Which coffee processing method is best? Coffee processing methods explained - a coffee roaster’s perspective. If you buy coffee online, from Dreambeans or from anyone else, the chances are you’ve come across terms like “washed,” “natural,” or “honey process” in the descriptions. This can feel a bit like coffee jargon, and to most people, these are relatively new terms and they can sometimes cause confusion.  Although processing is important, it’s often overhyped or misunderstood. I want to break it down Read More [...]

Great coffee makes your day better. When the great team at Boyne Valley Flavours asked me to write a few words about Dreambeans Coffee and what we were all about, I started thinking about what we're doing here and what we want to achieve. Obviously, we're hear to sell coffee and make a modest profit to feed and educate our six kids, but there's more to it than that. I'm always sceptical of mission statements. They're like wallpaper for corporate Read More [...]

French Roast Coffee Supply Problems. French Roast: Origins Unavailable If you’ve been looking for our French Roast and wondering where it’s gone,  we’re sorry to say it’s currently off the menu. We’ve had to discontinue this coffee due to ongoing supply issues with several of the key origins that make up the blend. Our French Roast is a carefully crafted mix of Arabica beans from Central and South America including bright, clean pulp-natural coffees from Costa Rica, high-grown SHB lots Read More [...]

Ground Coffee: : Why Grind Size is so Important. More orten than not, if you're having problems with getting your coffee right at home, it can be traced back to a grind size that doesn’t suit the brew method. Here’s a bit about the science and what's going on in the coffee maker. 1. Extraction 101: Surface Area Meets Contact Time Coffee flavour comes from combining soluble compounds with water. Your coffee grind size dictates how much surface area the water Read More [...]

Click & Collect Coffee Dundalk. We have had to retire our "Collect" discount. Why We’ve Retired Our “Collect” Coupon Code Since we started selling coffee to home users, we have offered a special “Collect” coupon code that provided a 10% discount for those who chose to pick up their orders in person from our roast house on Coes Road, Dundalk.. Unfortunately, this code got posted on several discount code aggregating websites and customers were finding the discount code there and Read More [...]

Is the €1 Espresso Al Banco Gone Forever? Italy Braces for the €2 Espresso as Coffee Prices Keep Rising. A Rapidly Rising Cost. Italy’s espresso prices have climbed substantially in the past three years, prompting fears that the once-inconceivable €2 espresso could become a reality. Traditionally known for its affordable coffee culture, Italy now finds itself grappling with unprecedented cost pressures. Historic Coffee Culture Under Strain. Espresso has long been central to Italian identity. Cafés and bars across the Read More [...]

Making coffee without electricity. Coffee in a power cut. A survival guide! Some of us had a rude awakening during Storm Eowyn, which hit Ireland in the early hours of 24 January 2025. For us, the awakening was at 04:25 when the sheer noise of the wind outside woke my wife, Caoimhe and me. I've never seen or heard wind like it. Incredibly, all the kids slept through the entire thing. After a few minutes of watching the storm grow, Read More [...]

Gas-fired roasters make the best coffee. Both of our coffee roasters are gas-fired. We have two excellent manually controlled roasters, one with 42 kg capacity and one with 23 kg capacity. Both of these machines have been specifically modified to Pat Grant's own designs over the years. They are quite unique and we look after them assidiously. Pat Grant, Greenbean's Master Roaster describes them both as "happy roasters". Every roaster has an element of personality about it, and behaves slightly Read More [...]

Coffee drinking in China is growing rapidly. Coffee drinking is becoming very popular in China, very quickly. I visited China three times during 2023 and 2024 and even in that short space of time, I could see a noticable uptick in coffee consumption. There are more coffee shops, more customers in the coffee shops, more selection and more interest in coffee generally. In the space of 18 months, many Chinese people seem to have progressed from wondering why you would Read More [...]

Christmas present for coffee lovers. A great christmas gift for coffee lovers. The Dreambeans AllStars. If you’re shopping for a coffee lover who likes to try new tastes and new flavours, the Dreambeans All Stars is probably the perfect gift for them. Featuring four fantastic Great Taste Award–winning blends, this amazing selection takes the guesswork out of gift-giving. Each packet brings something different to the table, —bold, bright, or somewhere in between—so they can decide for themselves which roast belongs Read More [...]