Oaxaca La Cañada SHG Organic On the tasting table: In the La Canada area of Oaxaca, Mexico, the humidity and altitude combine to make the perfect environment for growing coffee. Most of the varietals are Mundo Novo, Bourbon, Typica, and Criollo, grown at a height of 1,200 to 1,500 meters. In this area, close to Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón, lies the headquarters of Union de Productores Las Flores. Each member has between .5 and 3 hectares of land, and they Read More [...]

Tasting time: Mantiqueira Amarelo, Brazil Beautiful big Yellow Bourbon beans The Serra de Mantiqueria mountains run for 320km across Southeastern Brazil, through Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janiero. The Mantiqueria de Minas region, which is in the state of Minas Gerais, was the first in the Brazilian coffee business to get a geographical indication (supported and developed by BSCA). With 25 counties in the region and 7,800 farmers, 89% of whom are smallholders, this development, similar to "terroir" Read More [...]

Coffee Growers and Nature Hand in Hand Coffee growers work with nature A recent study investigated how bees helped fertilise coffee plants and how birds helped control pests. The study demonstrated how working with wildlife might increase farmers' income. But it's only one of many advantages provided by nature to us that we take for granted. Twenty to twenty-five million households, including dealers, export managers, farmers, and baristas working in coffee shops, rely on the production of coffee for their Read More [...]

Jaggy Loko will be back next week Jaggy Loko Temporarily out of stock 19 July 2022. Most of the Dreambeans / Greenbean team is on holiday this week, and our annual break has coincided with the good weather for once. Yay! We've had a good run of orders for Jaggy Loko over the past week and because we hold very little coffee in stock, we have run out. Apologies to Jaggy's many devotees!. We will be roasting again on Monday Read More [...]

Decaf Coffee: The Mountain / Swiss Water Method. Our decaf coffee, Decaf Dream is more popular than we ever anticipated when we introduced it. It's easy to see why. Decaf coffee is getting more popular all the time, even among discerning and dedicated coffee drinkers. Many people drink caffeinated coffee during the day but switch to decaf in the afternoon or evening as they start to relax after a busy day. Our Decaf Dream tastes so good, it's like drinking Read More [...]

11 uses for leftover coffee grinds If you drink as much coffee in your house was we do in ours, I'm sure you have often wondered if there was anything you could do with all the coffee grounds? If you have a dedicated knockbox or if you keep it all in one place, you will be surprised how quickly used coffee builds up. Here ar a few ideas to consider. Coffee grinds are a good source of nitrogen for your Read More [...]

Kopi Luwak: Why we don't sell it. Kopi Luwak is controversial Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is pretty controversial. It’s one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and it's made from beans that have been passed through the digestive system of a civet cat (aka luwak). Asian Palm Civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are small, catlike creatures that live in Southeast Asia.  name comes from the Malay word for “musk” because they smell like musk. They're kind of cute and Read More [...]

The Speciality Coffee Association scoring system The Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) scoring system is still fairly new, having made its debut in 1982. The purpose was to differentiate specialty coffee from commercial coffee and to create a means of evaluating coffee quality. The system was created with the intention of making cupping more consistent and reliable. It was also intended to make it easier to communicate about coffee, especially with regard to buying and selling. While the system is well-known Read More [...]

French press: Making coffee in a cafetière. The French press or cafetiere is a great way to make coffee and probably the most widely-used coffee device in Ireland. There are many different French presses on the market but the method for making coffee with them is pretty much the same. Here are some tips on how to get the best out of your French press. Use coarsely ground beans - If you have a burr grinder, set it to a Read More [...]

How long will my coffee keep fresh? We get asked all the time, how long will our coffee stay fresh? How long will it keep in tip-top condition? And the short answer is that in general, unopened, whole beans will keep really well for up to a year, ground coffee unopened will stay fresh for about 4-5 months. Once opened, a bag of beans is at its best for around 2-3 weeks. A bag of ground coffee Read More [...]