Store your coffee in an airtight container in a dark and cool place.

This keeps it away from heat, light, moisture and moochers. No fridges, no freezers, no funny business.

Tip from our team: don’t have too much coffee to store. Treat your coffee like produce and buy it as you need it to ensure maximum freshness.

De deux façon.

The first is on the white sticker on the back, below the QR Code (BEST BEFORE: YEAR, MONTH, DATE). The roasting date will be exactly one year before the best before date.

The second is by scanning the QR Code with the Ethical Bean iPhone app or any QR code reader; the very first section below the image and description indicates the “Roasted On” and “Enjoy by” dates.

The key word here is fair. Fair terms of trade, fair prices, fair working conditions.

Fairtrade Certified coffee is produced and traded through an alternative system to the conventional global coffee market. How it works: Fairtrade coffee producers are assured a minimum price per pound—a price that’s guaranteed to cover their cost of production—meaning they’re not subject to the volatility of global coffee market prices (and oh, can it ever be volatile).

In addition to being guaranteed a minimum price, producers also receive the Fairtrade Premium—an additional sum of money paid on top of the sale price—that they use to invest in what they feel will best allow them to build thriving workplaces and communities (e.g. education, medical care, water treatment).

We purchase coffee primarily from South and Central America—rotating between the two based on seasons.

We are origin agnostic, meaning our selections are fluid; our m.o. is to select the freshest coffee possible. Central America = Spring through Summer. South America = Fall and Winter. 

Already have a lot on your mind? Just grab your favourite colour and don’t worry. It’ll be delish. Want to go even deeper? The specific origins are always indicated on the back of our bags. Deeper? Scan the QR code for next level details on the origin and co-ops that the coffee came from.

Le procédé à l’eau de montagne.

Most methods of decaffeination use chemical solvents, like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate, to strip the caffeine molecules from the unroasted or “green” beans. Our decaf beans, however, have been decaffeinated using the Mountain Water Process. In short, this process is 100% chemical free, using just water (and a special formula of flow, pressure, temperature, and suction) to extract the caffeine molecules. The decaffeinated green beans are then dried, packed, and sent to our head roastery.

When it comes to our coffee, the differences are subtle, with the degree of roast probably being the most defining quality. As a starting point, from light to darkest: 

Classic. Medium Roast. Unpretentious, coffee quintessence. Drink it all day, every day, any way you like. A coffee for the people.
Sweet Espresso. Medium Dark Roast. Built from the ground up for espresso, falling all over itself with a caramelized brown sugar echo on your palate.
Lush. Medium Dark Roast. A coffee for all seasons. Most popular for a reason. Fruit, smoke, and earth tones. If you drink coffee, you’ll like this.
Superdark. Dark Roast. The end of the line. Any darker and you’d be drinking a cup of smoke tendrils—but with our signature, smooth, dark roasted profile. Epic. 

While we have you, the rest of our collection: 

Exotic. Medium Roast. 100% Washed Ethiopian. Lightly floral, fruity aromatics headline this approachable but different cup. A coffee for those that know.
Mellow. Medium Roast. If you want a change from drinking our Classic (as if!) or were looking for something slightly tempered but not too dark. Nutty aroma. Sweet brightness.
Decaf. Medium Dark Roast. Water processed decaf that gives up nothing but the caffeine. Gobs of body, with an intriguing chocolate character.
Bold. Dark Roast. A solid dark roasted coffee with our uniquely clean cup profile.

They are not municipally/locally/traditionally recyclable.

We’re still on the hunt for an eco-friendly bag that meets our standards of freshness and food safety, but no luck so far. In the meantime, we encourage everyone based out of Canada to participate in our recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle.

Enter the code at checkout in the “gift card or discount code” box and hit “apply”. Our promo codes are only valid until the expiration date and time described in the terms and conditions. They cannot be applied retroactively to previous purchases or the purchase of gift cards and cannot be redeemed for cash or used in combination with any other offer. The discounts are calculated before taxes and shipping are added. Our offers are only valid for Ethical Bean products and transactions made on https://www.ethicalbean.com/. They are only valid for orders shipping within Canada. They are usually not valid for subscriptions, please check the terms and conditions. 

Coffee is a tricky, high maintenance product to package with particular standards to make sure it stays fresh. We've been on the hunt for an eco-friendly bag that meets our standards of freshness and food safety for years, but no luck so far. In the meantime, we encourage everyone across Canada to participate in our recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle.

We appreciate all the feedback we’ve received throughout the years (yes, we take feedback very seriously!). The expanded program allows us to make recycling coffee bags more accessible to everyone across Canada and better manage our environmental footprint, all while still enjoying good coffee. Plus, it helps everyone do good by donating to those who are in need. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Grâce à ce programme élargi, vous pouvez accumuler des points TerraCycle qui peuvent être utilisés pour faire un don à l’organisme sans but lucratif de votre choix.

No. Our main goal is to keep as many coffee bags out of the landfill as possible, so we’re proud to do our part and collect for everyone!

Oui.

Le sac d’aluminium dans lequel les dosettes sont scellées peut être retourné dans le cadre du programme. Bien sûr, les dosettes elles-mêmes vont dans le compost et la boîte en carton va dans le recyclage du carton ordinaire.

Nope, it’s on us! When you sign up for the program, you can print a prepaid shipping label to ship your empty bags to TerraCycle via UPS. Because good coffee should be its own reward!

TerraCycle cleans, shreds, and pelletizes collected materials that can be remolded to make new recycled products like park benches. Follow them on Instagram for more details!

Dans votre bac de compostage.

Nos dosettes sont certifiées 100 % compostables par le Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), ce qui signifie qu’elles se décomposent en seulement cinq semaines dans les systèmes de compostage commerciaux. À moins d’indication contraire de votre municipalité*, vous pouvez mettre vos dosettes utilisées directement dans votre bac à compost, ou les apporter à une station de transfert qui accepte les déchets organiques.

*Many composting facilities are still in the process of deciding whether or not they want to accept compostable coffee pods (for a bunch of different reasons)—with some taking them and some not. The verdict is still out on how compostable pods will officially be treated in organic waste diversion programs (with lots of working groups dedicating their time to getting an answer). Stay tuned for updates.

Nous ne pouvons pas garantir le résultat.

Il est impossible d’énoncer une règle générale pour les composteurs résidentiels, car l’efficacité de la décomposition des dosettes peut varier d’une installation à l’autre. Le résultat dépendra de plusieurs facteurs—dont la température ambiante, les matières entourant les dosettes, et l’humidité.

Le marc de café compte pour plus de 90 % du poids total d’une dosette utilisée.

Les 10 % restants sont composés d’un couvercle intégré, d’un filtre à tamis et d’un anneau brun exclusif—qui sont tous faits de diverses matières renouvelables, dont des enveloppes de graines de café torréfiées.

To learn more about the pods, check out www.purpod100.com.

Not yet.

Unfortunately, to ensure freshness and quality, the inner bag has to pass challenging tests to make sure it's protecting the coffee pods from oxygen. With ethical in our name, you can imagine that this is less than ideal, so in the meantime, the
inner bag of all pod boxes is part of our recycling program. Send them over to TerraCycle and they’ll take care of it for you! 

Non.

De format K-Cup, nos dosettes compostables sont compatibles avec les machines à café Keurig 1.0 et 2.0.

Oui, entièrement compostables.

Pas encore. Malheureusement, pour garantir la fraîcheur et la qualité du café, nous devons nous assurer, par des tests rigoureux, que le sac intérieur protège les filtres de l’oxygène.

No, same great taste. Approved by our Director of Coffee, Aaron. 

Torréfaction fraîche et scellé dans de l’azote.

There are only two commercially relevant coffee plant types: Arabica or Robusta. Arabica is the thoroughbred, grown only at high altitudes. It’s the darling of the Specialty Coffee world—prized for its fine flavour and cup manners. Robusta is grown at lower altitudes, known for its durability, pest resistance, and low cost. Its cup quality, on the other hand, qualifies as “rough”, with twice the caffeine as found in Arabica. 

On the back of all of our bags, you’ll find a best before date; this date is exactly one year after the coffee was roasted. Obviously, the closer to the roast date the better. 

Sac argenté = café en grains. Sac de couleur = café moulu.

All of our coffee is 100% certified organic, and organic standards prohibit the use of any GMOs in the production and processing of a product. This means that all certified organic products—including our coffee—are non-GMO. 

This is a complex question, as the qualifications for shade-grown coffee vary depending on the source. For example, some require a layering of the canopy, and some require a specific height and mix of trees. Given the complexities of the definition, we don’t market our coffee as shade grown. 

There are a few key factors that impact the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee—like the grind size, the brewing method, and the water temperature. Generally speaking, the finer the grind size and the hotter the water, the more caffeine. With that being said, here is a general guide: 

1 8 oz cup of drip coffee: 90-110 mg1 single shot of espresso: 60 mg

Zero calories and zero fat. Black coffee contains an insignificant amount of calories, macronutrients, carbohydrates, fat, or protein—meaning it’s pretty well void of anything you’d put on a nutritional chart. Obviously this changes when you add milk, cream, sugar or other sweeteners (darn!). 

Yes. No wheat or gluten in any of our products.

Yes. Add cream to make it extra ketolicious.

Oui, il est certifié casher.

Notre café déca est à 99,9 % sans caféine.

Absolument.

One note: our pre-ground Sweet Espresso is rather fine, as we grind it for espresso purposes. If you’re going to use it for drip, we suggest buying it whole bean and grinding it to medium. 

Yes and no.

Technically, any roast will “work”, but any roast doesn’t guarantee quality. The thing to understand is that espresso isn’t a particular coffee bean or type of roast; it’s actually a brewing process—marked by brisk ­­­­preparation, intense pressure, and focused flavour. With that in mind, espresso blends are created with particular coffees, often roasted and blended in a specific way to taste great when prepared specifically as espresso.

Nous vous suggérons humblement d’utiliser notre mélange Espresso suave pour préparer tous vos espressos?

Depuis nos débuts en 2003.

Par une démarche de consultation.

Le prix minimum est le plus bas prix qu’un acheteur de café équitable doit payer par livre au producteur de café. Ce prix, qui doit couvrir le coût de production, est déterminé par une démarche de consultation auprès des agriculteurs, des travailleurs et des négociants.

Note: when the market price is higher than the Minimum Price, the market price applies.

Entre autres dans des projets de reforestation, du matériel agricole et des améliorations aux écoles.

For a specific example, one of the cooperatives we do business with—Cenfrocafe in Peru—uses part of their premium to fund an education program for youth on cooperative management, coffee production, and quality control.

To learn more, visit http://fairtrade.ca/. 

En 2018,844,310 agriculteurs provenant de 31 pays.