jmreeves wrote:I would like to add that it is important to consider location when ordering. I have always had my order within 1-4 days but I avoid ordering from companies that are on the extreme opposite location of where I live. As a case in point if I ordered coffee in Washington and lived in Florida I wouldn't complain if my coffee arrived 5-6 days post roast.

Maybe living in a major city helps, but I have no problem getting coffee within 3 to 4 days cross-country.

I only buy from one roaster because I know when they roast and they ship the same day. Almost no one posts their roast dates online. The company I buy from is a 10 hour drive from me in central NY and the coffee arrives in 2 days USPO; it used to be 3 days UPS but they changed. I only buy 2 bags at a time, one for espresso and one for vac pot and they are gone 10-14 days post roast. As a home roaster, I do this infrequently for special beans or ill health when I cant roast. There are 2 other roasters in state I buy from when I'm in their area, about twice per year total. I don't expect any rebate for late delivery, that is not how our capitalist system works. Non availability locally of fresh roasted coffee is what got me into home roasting in the late 1990's. Frozen beans is not my cup of java, having bought 3 bags recently of something special and bags 2 and 3, out of the deep freeze didn't hold up.

Marvin

iginfect wrote:I don't expect any rebate for late delivery, that is not how our capitalist system works.

I work with a lot of capitalist clients. In my experience they are not the least bit shy about demanding any rebate or discount they can get. That's how they got to be capitalists.

the_trystero wrote:Every place I've ordered from has shipped their beans the day after roasting. I'm fine with any USPS priority shipping time in the continental US. I have not ordered from AK or HI.

So basically I expect to receive my coffee within 4 to 5 days of roast from anywhere in the USA to Los Angeles.

Ok, now that I have a little more time I'll add a little more.

Regarding numbers 2 and 3 I wouldn't expect the roaster to accommodate me if delivery delays were due to the shipping company. If a roaster says they ship same or next day after roasting, and it's obvious that the order wasn't shipped for days afterwards, yeah, I would expect a discount on my next order, a free bag, or something.

I had a roaster in the Bay Area ship me an order via USPS Priority Mail, it didn't arrive in the normal 2 days, I checked the tracking, and it had gone through some city in the midwest. I told the roaster and they said they'd send me the order again if it was delayed more than a couple of days. I was fine with that and the coffee arrived 2 days later than normal. Not the roaster's problem so I didn't expect anything from them.

Regarding #4, as someone else already mentioned I don't think larger quantities deserve faster shipping methods, but it's nice if the shipper offers faster options for any quantity with discounts on both the coffee and shipping on larger quantities.

I think the answer to the question depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is how long the coffee needs to be rested after roast. That varies. Other factors include when you plan to use the coffee, whether you freeze or not, whether you prefer to freeze immediately or after resting and what kind of freezer you have.

So I don't think there's a single answer that fits all situations.

My sense is that if you don't freeze, you're OK at 5-7 days post roast for most coffees. That said, it's always better to get the coffee sooner because then you're in complete control of the resting period.

Freezing adds a number of complicating factors that I'm just beginning to explore myself.

As for Priority Mail, my experience is that it's typically 2-3 days coast-to-coast, not counting weekends.

I don't expect any rebate for late delivery, that is not how our capitalist system works.

On the one hand you've already taken a lot of grief for this remark, but on the other it's so wrong and on so many levels.

First and least important, a "rebate" for late delivery has nothing whatsoever to do with capitalism. It doesn't have anything to do with the "free enterprise system" either, which is probably what you meant anyway. "Capitalism" means using money to make money instead of creating value with one's own labor.

The difference between capitalism and communism is that in capitalism man exploits man, but in communism it's the other way around.

More to the point, the partial refund of the agreed upon price for failure to fulfill the time term is a matter of CONTRACT agreed to by both parties (although not exactly negotiated). If enforcing an enforceable term of the contract isn't a manifestation of our capitalist/free enterprise system, what is? Wouldn't you expect suppression of consequences for failure to fulfill the contract to be a more a manifestation of a command/centralized economy than freedom to contract?

Here endeth the sermon.

Me? I only buy roasted beans locally, and have not -- as yet -- ordered by mail. Thinking about it, though.

BDL