FAQ & Coffee Best Practices

All our coffee shops plus our roastery will carry our freshest roasts available.  If you’d like to shop from wherever you happen to be, please visit our web shop here.

To send the freshest coffee possible, we don't keep any excess inventory of roasted beans at our roastery (your coffee is roasted expressly for you).  Each coffee's next roast day is specified on product page, and we and will only ship the same day after roasting.  

We want to encourage our customers to purchase smaller quantities of coffee more frequently, rather than to purchase larger quantities less frequently.  As with any agricultural food product, the optimal flavours of coffee gradually degrade with time, so we encourage you to consume your coffee soon after it has been roasted.

We have chosen to sell only whole bean coffee on our web shop because, even with the advances in coffee packaging, we feel that the cup quality of pre-ground coffee cannot compare with freshly ground coffee.  We prefer our customers to grind only what’s needed immediately prior to brewing.  Furthermore, choosing the appropriate grind size for each brewing method is also of vital importance. 

We pack all our coffee on the same day that it’s roasted for optimal freshness. We ship either on the same day or the morning after our roasting day. You can check each coffee's next roast day on each product page.

Local Hong Kong Orders

For local orders, we use SF Express and your coffee will generally arrive on the next day, or in some cases on the same day.  Kindly note that all orders to Residential Buildings and Remote Areas are subject to an additional surcharge which will be collected by SF Express upon delivery.  To ensure that your delivery is not delayed unnecessarily, ensure that you include a daytime phone number in your profile so that you may be contacted by SF Express' representatives.

For those who wish to avoid the surcharge, you may choose to have your order shipped to a SF Express Service Centre.  Just update your shipping address to one of the addresses most convenient for you, making sure you also include the four or five digit code.  You may check the list of SF Express Service Centres here: SF Express Service Centre Locations.

For orders to Remote Areas in Hong Kong (please see this list: SF Express Remote Areas), your coffee will generally take one extra day to arrive.

For International Orders

For orders to other countries, we use three different services depending on the total weight of your order and the destination country.  

For orders under 2kg, you may choose from Hong Kong Post e-Express (economy 7-14 days), Hong Kong Post EMS SpeedPost (express 4-10 days), or DHL Express (next business day).

For orders over 2kg, Hong Kong Post e-Express (economy) is not available.

For some countries, Hong Kong Post e-Express (economy) is not available.

Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee a specific delivery date due to customs clearance and other external factors. 

Like any agricultural food product, coffee's flavour diminishes with time after roasting.  Make sure that you're buying coffee that is roasted recently.  We recommend keeping coffee for no more than one month after roast.

Coffee's flavour deteriorates even quicker if it has been ground -- the increased surface area means that aromas and oils will be lost through oxidation.  Make sure to buy whole bean coffee and grind only what you will brew each time you make coffee.

Grinding fresh for each new batch of coffee will ensure that you maximise the flavour potential of each brew.

Use a grinder that uses burr grinding discs (either conical or flat) versus blades (like a food processor).  Burr grinders transfer less heat to the coffee beans during grinding compared to blades, which reduces that amount of flavour lost during grinding.  Also, burr grinders are better equipped to give you a closer approximation to the selected grind size.

Choose your grind size to match your brewing method.  Brewing methods that use more porous filtering media or longer brewing times require a coarser grind - like the French Press.  Brewing methods that use very fine filtering media or shorter brewing times require a finer grind - like espresso or Aeropress.  Pour over methods are generally in between with a medium grind.

Move away from volume-based measurements (teaspoon, tablespoon, etc.) and use a scale to weigh your coffee.  This is both the most accurate and the most precise means to maintain the essential ratio of coffee to water no matter how much coffee you want to brew.

Water makes up 98% of your finished cup of coffee, so it's important to give it some thought during brewing.

Overly hard water (water with high mineral content) will prevent full extraction during brewing, leading to unpleasant sourness.  Overly soft water (water with no/low mineral content) will lead to over extraction and astringent or dry sensations. 

The ideal water for coffee brewing should be odour-free, hygienic, and free of chlorine and other taste-influencing organic compounds.  A good range of water hardness is between 50-175 ppm (parts per million) CaCO3, while the water's alkalinity should be between 40-75 ppm CaCO3  and its pH between 6.5-8.  

Avoid using heavily-filtered or distilled water.  Spring water fresh off the boil (at about 94-96°C) is recommended.

Yes!  We have three coffee shops, plus our roastery (which also has a coffee bar and kitchen).  All our coffee shops have breakfast and lunch items available, including favourites such as our avocado and poached eggs on toast.  For locations, click here.

Yes!  While we currently do not offer any roastery tours, our Roastery location features a full coffee bar plus kitchen.  While you’re here, you can pick up our freshly roasted beans as well.

Yes!  Please get in touch with us at orders@cuppingroom.hk and we would be happy to create a customised coffee program that suits your business needs.