Hello All:

I've been ordering roasted beans online to educate my palate and enjoy what professionals can do with specialty coffees delivered within the continental U.S. My experience has been mostly very good but I've had some difficulty getting fresh delivery from time to time. And even then, the quality roasters here usually make reasonable accommodations for significant delays.

But before I go further, I am not posting this thread to pressure any roaster and because of this, please do not name names or air complaints with specific roasters. I also want to encourage sponsorship of this site and acknowledge that shipping gourmet food with limited shelf life is very challenging on several fronts. It's also very hard work running and growing a business. Let's give credit where it's due.

So why post this? Home-Barista.com is a site dedicated to exceptional espresso, and the finest roasted coffee can only survive in its fresh state for so long. It seems to me that delivery of fresh, specialty coffee is like delivery of fresh flowers. If it isn't fresh, it isn't what you ordered.

Also, we're in a new world of retail buying. The ability to shop and pay over the Internet and the availability of low-cost, fast delivery are unprecedented in the U.S. and maybe elsewhere too. In addition, many of us have taken to freezing roasted coffee to prolong shelf life once it's arrived.

The standards with which I'm familiar (please comment if you disagree) are that the flavor of fresh-roasted coffee opens up after 3 - 4 days. It peaks in about 5 to 7 days, sometimes a bit longer. It tends to start losing its peak flavor by about 10 days, and I've seen opinions that it's still considered fresh up until day 15 (i.e., the "rule of fifteens"). Even tightly sealed, frozen coffee beans go stale over time, roasted or not.

I'd like to calibrate my expectations and am curious about yours. If ordering from several states away, which is why I submitted these questions, including 1, which is now a poll.

1. What is the longest reasonable time to wait for delivery of fresh roasted coffee?
A) 3 days
B) 5 days
C) 7 days
D) 10 days

These next questions aren't a tabulated poll, but what do you think?

2. Do you expect any accommodation for delayed delivery so it arrives 7 days post roast?
A) No, you take your chances ordering non-locally
B) Refund shipping cost
C) Refund part of the purchase price too
D) Refund the purchase price or replace it with another shipment

3. Do you expect any accommodation for delivery 10 days post roast?
A) No
B) Refund shipping cost
C) Refund half of the purchase
D) Refund the purchase price or replace it with another shipment

4. How many pounds should you order to expect a price break for fast delivery?
A) 2 lbs
B) 3 lbs
C) 5 lbs

I voted 5 days, but if I have to wait a couple extra days because they don't roast every day that is also fine. So, 5 days from roast date, and I break it down as expecting it in 3 days with a two day grace period before I get irked.

I know some people have their problems with the USPS, but they have always been the best for me. With the speed and low cost of USPS priority mail there really is no reason for roasters not to offer it. One particular east coast roaster gets their coffee to me in Los Angeles in as little as 2 days with priority mail. Fed Ex has always been the worst. They will sit on a package at the local facility and wait for the expected delivery date instead of getting it to me ASAP. I have waited up to and over 7 days (including weekend) for their deliveries before.

I never expect restitution from roasters for delayed shipping. I will simply not order from them if there is a pattern of late delivery or if I don't like their shipping options.

1. What is the longest reasonable time to wait for delivery of fresh roasted coffee?
B) 5 days

2. Do you expect any accommodation for delayed delivery so it arrives 7 days post roast?
A) No, you take your chances ordering non-locally
3. Do you expect any accommodation for delivery 10 days post roast?
A) No

4. How many pounds should you order to expect a price break for fast delivery?
B) 3 lbs

I plan when & where I'm ordering from so that my roasted coffee arrives 2-3 days post roast. West coast roasters are strictly Priority Mail & I see that in 2 days. Mid West to New England I prefer UPS which runs 3 days. Max I'd want to wait is 4 days.

If it took 7 days either the roaster or the shipper dropped the ball. I might live with it once if it was only one bag & was just hitting prime although I would definitely let the roaster know about it. 10 days I'd just refuse the shipment & expect a replacement or full credit.

drgary wrote:1. What is the longest reasonable time to wait for delivery of fresh roasted coffee?
A) 3 days
B) 5 days
C) 7 days
D) 10 days

I think this should be two questions: How long to wait after your order? (7 business days). And how long to wait after roasting? (4 business days).

drgary wrote:2. Do you expect any accommodation for delayed delivery so it arrives 7 days post roast?
A) No, you take your chances ordering non-locally
B) Refund shipping cost
C) Refund part of the purchase price too
D) Refund the purchase price or replace it with another shipment

No, although 7 days would be a little slow.

drgary wrote:3. Do you expect any accommodation for delivery 10 days post roast?
A) No
B) Refund shipping cost
C) Refund half of the purchase
D) Refund the purchase price or replace it with another shipment

Probably, but it's never happened.

drgary wrote:4. How many pounds should you order to expect a price break for fast delivery?
A) 2 lbs
B) 3 lbs
C) 5 lbs

Since most high end roasters are shipping in 12-oz. bags, I would say 3 bags.

drgary wrote:1. What is the longest reasonable time to wait for delivery of fresh roasted coffee?
A) 3 days
B) 5 days
C) 7 days
D) 10 days

Coffee should be shipped immediately after roasting, and delivered within 3-4 days. Much longer than this, and a replacement shipment is in order.

drgary wrote:4. How many pounds should you order to expect a price break for fast delivery?
A) 2 lbs
B) 3 lbs
C) 5 lbs

It's reasonable to expect a price break on the coffee, when ordering larger quantities. This is true for virtually all food products. I'm not sure what is meant by "a price break for fast delivery". Charging for actual shipping/handling costs seems fair, regardless of the quantity ordered.

I only buy from roasters that can get shipping done in three days. Some specialty roasters only roast on certain days so that may add to the days after my order. I've only asked for money back once and that was because the beans were over a week old when they arrived.

I expect (and confirm) that the coffee will ship on the day roasted, or the day immediately following. I consider it the responsibility of the buyer to select a shipment method that will get to them in what they consider a reasonable amount of time. For me, that is three or four days after roast, at most. I time my orders so that they ship early in the week (and confirm with the roaster that they will have a fresh roast on Monday or Tuesday, for anything not local), so that the package doesn't sit in a truck in the hot sun over the weekend.

I end up ordering two or three 12- or 16-oz bags at a time, as it gives me enough time to decide what I want to order next with a week's lead time. I generally keep the unopened bags in the freezer, sealed in a heavy zipper-style bag (either Ziploc Freezer or ones that I got from Blue Bottle's subscription service deliveries). To my taste, there aren't any horrid results from my freezing regimen.

I wish I could expect coffee in under 7 days post roast...but when ordering from other provinces it's prohibitively expensive to get fast enough shipping to accomplish that. My last order shipped by Canada Post Expedited on a Monday (day of roast) expected delivery from Ontario to Alberta was Friday. By Friday the package still hadn't left Ontario...it finally arrived on Tuesday the next week.

Faster shipping (UPS Next Business Day) would have increased the cost of my order by more than 50%

I don't think it's the roasters fault...it's just Canada's postal service is painfully slow

Makes me feel lucky that I have a very good local roaster...but I do like to try what other companies are doing too.

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.

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.