To be considered "specialty coffee," a coffee must meet certain grading criteria (size, uniformity, and defect count).

Coffee beans are the seeds of a small fruit.

Coffee was first discovered in Africa.

Varieties of Arabica coffee include Bourbon, Typica, Moka, Caturra, and Catuai.

The average coffee tree produces 1lb of beans per year.

The highest quality beans are still hand-picked.

A coffee cherry usually has two beans inside; sometimes a cherry will only contain one bean, known as a peaberry.

Wet and dry processing are two different methods of removing the fruit of the coffee cherry from the seed (bean).

Wet processed beans are soaked in water to loosen the pulp from the seed, while dry processed beans are dried on patios before the fruit is removed in a hulling machine.

Decaffeination is the removal of at least 97% of the caffeine from green (raw) coffee beans.

There are natural (water, CO2, ethyl acetate) and chemical (methylene chloride) methods of decaffeination.

While roasting, a chemical reaction called pyrolisis occurs within each bean. When sugars caramelize and water evaporates, the beans make a cracking noise referred to as "first crack."

As the roast temperature increases, the beans increase in size, darken in color, and oils begin to form on their surface.

A coffee "blend" is comprised of beans with special individual characteristics that, when combined, create a unique flavor profile.

Coffee flavorings contain natural and artificial flavors.

After it is roasted, coffee gives off carbon dioxide. Our coffees are packaged in bags with one-way degassing valves that let the carbon dioxide escape while keeping oxygen from entering.

Coffee "cupping" is a standardized and systematic approach to tasting coffee. It is commonly done to sample beans and check for consistency.