FAQs
Our Coffee
Do you flavor your coffee?
We do not offer flavored coffees. However, specialty grade coffees are naturally characterized by a vast palette of flavors reflective of the coffee origin; including plant variety, soil, climate, elevation, and processing methods. Just like with wine, we have included tasting notes on the identification tags that accompany each coffee we offer to characterize each coffee’s unique natural flavors. These notes refer to the quality of the sweetness, acidity, and mouthfeel. Different brewing methods will also bring out different flavor notes in each coffee. For example, cold brewing will highlight chocolate notes while hot pour-over brewing will bring out the floral and citrus notes in a coffee. Experiment at home to find out how you like your favorite coffees to be brewed.
Is your coffee organic certified?
We do offer several organic certified coffees. These coffees are cultivated, roasted, and certified in accordance with USDA Organic standards. However, certification can be too expensive for many small farms and shareholders. Our farmer-direct partners use organic cultivation practices whenever possible, even if they are not certified. Our current selection of USDA Organic Certified coffees include: House Decaf, French Roast, Peru, & Sumatra.
Is your coffee fair-trade or direct-trade certified?
We purchase our green coffee supply at above-market pricing, and we purchase specialty-grade coffees exclusively. We also visit farms directly twice a year and maintain ongoing direct-trade relationships with those farms. We take strides to ensure our coffee is sourced as ethically as possible, currently we offer four coffee's that are Fair Trade Certified: House Decaf, French Roast, Peru, & Sumatra.
How much caffeine is in your coffee?
Caffeine content is reliant largely on bean variety, roast profile, and extraction method. The darker the roast, the less caffeine. The more water used per unit of coffee, the more caffeine is extracted. Roughly speaking, an 8-ounce cup of coffee will have somewhere between 85 and 105 mg of caffeine.
Do you have a light roast / dark roast?
Most of our coffees are roasted to a medium or light roast profile. This is to preserve the delicate flavor characteristics associated with the coffee’s origin and processing methods. In addition, we offer a few dark roasts, including Detroit French Roast and Dark Horse Espresso. Look for “dark” and “roasty” in the flavor notes if you prefer a darker roast profile.
How can I keep my coffee fresh?
We recommend buying your beans whole and grinding on demand. Click the “locations” link on our website for a list of our stores. Keep your beans in a cool, dry place away from light and humidity. Make sure to use an air-tight container for storage. Use your coffee within two weeks of opening the bag.
Where is my order?
It can take 24-48 hours to fill an order for delivery. We will send you tracking information as soon as your order is picked up by the carrier. Please be aware that weekends and holidays may affect delivery timing.
Do you ship internationally?
Please contact us directly as we do not have a standard system for international shipping. info@greatlakescoffee.com
Our Cold Brew
What is Cold Brew?
Cold brew is a method of brewing coffee using cold or room temperature water. You can use any bean to make cold brew. We recommend a cold brew system such as a Mizudashi or Toddy for best results. Our preferred recipe extracts the coffee under continuous refrigeration for 18 hours at a 5:11 ratio by weight. We encourage home brewers to experiment with their time, ratio, and temperature to find their personal preferences.
What is Nitro Cold Brew?
“Nitro” cold brew is nitrogen-infused cold brewed coffee. We follow the same recipe as our traditional “still” cold brew, and then pressurize the keg with nitrogen to give the coffee a smooth effervescence that pours with a dense frothy head reminiscent of a Guinness draft beer. It is non-alcoholic and has about the same caffeine content as still cold brew.
How can I get Cold Brew?
We offer Cold Brew and Nitro Brew by the case on our website and you can find single cans for purchse at various retail stores. For information on Cold Brew/Nitro Brew cans & kegs, please contact your wholesale representative or our info line at info@greatlakescoffee.com.
Shopping
Do you accept returns?
Due to the perishable nature of coffee and the incidental wear on brewing equipment, we cannot accept returns. Of course, if something is wrong with the product when it arrives – such as damage to the packaging or compromised quality – we will happily replace it. For details please contact info@greatlakescoffee.com.
I don’t see the coffee I bought last time. Where is it?
Coffee is a seasonal crop. We can maintain our signature blends year-round, but many of our single origin coffees will change with the season. Use the search bar in our online store to look for keywords. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact us to inquire about similar, freshly harvested options at info@greatlakescoffee.com.
Education
We offer public classes on a variety of coffee related subjects. Check our online store and follow our social media for upcoming events. https://greatlakescoffee.com/collections/classes
Wholesale
We offer our products and services in scalable wholesale models. Please go to https://greatlakescoffee.com/pages/wholesale for details or to complete our online form to request additional wholesale information.
