Victor Allen’s rule of thumb is to use two heaping tablespoons (11 grams) of coffee per 8 ounces (250 cc) of water. (Or, use 1 ounce of weighed coffee per 20 ounces of liquid water.) Using fewer grounds will cause the coffee to become over extracted, resulting in a bitter taste. Make sure to use fresh, cold tap water. Bring to a rolling boil, let cool until boiling subsides and saturate the grounds. Then, wait 30 seconds for the flavor to blossom. As always, your coffee to water ratio may vary to suit your individual taste.

For filter drip coffee, grind beans like fine sand, but not to powder. (It’s best to rub coffee between fingers to feel the grind size). The fineness of the grind should allow the brewing water in the filter to come through a bit more slowly, so that the filter is about ⅔ full with water during most of the brewing process. Victor Allen’s recommends grinding a little coarser for decafs and darker roast coffees.

For a typical espresso coffee machine, grind beans halfway between very fine sand and powder. The grounds must resist the flow of water to make a rich cup of coffee, but must not totally obstruct the flow of water. A delay of about two to three seconds between the time you start the espresso pump and the time the coffee streams into the cup, as well as a  rich, thick golden foam color on the coffee going into the cup, is an indication of the proper grind. It should take approximately 18 – 24 seconds to brew a standard espresso serving.

For a French press, we recommend a coarser grind than what is used for filter drip coffee. After several minutes of letting the coffee brew, it is necessary to stir the grounds briefly before depressing the plunger. This encourages the grounds to sink to the bottom, making depressing the plunger much easier.

Always clean your coffee brewing equipment after each use. The cleaner the equipment, the better the taste. (Note: Never pour vinegar into the water reservoir system.)

Keep your beans fresh by storing them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place such as the freezer or refrigerator. Since Victor Allen’s carefully uses a nitrogen-flushing system to force out any oxygen during packaging, each bag lasts as long as six months unopened, but becomes perishable once opened. After opening, use beans within one month. If ground, use within one week. We suggest, however, that you grind your own coffee, since coffee tastes better when freshly ground.

Robusta coffees tend to have twice the amount of caffeine as Arabica coffees. Also, the lighter the roast, the more caffeine the coffee will contain.

Because coffee emits carbon dioxide after roasting, many coffee roasters allow their coffee to degas before packaging. Not at Victor Allen’s. Using state of the art technology, we immediately package our 12 ounce and 5 pound coffees after the roasting process is completed. All of our bags are equipped with a one-way valve. This valve opens at a specific pressure, allowing the carbon dioxide to escape, then reseals to prevent oxygen from entering. We also carefully flush all of our bags with nitrogen during packaging, which forces out any oxygen that is in the bag, resulting in coffee that is always roaster fresh.

High Desert Roasters products are sold exclusively at 50+ Costco’s in the US.  We manufacture three products under the HDR label: Colombiana, Pinon and Rainforest Blend which are available in 2.5# bags.

The majority of our decaffeinated coffees at Victor Allen’s are processed using the Ethyl Acetate or Methylene Chloride procedures. (Please note: the decaffeination process does not take place at Victor Allen’s.) Ethyl Acetate is a natural process as it can be derived from fruits or vegetables. The Methylene Chloride process is a chemical process used on lower quality beans by soaking the beans to remove the caffeine. There are several processes used to decaffeinate coffee and it varies by the blend. Please contact us for further information on decaffeination.

Essentially there is no nutritional value in regular coffee. If you have specific questions relating to a flavored product, please contact us.

We offer allergen-free products at Victor Allen’s. There are no nut derivatives in any of our products. Please contact us if you have further questions.

Yes, you can choose whether you would like your coffee product ground or whole bean. Our grind options include: Espresso (very find grind), Fine (fine/filter grind), Drip (medium grind), French Press (medium/coarse grind), or Percolator (coarse grind).

We currently accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Please contact us or call us at 800-394-5282 to make any changes to your current order.

All orders placed online will be shipped through FedEx or LTL. Shipping services are available based on the particular shipment. FedEx offers several delivery options which may include: Same Day, First Overnight, Standard Overnight, 2Day, 2Day A.M., Express Saver and Ground.

We use the carriers’ rates to calculate shipping costs and do not levy additional charges.

Unfortunately, at this time, Victor Allen’s Coffee cannot ship orders internationally. Orders shipping to Alaska and Hawaii may incur additional charges.

If any one of our products fails to meet your expectations, we will replace your product with one of equal value. We strive to provide excellent customer service and will do whatever we can to ensure that you are satisfied. Should you feel the need to return an item, please contact us first by calling toll-free 800-394-5282 or by completing the contact form.