Your Coffee Questions Answered

1. What does "fair trade" mean?
2. What does "organic" mean?
3. What type of grind should I choose when ordering?
4. Not sure which grind to select?
5. What's the best way to store coffee?
6. How long should coffee be stored?
7. What's the best way to grind coffee?
8. What's the best way to brew coffee?

• What does "fair trade" mean?

  Blue State Coffee has a firm commitment to improving the lives and working conditions of those who grow our coffee. That's why we only offer Fair Trade coffee, certified by TransFair USA. Our partnership with TransFair USA ensures that our Fair Trade beans are produced by democratic worker cooperatives, and that these growers receive a good price for their harvest. [Back to questions]

• What does "organic" mean?

    It means our coffees are certified to be grown and processed without chemicals. Our coffee is certified as organic by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. [Back to questions]

   

• Not sure which grind to select?

  Most of our customers use a cone drip filter. If you're not sure what kind of coffee equipment your friend uses, this grind is probably your best bet. It'll work for most auto-drip coffee makers. [Back to questions]

• What's the best way to store coffee?

  To maximize the freshness of your coffee, store whole beans in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature, and grind just before brewing. Freezing or refrigerating beans can dull your coffee's naturally bright, sweet flavor. The chill is especially harmful to medium- and light-roasted coffees. [Back to questions]

• How long should coffee be stored?

  As long as our whole beans remain sealed in their bags, they remain fresh for about eight weeks. After the bag has been opened, the flavor and aroma of our coffee remains at its very best for two weeks. Pre-ground coffee has about four weeks of freshness in the sealed bag, and a few days after you open the bag. [Back to questions]

• What's the best way to grind coffee?

  The best home grinders work using the same principles as our big commercial models. Burr grinders have two disks: one spinning, one stationary. As soon as the coffee is ground, the machine shoots it into a waiting container. Blade grinders are less expensive than burr grinders, and work by essentially beating the beans into ground coffee. Blade grinders produce a less consistent grind than burr grinders, but you can't beat the convenience. [Back to questions]

• What's the best way to brew coffee?

  We recommend using 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz. of water. Since brewed coffee is 98% water, make sure that the water you're using is pure and clean. (If that's not the way you'd describe your municipal water, it'd be a good idea to use spring or filtered water.) [Back to questions]