
. As far as true franchising goes – we think we can give you the same service
but not have our hands in your pockets taking a percentage of your income!
Are there any shipping charges?
There is a standard $5.95 shipping charge to any zip code in the continental
US. All retail (mail/Web) orders over $45 qualify for a FREE UPGRADE to
priority 3 day select service. Wholesale customers enjoy free shipping on
orders over $200.
Do all your coffees come in Decaf?
No. Some beans decaffeinate better than others and we chose not to offer our
higher grades in the decaffeinated versions as, frankly, we think you’d be
disappointed. We don’t like that. Stick to the Colombian, the Dark Sumatra
Decafs or the French/Italian roasts. In general the softer, lower grown beans
are more easily decaffeinated due to their looser cell structure than the high
grown, very acidic and expensive coffees. Remember you CAN get any of our
flavored coffees in decaf. Feel free to e-mail us with any questions –
info@thebean.com
Are all your decafs naturally processed?
There are some myths about decaffeination which need to be dispelled. The
various methods of decaffeination – which is done while the beans are still
green (raw) are:
Methylene Chloride…the best tasting decaf according to the vast majority of
coffee drinkers – Starbucks uses this almost exclusively. Ethyl Acetate….hot
water and steam are used to swell the beans and soften them for caffeine
extraction. Beans are then washed in ethyl acetate (a natural substance formed
from the fermentation of sugar cane) Swiss Water…..patented process by Nabob in
Vancouver – no chemicals used – basically hot water and a carbon filter to
isolate the caffeine French Water…..almost identical to the above – no
chemicals CO2……beans again soaked in water then treated with liquid CO2 which
selectively removes the caffeine.
All the above methods basically strip the beans of their oils, acids, natural
flavors and caffeine – this rich residue the has the caffeine removed from it
and the rest is forced back into the bean prior to roasting – with varying
degrees of success!
You can request any kind of process for your decafs based on your personal
preferences and we will do our best to accommodate you.
How do I know your Organic and Fair Trade coffees are authentic?
All these coffees have full certification from either the OCIA, OGBA, Demeter
or other government approved qualifying agency. All Fair Trade coffees are
fully certified by Transfair.
What’s so special about shade grown coffees?
They are environmentally friendly and taste better. Please click on the link
for more information.
How long does your coffee stay fresh?
"In the valve bags our coffee stays at peak freshness for up to 4 weeks but the
average customer will not detect any deterioration for up to six months. Ground
coffee exposed to air is good for no more than 12 hours, whole beans exposed to
oxygen are good for up to 8 days.
Are there any shipping charges?
There is a standard $5.95 shipping charge to any zip code in the continental US.
All retail (mail/Web) orders over $45 qualify for a FREE UPGRADE to priority 3
day select service. Wholesale customers enjoy free shipping on orders over $200.
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