FAQ Search Results

Go to your shopping basket. On the right you'll see a grey box with the order totals.

• Discount code or gift card: the field where you enter your code is at the bottom of that grey box. Enter the code, confirm, and the amount comes off the total straight away.
• Loyalty points: you redeem these at the top of the same box. That option appears once you're logged in, have enough points and your order comes to more than 10 euro.

Can't see the field? Then you've probably already clicked through to the payment page. Go back a step to the shopping basket, where you will find it.

Code not working? Check that you've copied it exactly, with no spaces before or after, and that it hasn't expired. If it still won't work, please get in touch with us and include the code.

If an item is out of stock, we're usually waiting for a new delivery. How long that takes varies from brand to brand and from one type to another.

Let us alert you automatically. You can set a stock alert on the product page. You do need to be logged in to your account, otherwise the option won't appear. As soon as the item is available again, you'll receive an email automatically. So there's no need to keep checking yourself.

Has a product disappeared from the site altogether? Then we've taken it out of our range. Do ask us about a similar coffee, we're always happy to suggest an alternative that comes close in flavour.

Not sure whether something is coming back? Send us the product name through the chat or the contact form and we'll look it up for you.

If you use loyalty points and the order doesn't go through, you won't lose those points. They're briefly held while the system is still processing the order.

• If an order is cancelled or a payment fails, the points you used are usually released back into your balance within 15 to 30 minutes. If you don't see them straight away, wait a moment and refresh your account page.
• Points you would have earned on that order lapse along with the order. If you place it again, you simply earn them again.
• In the case of a return we look at your balance case by case. Send us your order number and we'll put it right.

Is your balance still wrong after half an hour? Please get in touch with us and include your order number, and we'll correct it manually.

We check VAT numbers live through VIES, the European database of VAT numbers. If you get an error message, try this first:

• Enter the number with the country code in front and without spaces, full stops or dashes. So FR89949812127 or BE0123456789, for example.
• Check your number yourself in the European Commission's VIES database. If it isn't listed there as validly registered either, you'll first need your own tax authority to activate it for cross-border trade.
• Try again later. A country's VIES service can be temporarily unavailable. That happens regularly and is usually resolved within a day.

Can't wait? Please get in touch with us and include your company name, address and VAT number. We can then process your order as a business order manually and send you the invoice without VAT.

Good of you to keep an eye on the roast date. It's worth knowing exactly what the four-week promise covers:

• For coffee from our own roastery we aim to have the coffee on your doormat within four weeks of the roast date. We roast in small batches and work on a FIFO basis, so the oldest stock goes out first. That keeps roast dates as recent as possible.
• For the other brands we sell those four weeks don't apply. Brands such as Segafredo, Lavazza, illy and Kimbo roast their own coffee and work with a best-before date rather than a fresh roast date. That coffee is made with exactly that in mind.

Is something not right with our own coffee? Let our customer service know, with your order number and a photo of the label, and we'll find out what went wrong and come up with a solution.

One more thing about shelf life: our fresh coffee keeps for a year after the roast date. The four weeks are about peak flavour, not about the coffee going off.

If you order ground coffee, you can choose on the product page which brewing method we should grind the coffee for. The right choice depends on your machine, not on the type of coffee.

• Espresso machine with a portafilter, or a bean-to-cup machine: fine espresso grind.
• Moka pot or percolator: in between espresso and filter, so medium-fine.
• Filter coffee machine with a paper filter: filter grind.
• Hario V60, Chemex and other hand pour-overs: medium to medium-coarse.
• French press or cafetière: coarse.
• Turkish coffee: extra fine, almost powdery.

Rule of thumb: the shorter the water is in contact with the coffee, the finer the grind. Go too fine for your machine and the coffee runs through slowly and tastes bitter. Go too coarse and it runs through too quickly, leaving the coffee watery or sour.

You'll find a detailed overview of all our grinds on the coffee grind size page. Not sure? Let us know the make and model of your machine in the chat and we'll work it out together.

There are several ways of removing caffeine from coffee beans, and which one has been used differs from coffee to coffee. The method is therefore always stated on the product page of the decaffeinated coffee in question. Have a look there under the product information and you'll know exactly where you stand.

Why do decaffeinated beans look darker and shinier? A lot of people notice this. During decaffeination the bean takes up moisture and its cell structure changes. That makes the bean look darker and shinier after roasting than an ordinary bean. It doesn't mean the coffee has been roasted too dark or is extra oily, and it's no problem for your bean-to-cup machine.

Not sure about a particular coffee, or looking for a decaf with a certain flavour profile? Do ask in the chat and we'll look it up for you.

An error message at checkout shouldn't happen. If you do get one, please let us know straight away through the contact form. Please tell us:

• the exact wording of the error message, or better still a screenshot;
• the step at which it went wrong, for example at the address, the shipping method or the payment;
• which device and which browser you're using.

We'll look into it immediately. We can often complete the order for you in the meantime, so you don't have to wait until the problem is solved.

Meanwhile it sometimes helps to empty your shopping basket and fill it again, or to try a different browser. But please do still report it, even if it works on the second attempt. That way we can track down the cause.

The Coffee of the Month changes on the first of every month. Each month we select a different fresh coffee, with a different country of origin and a different flavour profile.

Would you like to know which coffee it is? Sign up for our newsletter. That's where we announce the new Coffee of the Month, along with the flavour description and our brewing advice.

Were you particularly taken with an earlier Coffee of the Month? Do ask in the chat. We can often tell you which coffee it was and whether there's something similar in our range.

No, Kimbo Espresso Bar Extreme is no longer available. We can no longer order these coffee beans from the supplier.

As an alternative we recommend Kimbo Espresso Crema Intensa - coffee beans - 1 kilo. This is also an Italian Arabica/Robusta blend from Kimbo, with a full and powerful flavour, notes of dark chocolate and roasted nuts and a rich crema. That makes it the closest match to the Espresso Bar Extreme.

A portafilter espresso machine needs finely ground espresso coffee, or whole beans if you have your own grinder. The fine grind resists the pressurised water just enough for the shot to run in about 25 to 30 seconds. Coffee ground for a filter machine is too coarse and gives a weak, sour shot. Milk drinks call for a coffee near the top of our 1 to 13 strength scale.

A single shot calls for 7 to 9 g of ground coffee; a double, made in the larger basket of your portafilter, for 14 to 18 g. If the shot runs too quickly, add a little coffee; if it barely flows, take a little out. Our espresso dosing guide explains more.

Generally not: a bean-to-cup machine has its own grinder and is built to be filled with whole beans. Pouring ground coffee into the bean hopper can clog the grinder. Some models have a separate bypass chute for a single scoop of ground coffee, for an occasional decaf, for example; check your manual. For everyday use, fill the machine with coffee beans.

Use ground coffee with a fine to medium-fine grind, slightly coarser than espresso, if your percolator is a stovetop moka pot. Espresso grind also works but tends to taste bitter; coarse coffee gives a weak cup. Medium to dark roasts are a popular choice for their fuller body. Our blog Which coffee for a percolator? covers beans and roasts in more depth.

Fill the filter basket of your moka pot right to the rim, so the size of the pot decides the amount. Smooth the coffee level with a finger or the back of a spoon, without pressing it down, and fill the bottom chamber with water up to just below the valve. Using less coffee does not make a milder brew; the water simply finds the easiest route and extracts unevenly.