10 STEPS TO BREWING GREAT COFFEE

1. Determine which style roast you like. We hold periodic Taste Testing so that you can learn the differences between the roasts.

2. Determine which type of bean you like. We hold Hawaiian Islands Taste Tasting to help you find which varietal you prefer; or we can create custom blends designed just for you.

3. Only order the amount of coffee you know you'd use in a few weeks' time. We stamp our coffee with a "Roasted On" date so you can make sure you are getting the freshest roast.

4. Store your coffee in an airtight container. Our bags have a special valve that allows the natural gases from coffee to escape without allowing oxygen to get in. Never store your coffee in the refrigerator, it will absorb the smells and affect the taste of your coffee. If you ordered more coffee than you can use within a month's time, then you can store it in the freezer once you have wrapped it up tightly. But once you are ready to start drinking your coffee, transfer it to your airtight container. It's bad for the coffee to be shifting from room temperature to freezing temperature.

5. Figure out the proper amount of Coffee to water ratio that you prefer. We recommend using between 3-4 oz of water per tablespoon of coffee. If you use too much coffee it will be too thick, if you use too little, it will taste bitter and watered down. (Be aware that many coffee brewers don't use these measurements. You'll need to adjust to your personal brewer.) If you can weigh your coffee use .05 oz of coffee per 1 oz of water. (Ex: you want to brew 4 cups or 32 oz, so you would use 32 x .05 = 1.6 oz of coffee.)

6. Grind your coffee just prior to brewing. If you are using a small grinder, shake it while you are grinding. This is to give it a uniform grind. Grind it so that it feels like coarse sand between your fingers. Burr or conical grinders that can adjust the type of grind are ideal. This way you can determine which size of grind you like.

7. Use cold, filtered water, making sure to use the proper quantities.

8. Brew your coffee

9. Drink as needed!

10. Make sure not to leave your coffee sitting on the heating element for more than 1/2 an hour. Remember that additional heat and oxygen are brewing coffee's worst enemy! So pour your coffee into a thermal carafe if you won't be drinking it right away.