The sourcing

We source only the best, most sustainable coffee from around the world that is:

• From the top 10% of the Arabica species for a more delicate, flavorful coffee.
• Grown at high altitudes (2,000-6,000 feet), allowing the plants to mature slowly for the most flavorful bean.
• Shade grown in a varied stories of trees, friendly to migrating birds, and eliminating the need for pesticides.
• Hand-picked on mountain terraces and graded for excellence. (Commercial grades are mass-produced and mechanically harvested, mixing ripe and unripe coffee cherries).
• Purchased from farms or co-ops that go beyond paying a fair wage. Proceeds from their premium prices go to the growers and their communities to provide schools, health clinics and clean water.
• Grown using organic and sustainable methods. Most of our coffee is certified organic, but all of our coffee is organically grown and traceable to the individual farm where practices are documented for no pesticides, sustainability, natural fertilizers and compost. 

The origin

It all starts with a coffee tree that bears a small red fruit or “cherry." Coffee beans are the seeds inside the ripe cherries. However, every coffee-producing country--from Indonesia to Ethiopia to Costa Rica--processes the bean differently based on their own unique economy, geography, cultural traditions and available resources.  

We try to make as many trips to producing countries as we're able so we can see how the farmers grow their crops, their sustainable methods for using all byproducts, their ways of processing the beans, roasting the beans and preparing the brew.  In our family, we've been to South America, Central America, Africa, Indonesia and India. We bring these experiences back home in our continuing effort to roast and prepare better coffee, to inform our customers, and to help support better lives for growers.

The processing

Some work needs to be done to remove the coffee beans from the cherry after harvesting. The method chosen (wet, dry, semi-dry) and the care taken during the milling and screening process have a huge influence on quality and the final cup. 

Wet Process

This process tends to produce a "cleaner" flavor. A depulper breaks away the cherries' outer skins, removing most of the pulp. To loosen the remaining sticky coating called mucilage, the beans are placed in large water tanks to ferment. They are then thoroughly washed and left to dry on patios in the sun . After the beans have rested, for a few months, a hulling machine removes the final layer of “parchment” skin surrounding the bean.

Dry (or Natural) Process 

This method tends to produce a heavier, earthier flavor. Here the ripe cherries partially dry while on the tree, then they are picked and spread out in the sun on patios to dry while still intact for another 2-3 weeks. Finally, the dried cherries, with the beans inside, are put through hulling machines to remove the dried pulp, and parchment skin.

Semi-dry (or Pulped Natural) Process 

This method is hybrid of the wet and dry process. The cherry fruits' outer skins are removed with most of the mucilage left intact around the beans. The coffee is then patio-dried until desired moisture levels are achieved. Finally, it is dry-milled to remove any remaining dried pulp and parchment skin.

The roasting

Each bean, depending on the varietal and where it is grown, and crop is unique, so we treat each batch as if cooking -- using eye, ear, nose, experience and some creative experimentation. Our roasting style is unique in that we use a longer development time which creates a richer, rounder cup. Our goal is to bring out the unique regional qualities in each bean:

• Central and South American are light to medium bodied with lively, effervescence. The volcano regions of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama produce coffee that has spicy, chocolatey, and complex flavors.
• African coffees combine the sparkling acidity of the best Central Americans with aromatic, floral and winy, berry-like notes.
• Indonesian coffees are at the opposite end of the spectrum, being full-bodied powerhouses, smooth with low acidity, and having an earthy and nutty quality.

The last step in our process is taste--every batch we roast is cupped and assessed. We are lucky to not only personally taste each batch, but to ask our customers in the cafe to give us their thoughts, so what comes out in the end is truly stellar.  Watch a video of Flavio roasting>