Q&A

How do you roast the coffee?

"The roasting method is pretty simple, a spinning pan for the heat and some stopwatches. Despite not being automatized and not allowing to roast more than half a kilogram of coffee per batch it works pretty well."

Is the whole beans safe to grind at home?

"During the flavoring process of the coffee the beans get covered by a thin coat of juice or syrup. Despite getting washed after the process there can remain a bit of coating on the beans. If you do not want to risk dulling or damaging your burr grinds or blades you can of course chose a grind type for any bag of coffee you want and it will be pre-grinded before it gets sent to you."

Is there any risks of allergies in the coffee?

"In spite of all the efforts to reduce risks of crossed contamination like making the coffee in a clean environnement, allergens can be present in suppliers juices and syrups used for the flavoring. Please be mindful of the ingredients list behind of the coffee bags and in the online store product description. "

How do you pick up new flavors?

"Often by recommandations but usually by trial and errors."

How do you chose the featured artists for your labels?

"They are (unless of a future exception) local artists. Friends and amazing people without whom the bags would be lacking in personality. A link to their pages is present at the back of the bags don't hesitate to take a look there."

How long does roasting and flavoring coffee take?

"The roasting itself only takes about 40 minutes. Aromatization can take up to 72 hours. It is a meticulous process which requires different time depending on the type of coffee and the type of aromas."

What type of beans are used to make your coffees?

"Arabica, more precisely coffee from Costa Rica (Hacienda Rio Negro). It is both sweet and has a pleasant body and notes of brown sugar and nuts. It is the ideal coffee to mix with all kinds of aromatics. It is also Rain Forest Alliance certified. For decaffeinated we stick with Arabica but the origin is different. This time he comes again to the south, from Peru. It comes precisely from the Agrarian Cooperative of Multiple Services El Milagro. It is decaffeinated using the SWISS WATER technique. It also has Rain Forest Alliance certification as well as USDA 'Organic' certification."

It says on your packaging that the coffee is made in Quebec, what do you mean by that?

"The green coffee beans themselves come from Latin and South America (see above) as it would be extremely difficult to grow here. The coffee tree needs a specific humidity level, climate and even altitude which cannot be seriously replicated in a greenhouse on a large volume. The roasting, preparation and crafting are all done on site in Montreal. Most of the products used to flavor coffee come first from Quebec and when this is not possible from Ontario. It is a proudly Montrealer, Quebecer and Canadian product."

What coffee grind size should I chose?

"It all depends on the machine you have at home. As a general rule it goes like this:
Fine grind for: Italian coffee maker / Moka, Espresso machine, Turkish coffee maker.
Medium grind for: Filter coffee maker, siphon coffee maker, reusable pod for Nespresso machine or others*.
Coarse grind for: Cold brew machine, French press.

*Always check according to the reusable pod/capsule. Some machines listed or not listed here have particular grind requisite; in doubt always look in the user manual or on the internet before ordering!"

Why is your dark roast and decaf coffee more expensive?

"For dark roast coffee it's a matter of weight. During roasting on average there is up to 20% more mass loss due to the high temperature. So it costs more to produce. Same story for decaffeinated. Green beans cost more because it goes through an additional process to remove the caffeine from the beans."

How do you explain that coffee costs much less at the grocery store than yours?

"(That's a real and valid question!). Well, several factors influence the price of coffee. First of all, this is a hobby and not a full-time job. The entire process is carried out alone, apart of course from the artists' drawings I am on my own. Coffee without added flavoring would be much cheaper to produce but it would lose its appeal. Costs are calculated as follows. How much does each ingredient cost, how much are the operating costs and what is the most affordable resale price possible. Large-volume industrial roasters have both lower costs (cost of green coffee always cheaper per volume purchased) and optimized methods (high-performance machinery, powdered aromatics to imitate flavors, etc.). The price the coffee is sold for is just enough to make the cost of production profitable, without any wages paid. Handcrafting is in fact a balancing act between affordability (it should not be inaccessible or a luxury) and micro-enterprise survival (not costing more to make than is paid)."

What is the best way to enjoy one of your flavored coffees?

"Simply as you would drink it usually, it is however advisable to use very little milk to fully benefit from the sometimes subtle flavor of the aromates."

I have a question that is not on the list. What should I do?

"Just send a message from the "Contact Us" section and you will receive a response shortly."