FAQs
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How do you decide which coffees and roasters to feature?
How fresh is the coffee when it ships?
We get the coffees fresh from each roaster. Most of the coffees we carry are in bags with a one-way degassing valve that allows carbon dioxide released by the beans to escape while preventing oxygen from entering. This helps protect the coffee from staling while it sits in the bag. In fact, a small amount of time after roasting is actually recommended as the initial degassing period passes.
Coffee can remain in a very good brewing condition for quite some time when stored properly. Lightyear stores all coffees in their original sealed bags in a cool, dry environment before shipping.
Do you dropship coffee from roasters?
No. Lightyear Coffee purchases and holds the inventory ourselves, in limited quantities to maximize freshness and so we can build a broader selection of coffees. Orders ship from Lightyear rather than from the roaster.
Why should I buy coffees you recommend?
Since 2021, Lightyear Coffee has been researching thousands of single origin coffees offered by hundreds of specialty coffee roasters across the United States.
While we have tasted every coffee we feature (and many more), we are not coffee tasting experts. Our recommendations are worth trying because we know the landscape of specialty coffee in the US. We know what’s unique and what innovative roasting actually looks like.
How should I store my coffee?
Keep coffee in its original bag, sealed, and stored in a cool, dry place away from light and heat. The one-way valve in the bag helps protect freshness. There is generally no need to refrigerate or freeze coffee that will be used within a few weeks.
What brewing method do you recommend?
Most specialty coffees are versatile and work well with common home brewing methods such as drip machines, pour-over, French press, or espresso. The best method often comes down to personal preference rather than a single “correct” approach.
When will my order ship?
Orders typically ship within 1–3 business days.
Roaster Directory
How do you come up with the Sustainability, Innovation, and Equity letter grades?
We review a variety of publicly available data points across a roaster’s mission, roasting, and packaging. We also look at their coffees to assess their traceability, sustainability, uniqueness, and economic equity (mainly via sourcing practices and trade models).
As examples of criteria that impact our grades:
- Certified B-Corp or Public Benefit Corp
- 1% for the Planet membership
- Inclusion of smaller coffee-exporting origins
- Recyclable or biodegradable retail packaging
- Energy efficient roasting equipment
- Highly traceable coffees
- Experimentation with new coffee varieties or processing methods
The Sustainability, Innovation, and Equity grades are derived from data points including the considerations above.
How do you pick roasters to include in the directory?
In order to qualify for our directory, a roaster must 1) roast their own coffee in-house and 2) be able to ship nation-wide.
If these two conditions are met, a roaster will generally qualify. However, we reserve the right to exclude any roaster for any reason.
Single Origin Report
Where do you get the data for this report?
Our data source for the Single Origin Report is a proprietary index of 250 small roasters across the US. We use the same 250 roasters for all quarterly releases of the report. Should a roaster cease operations in between report releases, we will replace it with a randomly-selected roaster.