Buyer FAQ

Purchasing and Storage

We recommend only ordering as much coffee as you can use in a 3-4 week period. Roasted coffee needs to de-gas for 1-4 weeks to develop the flavor and allow the CO2 to disseminate. Due to transit time, some of our origins will be at their prime when they arrive, while some may improve in flavor after longer rest. After proper resting, your coffee will remain at its peak flavor for about 3-5 weeks, after which the flavor will begin to decline. After the degassing period, a piece of tape may be placed over the degassing valve to retain flavor. Store your fresh coffee in a dark, cool place (think pantry or kitchen cabinet away from the stove).

Can You Grind my Beans?

To maximize your brew's flavor, we recommend purchasing whole beans because once ground, coffee stales in a matter of hours. However, we do offer precision Mahlkonig or Ditting grinding for a small fee. Please specify your desired brew method in the comments section during checkout. Our beans are shipped in heat sealed valve bags with resealable zip closures.

Brewing

We recommend using a burr grinder to prepare only the quantity of coffee which you will be using immediately. If you need some recommendations for any budget, please contact us at store@lifegivingsprings.com and we would be delighted to help.

Filter Coffee

Brewing with a French Press or pourover will highlight the brighter fruity and floral notes of a coffee, while a drip machine will bring out the deeper rich flavors and sweetness. 

For brewing, we recommend a coffee to water ratio of 1:16 (just under 2g per fl. oz. or 2 Tbsp per 6 oz. cup), and water right off boil. 

Grind size, coffee to water ratio, and brew style greatly affect the brew flavor and these should be adjusted to fit your personal taste. You can reference the Coffee Compass on Barista-Hustle for more info on dialing in by flavor.

Espresso

For our traditional coffees with notes of dark chocolate, nut, red fruit, etc., we typically recommend 18g of properly ground coffee in and 24g of liquid espresso out. This is closer to a ristretto ratio, but if you find the espresso to be too bright, you can increase the liquid espresso out to 30-36g.

For our light roast espressos, which are usually fruit-forward, we recommend a 1:3 ratio with or without a turbo shot. These coffees will present with a good amount of acidity, but the more you experiment with the ratios, the more you'll be able to find the right balance you enjoy. 

Tasting Notes

These should be regarded as guidelines, not guarantees, because a given bean's flavor can vary greatly, depending on fine variations in the roast profile and brewing method (grind size, water temperature, mineral content, etc).

And no, we do not add any flavorings to the beans whatsoever.