Sustainability, Environmental Credentials
We work hard to make a difference. Coffee can be sustainable.
We want our customers to enjoy our amazing coffee with a clear conscience. We want you to know that when you buy Dreambeans Coffee you are buying from a family-run independent business that is serious about sustainability and that has the track record to prove it.
We installed our first solar panels in 2010
We’ve been using solar energy in the roast house since 2010, way ahead of other coffee companies. The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the roof and side of the building convert the sun’s energy into electricity. We use this energy to run equipment, computers and lighting in the roast house and office. We generate a substantial amount of electricity in this way, which helps offset the energy we use to roast our coffee. Solar energy also helps us make substantial savings on our costs, savings which we can pass on to you, the customer. This is one of the reasons our Dreambeans coffee is so competitively priced, given the outstanding quality. Being sustainable isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good business too.
Coffee roasting requires heat and creating heat uses energy. There’s no way around it. We use natural gas in our two hand-roasters, simply because it gives the best results. We do our best to offset the carbon impact of our roasting by trying to do everything else sustainably. Where most coffee companies use an energy intensive afterburner to eliminate the smoke and flue gases produced during roasting, we use a water-scrubber which uses recycled rainwater diverted from our roof to transform the smoke into harmless steam. Greenbean Coffee has always been far ahead of the curve in terms of environmental initiatives. Dreambeans coffee makes your day better one cup at a time. We want to do our best to make the planet better too.
Solar electricity lowers our carbon footprint
Look how old and how big our solar intake cabinet is! That’s because it was installed so long ago in 2010. These things are about the size of a briefcase these days. They were much bulkier in 2010.
We have been using plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) since 2013.
Our commitment to sustainability isn’t abstract or theoretical. It’s a real and everyday commitment to making things better, and it is a commitment we made a long time ago. We installed an electric vehicle (EV) charging point at the roast house in 2013, and bought our first EV, a white Vauxhall Ampera. Electric vehicles were very rare in Ireland in 2013. Only 58 electric vehicles registered in Ireland that year, which represented just 0.07% of passenger car sales. To put this in context, electric vehicles made up 15.2% of car sales in 2021. Not all our vehicles are EV but some are, and we were the first coffee company to sign up to Ireland’s first all-EV courier company. We believe coffee should make the world better, not worse and we do our best to make a positive impact.
We use paper instead of plastic in our coffee bags and packaging.
We use as much paper as possible in our packaging because it’s the most sustainable material we can find. The nature of freshly-roasted coffee, and the imperative to keep it in tip-top condition means that a film of plastic is inevitable somewhere. Many other coffee companies use plastic bags that they claim are compostable, but you can’t compost them at home (your compost bin isn’t nearly hot enough) and most recycling centres haven’t got facilities to compost them either, so a huge number of these plastic bags end up in landfill anyway. The labels on our bags are paper too, not plastic. It all adds up.
We ship our coffee in cardboard boxes, not in plastic mailer bags. We use our own recycled, shredded office paper for padding. We use brown, unbleached cardboard as much as possible. We even stamp our logo on the delivery boxes by hand.
We recycle rainwater to clean our roaster smoke.
You can’t roast coffee without generating some smoke and exhaust gas from the roasters. It’s part of the process. Most coffee roasters use energy-intensive afterburners to “incinerate” the smoke and flue gases, thus greatly increasing their carbon footprint. We have installed a much more sustainable wet scrubbing system, which uses rainwater recycled from our roof to remove the smoke and convert our exhaust gases into harmless steam before they are released into the atmosphere.
EcoXpress was Ireland’s First All-Electric Courier Company
We are proud that Dreambeans was the first coffee company to sign up with Ireland’s first all electric vehicle (EV) courier company.
We Were The First Coffee Company to Sign Up
Although EcoXpress have ceased trading, they were Ireland’s first all-electric courier company, and we were the first coffee company in Ireland sign up to have our coffee delivered by an all-electric fleet. All EcoXpress deliveries were made in zero emission electric vehicles. EcoXpress also gave customers the option to collect their coffee from a local eco-agent. With a huge network of eco-agents throughout Ireland and in addition to being very convenient, using the eco-agents was a further step to protect the environment.
Darren Sheridan (pictured), Director of EcoXpress came to visit us at the roast house and talked us through the EcoXpress service, how it operated, how their no-emissions vehicles could help reduce our carbon footprint, and much more. EcoXpress developed a network of local EcoAgents, which gave our customers the option to reduce their carbon footprint even further (if they wished) by having their coffee delivered to a local EcoAgent, where it could be collected at your leisure. Unfortunately EcoXpress ceased trading and we have been unable to find an all-EV alternative but we think our willingness to take a punt is further proof of our commitment to sustainability.
Coffee FAQ
The wet or washed coffee processing method is a method of processing coffee beans that involves using water to clean and separate the beans from the ripe coffee cherry. This method is also known as “wet processing” because it uses water to remove the outer layers of the cherry and clean the beans.
The process begins by picking ripe coffee cherries, which are sorted and cleaned to remove debris and unripe cherries. The cherries are then placed into a “pulper” which removes the outer cherry layers, leaving the beans inside. The beans are placed into a fermentation tank where they are left to ferment for 12-48 hours. The fermentation process helps to break down the remaining cherry layers and enhance the flavor and aroma of the beans.
After this, the beans are washed to remove any remaining pieces of cherry and to clean the beans. They are placed into a machine called a “channel” or “selector” which separates the beans based on their density. Denser beans will sink to the bottom, while the less dense beans will float to the top. The beans are removed from the water, and placed into a hulling machine which removes the parchment layer that still surrounds the beans.
The beans are dried in the sun on raised beds or patios, where they are raked and turned regularly to ensure that they dry evenly. Once the beans have reached the right level of dryness, they are sorted and graded based on size, shape, and quality.
One of the advantages of the wet or washed processing method is that it results in a clean and consistent product, free of defects and inconsistencies that can occur with the natural process. This method is less susceptible to mold and other contaminants, which can be a problem with the natural processing method. Additionally, the farmers can carefully control the drying process
There are also some disadvantages to the wet or washed processing method. One of the main drawbacks is that it needs more expensive equipment, which can be a significant investment for small coffee growers. In addition, this method is water-intensive and can lead to water pollution if not properly managed. Sometimes, unless diligently supervised, this method can remove some of the fruity and sweet taste profile, which is a characteristic of the natural process beans.
The natural or dry coffee processing method is a traditional method of processing coffee beans that has been used for centuries. It is a simple, low-cost method that does not require much equipment, making it a popular choice for small-scale farmers.
The process begins with the coffee cherries being hand-picked when they are fully ripe. The cherries are then spread out on raised beds or patios to dry in the sun. The beans are left to dry for several weeks, during which time they are raked and turned regularly to ensure that they dry evenly.
During the drying process, the beans are exposed to the sun, which causes the outer layers of the cherry to dry out and the beans to lose moisture. This causes the beans to shrink and become denser, which improves their flavor and aroma. As the beans dry, they also begin to ferment, which further enhances their flavor.
Once the beans have reached the desired level of dryness, they are hulled to remove the dried outer layers of the cherry. The beans are then sorted and graded based on size, shape, and quality. The best beans are set aside for export, while the lower quality beans are used for local consumption.
One of the advantages of natural processing method is that it is relatively low-cost and requires minimal equipment, making it accessible to small-scale farmers. It also allows farmers to produce a unique, high-quality product that is sought after by specialty coffee buyers. The natural process beans often have a fruity and sweet taste profile, complex and more fruity aroma than the washed process beans.
However, there are also some disadvantages to the natural processing method. One of the main drawbacks is that the beans can be prone to defects and inconsistencies in flavor due to the lack of control over the drying process. Also, the beans can be more susceptible to mold and other contaminants due to the prolonged exposure to the elements. Additionally, the natural processing method is highly dependent on good weather conditions, which can be a problem in regions with frequent rain or high humidity.
Overall, the natural or dry coffee processing method is a traditional and simple method of processing coffee beans that has been used for centuries. It allows farmers to produce a unique, high-quality product, but it can have some drawbacks if there isn’t a rigorous quality control system in place. Some of the world’s best coffee is produced in this way by some of the very best small-scale producers. Neglecting the beans or allowing them to get rained on too often can lead to inconsistent flavor and susceptibility to mold. The natural process is a good option for small-scale farmers who want to produce a unique, high-quality product without investing in lots of expensive equipment, but it doesn’t suit the big international coffee corporations or growers who aren’t committed to very high standards. Coffee regions with unfavorable weather conditions struggle to produce excellent coffee using the natural process..
Coffee is grown in many countries around the world, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. These countries are among the largest producers of coffee in the world, and are responsible for a significant portion of the global coffee supply. However, coffee is also grown in other countries, such as India, Indonesia, Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras, among others.
The majority of the world’s coffee is grown in the so-called “coffee belt,” which is a region that stretches around the globe between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This region has the ideal climate and soil conditions for growing coffee. However, coffee can also be grown in other regions with the right conditions, such as the United States, Hawaii, and parts of Asia and Europe.
We deliver to every part of Ireland and Northern Ireland. If you are in Northern Ireland, you will have to select United Kingdom as your delivery “country”. This is how it is set up in our built-in (third party) shopping cart.
We are working on arranging deliveries to other European countries. When we have a development on this we will update this FAQ.
The key difference between a cortado and a macchiato is that there is a little more milk in a cortado and the milk isn’t textured, whereas it is always foamed in a true Italian macchiato, no matter how small the serving of milk might be. Macchiato means “marked” in Italian so it’s basically an espresso marked with a little hot foam whereas a cortado has coffee and milk on a 1:1 ratio. The milk tends not to be as hot in the cortado, just gently steamed to heat it up and it’s usually served in a small heavy glass instead of an espresso cup.
Australian coffee aficionados have embraced the idea of the cortado too, although they call it the piccolo there, or the latte piccolo (literally, small latte), or a low-tide latte. Again, these are served in a glass, like the cortado.
What is a cortado coffee?
There’s a definite trend in coffee consumption towards stronger drinks with more coffee and less milk. As coffee gets better generally, our taste is for more flavour in our cup and less dilution, thus, the latte is giving way to the flat white, the cafe au lait is yielding to the macchiato and we are looking for new alternatives, as we seek to make our caffeine fix smoother and stronger.
The most recent player in this trend is the cortado, which emanates from the Basque Country in Northern Spain, where cortado (past participle of cortar, meaning cut) or café cortado describes a strong coffee drink which is half espresso and half heated milk. The milk “cuts” through the acidity of the coffee leaving enough bite to make the coffee interesting and satisfying, but steering away from bitterness and allowing the milk fats to coat and round out some of the carbon notes in the (often over-roasted coffee) served in the region. The term is widely used in Spain, Portugal and Cuba and in the past year or two it has spread through the hippest coffee spots of Europe and the USA.
Long-shot espresso, or lungo, is created by adding twice as much water to a typical espresso. As a result, it has a less robust coffee flavor but a more complex flavor profile with bitterer overtones. An Americano, which is an espresso topped with hot water, should not be mistaken with a lungo.
The Lungo, like many of the most well-known espresso beverages, has Italian roots. The word “lungo” (which means “long” in Italian) denotes the beverage’s larger volume than a typical espresso.
A ristretto coffee is a type of espresso that is made with half the amount of water, resulting in a more concentrated and intense flavor.
A flat white is a type of coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. It is similar to a latte, but with less foam and a stronger espresso flavor.
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 will be showing signs of staleness within a week. After this, even Dreambeans coffee will start to lose the high points and top notes that make it so amazing, and even though it will still taste better than the vast majority of coffee you can buy, you won’t be getting the full Dreambeans effect.
At home, we go through a kilo of coffee beans in about a fortnight and that is absolutely fine. Coffee keeps for a long time once it’s properly packaged and stored. All our bags have one-way valves which allows gasses to leave the bag but not to enter.
After roasting, coffee naturally outgasses as it settles, releasing carbon dioxide gas at rates of up to 2000cc per kilo for a period of several days. This carbon dioxide (and a little nitrogen) pushes all the air and and all of oxygen out of the bag through the one way valve, leaving the beans harmlessly blanketed in CO2. This is a very positive development from the beans’ perspective. Without oxygen, none of the yeasts, enzymes, bacteria or moulds which would cause the coffee to go off can live, so the coffee remains in perfect condition for a relatively long time. This means that an unopened bag off coffee will stay fresh for a long time. Most coffee companies give a best by date of 1 year away. Some companies even say 2 years, but this is usually for stuff that isn’t very good to begin with.
We think 6 months is a good use-by period but an unopened bag of beans will definitely be in great shape for at least a year. Once the bag isn’t opened and it is stored in a cool, dry place, Dreambeans coffee will maintain the high notes and the distinctive flavours that make it so exquisite. Once the bag is open, I can start to tell the difference after about 10 days. It’s still better than everything else for about another week or two but once the bag has been opened for about 3 weeks to a month, it will start to taste the same as ordinary, mass market coffee like the big international brands you you can buy in the supermarket..
So if you buy say 4 x 500g bags, unopened it will definitely be perfect for 6 months and still really good for up to a year. It depends on how quickly you use it up once it’s opened. I used to put half a 1kg bag into an ceramic jar with a rubber seal lid and put the other half into the freezer until I needed it but to be honest, we use it so quickly there’s no need. See how you get through the current order. It’s probably a better idea to open one bag at a time but it’s hard to resist trying out all the new treats…
The Swiss Water Method of decaffeination
The Swiss Water Method is a completely natural and chemical free process that removes the caffeine without damaging the bean or extracting any of the coffee oils and aromas. The Swiss Water Method involves soaking the beans in a supersaturated organic green coffee extract which essentially leeches the caffeine out of the green beans without damaging the beans’ flavour and structure. It’s a longer process than chemical decaffeination but it’s worth it. There are no chemicals, no leeching agents and nothing damaging at all.
The chemical process is much harsher and doesn’t preserve the flavour of the bean as well. Given the quantities of chemical used in the chemical process, it is hard to believe that every last trace of methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is removed following the decaffeination. In any case, apart from everything else, it just doesn’t taste good.
The Swiss water process has been around since the mid-eighties but it’s becoming more common now among specialty coffee growers. Crucially, as the the process spreads and gets refined, it’s becoming less expensive too and this is reflected in the very keen price of very good decaf coffee. Our own Decaf Dream has barely any decaf premium built into its price.
Decaf Dream is decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Method
Coffee blends
Coffee blends are made up of more than one type of coffee bean. A coffee blend can have many constituents or it might be just two or three carefully chosen origins. The different coffee beans used in blends can come from any country or any region.
For most of coffee’s history it has been served as a blend and the world’s most famous and most desirable coffees were all blends. The classic Mocha Java pairing of Mocha beans from Yemen with Java from Indonesia was probably the first internationally traded blend and it was hugely popular for several centuries. Still is. Some famous blends had a dominant bean, others were more democratic and let all the constituents shine.
Almost all our coffees are blends, apart from our decaf. We are quite clear in our view that blends perform better than single origins. A good roaster will have an intuitive sense of how a single origin will interact with other types, as well as how the flavours, aromas, and textures will compliment one another. This intuition strengthens and sharpens with time and skill, and the combination of insight and experience can elevate it to a fine art.
It’s incredibly satisfying to create a coffee mix that is more than the sum of its parts. By mixing three distinct beans, each of which is a 6 or a 7 (out of 10) in its own right, a skilled blender will be able to create a blend that rates 9 out of 10. The magic lies in the blending, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
We have a more detailed page here on single origins Vs coffee blends.
Single Origin Coffee
A single origin coffee is one that comes from a particular country or a particular region or a particular farm or co-op. Single origin coffees can offer unique flavour characteristics or specific taste profiles. For many people, one of the most attractive characteristics of single origin coffee is its exclusivity. In a given region that’s known for good coffee, simple geography creates a natural limit to the number of sacks in the coffee crop each year, and that inherent scarcity can help to drive up the price of that specific coffee. Some growers and co-ops spend a lot of money on promotion to help promote the price of their coffee.
Single Estate coffees are even more exclusive still, as they are promoted as coffee from on one particular farm or plantation. These plantations range in size from simple family-owned farms with a few acres, to large plantations with hundreds of workers which are owned by large corporations.
We have a more detailed page here on single origins Vs coffee blends.
Blade Grinder
The least expensive type of coffee grinder is the blade grinder, which often looks like a little spice grinder. It operates by cutting beans with a blade, similar to how a small food processor might. A blade grinder’s disadvantage is that it produces coffee particles of variable size. Some will be big, some will be small. If you want to grind beans to a medium or coarse texture, some particles will always become fine and powdery. When the coffee particles are all different sizes, the extraction rates vary, resulting in a cup with an inconsistent flavour. Furthermore, the blade’s contact at high speed generates heat, which might harm the beans’ flavour. Blade grinders are simple, cheap and very convenient. Many people use them as a secondary grinder. Many people have an expresso machine and a burr grinder at home but use a French press and a blade grinder at work or when they are travelling or on holidays. With practice, blade grinders can make a perfectly good cup of coffee using a French press or a stovetop Moka Pot.
Don’t forget; any grinder is better than no grinder. Sometimes you’ll get a little grit in the bottom of your cup from excess “fines” but the boost in flavour you get from using freshly ground beans is a good trade-off for a little residue in your cup.
Burr Grinder
Instead of using blades to chop the beans, a burr grinder (also known as a burr mill) crushes them between two rough discs known as burrs. Because the particle size is determined by the distance between the burrs, this approach gives a more consistent grind. There are three types of burr grinders, the old-fashioned manual grinder (which looks like a hand-cranked pepper mill), the electric flat burr grinder (more adjustable; popular for commercial usage), and the electric conical burr grinder (quieter; popular for home use). Nearly all burr grinders are more expensive than blade grinders but the fact is that in most instances, they are worth the extra cost. Being able to control the grind size will give you more options on how you make your coffee and will allow you to experiment more with different coffees and different methods.
Yes. We love to see local people coming to collect their coffee from our roast house on Coes Road, Dundalk. We cannot facilitate walk-in sales that haven’t been pre-purchased but we are delighted to provide a click and collect service. You can buy your coffee online and pick it up as soon as it’s ready. But you have to wait for the “order completed” email before coming to collect the coffee.
There is an option to choose Click & Collect for shipping during the checkout process on our website. This will allow you to select free shipping, even on orders under €40.
Please also mention in the NOTES panel that you wish to collect the coffee.
When your coffee is ready, you will receive an email saying your order is COMPLETED. You have to wait for this email before you show up. The the coffee won’t be shipped out, it will be held at reception in Greenbean on Coes Road Dundalk for you to pick it up.
This arrangement suits us as we don’t have to hold cash at reception or give change. In the past, sometimes people picking up coffee had to wait for a while as there wasn’t anyone available right then to get their coffee. For example, when a batch is finishing in the roaster, we can’t take our eyes off it, even for a second. Using the website to order and pay for your coffee makes things easy and straightforward.
The entrance to the Greenbean Roastery is on Coes Road, just beside John Laverty Motor Factors and almost opposite Chadwicks Builders Providers. Office hours are Monday to Thursday 9:30am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 5.00pm, Friday 9:30 – 1:pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Please be sure to mention in the NOTES that you will be collecting the coffee and don’t forget to wait for the order completed email.
Please note that we had to retire our COLLECT coupon in April 2025 as it was being misused to get a discount by people who had no intention of collecting their coffee.
Shipping is free if your order total is over €40.
Click & Collect shipping is free for any order value.
All you have to do is bring your order value to €40 or more and you will automatically get free shipping. Remember, every fourth bag of coffee is free, so sometimes the order totals dip down under €40 again when the discount is added. If you’re using a coupon code, you might need to look out for this too. In any case, if you spend more than €40 on coffee, the shipping’s free.
Shipping is only €6 anyway, so even if you just want one bag, delivery’s not expensive. You can also click and collect your coffee if you’re local to the roast house in Dundalk and you can select free shipping on orders less than €40 if you’re picking it up yourself.
All our coffee is ethically sourced. Greenbean Coffee Roasters has been buying coffee since 1987 and we have great relationships with a whole series of excellent coffee co-ops, brokers and growers. Although many of our constituent beans are bought as Fairtrade, the certification itself is not the most important thing for us.
All the coffee we buy is top quality and is priced at a premium. If we weren’t prepared to pay this premium, someone else would. In most cases we pay significantly more than Fairtrade prices. Growers at this level have plenty of options and choices. They are experts at the top of their game and they are not being exploited by anyone, certainly not by us.
Even though we buy coffee which is Fairtrade certified, we do not promote it as Fairtrade because we do not have the time, the energy or the headspace to deal with the paperwork involved. Everyone here at Greenbean / Dreambeans really dislikes the tracking, the tracing, the paperwork and reporting that is a necessary part of promoting coffee as Fairtrade or Fairtrade certified. It’s a lot of bureaucracy and it isn’t what we want to spend our day doing. So we don’t mention Fairtrade in our promotion. We understand that it is necessary to ensure that the coffee is properly traced. The big coffee companies have clerks to do this work. We haven’t, and we really don’t want to have to do it ourselves.
We have been working with some of the same brokers for more than 25 years. We only deal with ethical, honest and transparent intermediaries and importers. We deal with people we trust and who share the same beliefs as us. We are happy to stand over our commitment to transparency and fairness in what we do. Our growers, farmers and co-0ps produce a premium product that commands a premium price and we are happy to pay this premium.
Arabica and Robusta are both coffee plants, (Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora or Coffea Robusta). Each produces coffee beans. The flavour, aroma and texture of Arabica is better, more subtle and more sophisticated than Robusta, but Arabica is more difficult to grow, more expensive and doesn’t yield nearly as well. Robusta is hardier, with better disease resistance and gives a much bigger crop. Arabica beans have a sweeter, more complex flavour and a higher acidity than Robusta beans, which have a harsher, more bitter flavour. Robusta is much stronger and has almost double the caffeine of Arabica. Almost all specialist coffee is Arabica, almost all instant coffee is Robusta.
The short answer is, it depends, but usually within 2 working days. As we keep our roasting schedules very tight, sometimes it takes a few days to roast up all the constituents of a particular blend. Once the coffee is roasted, our couriers are very fast and reliable. You will receive an email from us once your order is received. You will receive another automated email saying your order is completed once it’s ready to go out. When your coffee is dispatched, in most cases you’ll have it the next working day.
From our Blog
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