Coffee Basics FAQ

Does freshness really matter?

Everything matters with coffee, just like it does with potatoe chips or red wine (would you leave either of those opened for days and then consume them?). Some things matter more than others of course, but freshness is, next to the quality of the beans, the most important factor in our opinion. Coffees that are imported and months old simply become stale and loose much of their flavor. V. Coffee roasts locally, many beans only after you place your order, ensuring you get superior freshness and superior coffee at a great price.

Why is there oil on my beans?

Coffee beans develop oil on their surface in one of two ways:
1. They are roasted dark enough that the oils will surface. This is typical of a dark roast.
2. After some time more and more oil surfaces from the inside of the bean, even when the bean seemed dry initially. Depending on the roast and the type of bean this will be from several hours to several days. Even the weather will play a role in this!
Having oil on the surface of your bean in no way impacts the flavor of your coffee but is rather a sign of a darker roast! Most of our coffees are roasted so that no oil will appear on the beans. Some darker roasts, like the Caffè Primo and the V. Espresso, might have a little bit of oil.

How should I store my coffee?

The best way to store coffee is in the bag it comes in, sealed airtight and protected from harmful oxygen until the day you'd like to consume it. Even after you open your bag of coffee, since our specially designed bags are custom made, they can be re-sealed, ensuring longer freshness and taste. Unless you plan to keep it there for a long time, it's better not to store your coffee in a refrigerator or freezer as the condensation when the coffee is taken out will harm the taste. Ideally coffee should be consumed as close to the roasting date as possible. However, with our quick packaging after roasting and our custom-made bags it will retain much of its flavor for quite a while.

What grind should I choose?

The grind depends mainly on what kind of machine you will be using to brew your coffees. As a basic rule, the longer the water will be in contact with the coffee, the coarser the ground coffee should be. Thus, French Press (3 – 5 minutes) should be coarse, drip filter (1 - 3 minutes ) medium and espresso (22 – 28 seconds) fine.

What's the difference in the roasting degree?

Coffee can be roasted anywhere from a dark beige color to almost charcoal black. This of course has an impact on the flavor of the coffee. While some regions (France, south Italy) mainly have darker roasts, lighter roasts are becoming increasingly popular as they keep the natural “terroir” flavors of the coffee – the citrusy, floral and fruity aromas that one seeks in a single origin coffee. However, darker roasts are often still preferred or at least expected for an espresso, just not as dark as a French or dark Italian roast. The longer a coffee is roasted the more bittersweet it becomes and the less sour (pleasant acidity / sourness is a desirable trait in coffee). V. Coffee roasts their single origin coffees lighter to preserve our beans’ excellent flavor.

What is the difference between blended and single origin coffees? 

It’s all a matter of taste and perhaps can be likened to a blended Scotch (Black Label, Chivas Regal) vs. a Single Malt (Macallan, GlenFiddich, GlenMorangie, etc.). While the blended coffees and whiskies are usually consistent year in and year out and have a very likeable aroma or are blended to serve a higher purpose (espresso), the single origin coffees and single malts are very individual and range from citrusy and fruity to smoky and heavy. Another way to draw comparison is the allegory between an orchestra performance (blended coffees) with greater complexity and breadth versus an instrumental solo (single origin coffees) with more individual character and uniqueness. The Single Origins are not for everyone, however they can be so special that they create some very interesting and of course pleasant taste sensations.

Is your coffee vacuum packed?

Fresh roasted coffee cannot be vacuum packed. We pack our coffee straight after roasting in high quality bags with a one-way valve. A one-way valve allows the CO2 produced by the freshly roasted bean to exit the bag while keeping oxygen from entering. This is important for the freshness of your coffee. Vacuum packed coffee is usually left outside to degas, up to 2 weeks, before it is bagged, giving the freshness a dramatically negative hit!