Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!)

Returns

Returns happen! And that's OK. We put our partner-farmers first when we source coffee, but you, our customer, are just as important. We're confident you'll love our coffee—but if you don't, for whatever reason, just let us know by sending us a message.

We promise we'll make things right, either by replacing your coffee or offering you a refund. Just let us know.

Please note that returns or refunds are only available for 30 days from the date you've received your coffee.

Absolutely. You can choose the type of grind you'd like when ordering your coffee. We offer three types:

1. Fine (for espresso)

2. Standard (for drip coffeemakers that everyone has at their house as well as manual pour-overs. like a V60)

To switch to another credit card or edit the details for your current card, simply follow these steps:

1. Log in if you already have an account (click here). If you haven't yet registered, then click here:  Register for an account. Note: the e-mail address you use to register must be the same one you used when purchasing your subscription.
2. On the right-hand column of your screen, under "Account Details" click on "Manage Subscriptions."
3. On the left-hand column of your screen, click on "Billing Information."
4. There are two rows. The first row is "Card on File." On the right hand side, click on "Edit."
5. Enter your new card details and then click "Save."

You will receive the same farmer's coffee you initially chose each month unless you change your preferences on our website or a coffee is out of stock. However, you're able to choose a different farmer at any time: just click here to log in.

Oh no! We'd hate to see you go. Please reach out and let us know if there's something wrong and we'd love to have a chance to make it right. Alternatively, you can always log in to our website with your account and cancel your coffee subscription under "Manage Subscriptions."

To edit your billing and/or shipping address(es), simply follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account (click here). If you don't have an account yet, please register for an account. Note: the e-mail address you use to register must be the same one you used when purchasing your subscription.
2. On the right-hand column of your screen, under "Account Details" click on "Manage Subscriptions."
3. On the left-hand column of your screen, click on "Subscriptions"
4. You'll see a row that says "Ships To:" followed by your mailing address, followed by the link Edit. Click on Edit.
5. You can now update your shipping address and/or, if necessary, your billing address.

We accept the following payment types:

We accept Amazon Pay which means you can conveniently pay for your coffee purchase just by logging in using your Amazon.com account info.

Yes! We roast, package and ship all orders within 2-3 business days of your order being placed. 

Of course! We add a tracking number to every shipment which you can see from inside of your customer account. We'll also send you an e-mail when your order ships as well as when it's delivered.

Yes, we do ship outside of the U.S. for individual orders of coffee as well as our gear!

Making the "best" cup of coffee is subjective, as many different brewing methods can make a terrific cup of coffee. The most important factors to consider when making a cup of coffee are:

1. Quality of bean (don't worry, our partner-farmers have that part covered!)

2. That the coffee was freshly-roasted

3. That the coffee was freshly-ground (i.e. within 15 minutes of when you brew)

4. That you're using the correct grind size

5. The temperature of the water you're brewing with (ideally 195-200 F), 

6. Time: how long you brew for

7. The ratio of coffee-to-water you're using (start with 15:1 and adjust accordingly). You could also try 18:1 and see what you prefer).

Check out the learn section to see our guides on pour overs and french presses. Briefly, though, a pour-over is going to yield a clean, bright cup of coffee. This method tends to producing a coffee with a tea-like body and you may notice some of the fruity tones come out. Methods like a V60 or Chemex are our personal favorite at Farmers First Coffee, FYI.

Meanwhile, a french press will create a sweet, fuller-bodied cup with deeper flavor notes such as chocolate. 

The quality from standard drip coffeemakers (like the one in your kitchen) are really going to depend on which machine you buy. Frankly, most will ruin your coffee. However, there are a few exceptions:

1. The best home-drip brewer on the market today is the Bonavita (https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita). 

2. There's a fascinating new machine on Amazon that we've discovered makes one heck of a good cup of coffee called the Redline MK1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074MJ65P7

The coffees produced by are partner-farmers go above and beyond the standards set by "fair" trade.  We pay 4 times more of a bonus per year than "fair" trade, an amount that's actually a fair adjustment that takes into account years of record-low prices paid to small-scale coffee farmers.

It's worth mentioning two additional points:

1. Most of the time the "fair" trade bonus doesn't make it back to the pockets of the farmers, but is instead used for community development projects. That's all fine and good, but that means individual farmers can't use the fair trade bonus to invest in their particular farm.

2. Cooperatives are required to pay for the certification fees of fair trade(?!). In effect, this means that each individual farmer is, in a small way, required to bear the burden of fair trade inspections. That's nothing short of ridiculous and Farmers First Coffee at no point in time requires our farmers to pay for any sort of fee or bear any burden for our visit to their farms.

Technically no*

*The thing is, there are a complicated set of regulations on how organic coffee is labeled and processed. We roast coffee that is grown in Peru and Honduras by farmers who are certified as organic producers and we (of course) don't add anything to that coffee, so in effect our coffee is 100% naturally-produced.

So, the only thing stopping our coffee from having the "organic" label on it is a rather expensive certification payment; we'd rather take that money and just pay it directly to the farmers we partner with.

Yes, and proudly so.  We have been roasting top-quality specialty coffee for over 19 years professionally.  Not only do we sell directly to individuals but we also have a long history of providing wholesale coffee to some of the best coffee shops, markets, and brands in the country.

We don't prepackage our coffee in single serve cups but, don't worry, you can still use our coffee! There are now very good reusable pods available on the market (click here to see an example) that you can fill with our coffee.

(Farmers First Coffee Company has no affiliation with Keurig® or K-Cup®. Keurig® and K-Cup® are registered trademarks of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.)