FAQ

Why should you buy Royal Mile coffee?
As coffee lovers, we want you to love coffee too. Not just drink a cup to get your day started (though that’s part of our routine, too!) but really, really appreciate the nuanced flavors and characteristics in each cup. We’re dedicated to sourcing fine beans. We roast to order, so your coffee will be at the beginning ofthe "super-fresh" window of 3-15 days upon arrival.  And we’re more than happy to help you find the perfect brewing method so those subtle complexities shine through.

Our roasting philosophy
We roast our beans on the "lighter" side when compared to the larger companies. This means we roast between a City and Full City Roast, which we think allows the distinct flavor characteristics of the bean to come through. In roasting terminology this means we don't roast to the second crack. Even our house coffee which has dark notes, is not a "dark" coffee. Therefore you won’t see anything labeled "dark", French or Vienna Roast from us. We feel this often chars the beans and the taste of the roast overshadows the taste of the bean. When we roast a coffee, we aim to pull out the natural characteristics like floral, berry, nougat, bakers chocolate, or almonds… not burnt or ash. 

Whole beans or ground coffee?
We recommend buying our whole beans and grinding immediately before brewing your cup, but would be more than happy to grind the beans for you if you prefer. Just tell us your home brew set up (drip machine, pour over, cold brew, etc.) and we’ll grind to the appropriate level. Make a note in the comment field when placing the order. 

How to brew our coffee
However you like! Use your preferred brewing method and tinker around with ratios until you find your sweet spot. Jamie prefers the Chemex and Jessica opts for the Beehive, though we’ve also had success with a Clever Coffee Drip, French Press, Turkish coffee and Aeropress, and even a drip machine in a pinch. Royal Mile coffee can also be used to make cold brew coffee or poured over ice for iced coffee.

If you’re new to home roasting and would like some tips, feel free to email us! 

Why does the Royal Mile menu change? Where was the bean I bought 3 months ago!

We are a seasonal roaster and unless we have a blend there is a limited supply of the coffee we buy. In addition regions can have similar tastes the same farm/collective might not produce the same quality coffee that tastes the same year after year. If we have a blend we can focus in on how it should taste and can replicate it in some capacity however currently we do not have a blend. 

Where do we ship?
Currently only the US. If you are in the UK or Canada please email us about special orders but due to tax restrictions we are limited in what we can do internationally. 

Coffee minutia
1. We don’t want to tell you how to enjoy your coffee, and your palate may be different from ours, But as a rule of thumb, we follow the 1:16 or 1:17 ratio of beans to water. For example, we’ll grind 30 grams of coffee for 500ml of water which is roughly 16.6. Give or a take a little and you’ll be fine to start out. 

2. We strongly recommend grinding your beans immediately before brewing, to the appropriate particle size for your brew method. French press takes a coarser grind. For a drip machine, you’ll want something in between fine and rocky. With that said if you wanted it ground prior there are no judgements and we still feel that it will be better tasting than most store bought brands. You'll be upgraded either way! 

3. If possible, use filtered water. Sometimes tap water can impart its own taste on the coffee but starting out you'll be fine. Don’t use distilled water because coffee needs some mineral content. 

4. Always feel free to email us with questions or comments. We’re passionate about coffee, and want you to be too! If you have a special request, we can work with you to fulfill.