How is your coffee sourced?

The production of exceptional coffees is a collaborative, meticulous and multi-faceted effort. All coffees are sourced in freshly harvested lots through direct relationships with producers and cooperatives committed to quality and sustainable business practices. We travel to origin throughout the year, exploring new coffee sources, checking in with cherished producers, and offering premiums for quality. The long-standing partnerships we nurture are built upon trust—trust that our producers will convey to us what they need to thrive and trust that we will do everything we can to support them. Visit Our Company page to learn more about our sourcing practices.

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How is your coffee roasted?

We work to bring forth the unique flavors from each farm or cooperative to your cup in the most humble, efficient, and honorable way possible. We achieve this by taking meticulous care throughout the roasting process. Practicing smaller production methods and sensory roasting allow us to find the best expressions for each coffee. Using our eyes, ears, nose, and most importantly our taste buds, we evaluate our coffees on a regular basis to ensure we are showcasing the very best attributes of each.

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Is your coffee USDA Organic or Fair Trade Certified?

For a coffee to be certified organic by the USDA, strict regulations and certifications are enforced at all levels of production. As the farms we partner with don’t always possess the financial resources to gain these certifications, we don’t require our coffees to be USDA Organic or Fair Trade Certified. However, most of the farms we work with practice organic and ecologically conscious growing methods. Through direct trade, we are able to offer producers substantially higher prices for their coffee.

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Tell me about your Decaf. What's Swiss Water?

​Based out of Vancouver, BC, ​Swiss Water®​ is​ an​ innovative ​leader in coffee decaffeination.​

During the Swiss Water Process, green coffee beans are immersed in "Green Coffee Extract (GCE)," water that is super-saturated with soluble coffee components and sans caffeine. Looking for equilibrium, caffeine migrates out of the coffee beans and into the GCE, which is then flowed through carbon filters that trap those caffeine molecules and refresh the GCE to its original state. This process is repeated over the course of 10 hours, while time, temperature and flow are closely monitored. The end result yields a beautifully expressive coffee that is 99.9% caffeine-free, and none the less flavorful than its caffeinated brethren. 

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If you'd like to learn more about Swiss Water and their processes, visit their site here: www.swisswater.com

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How long does your coffee stay fresh?

In an unopened bag, our coffee stays fresh for up to 90 days after roasting. Once opened, we recommend that the coffee be consumed within three weeks. Many of our Single Origin coffees taste best at least three to four days after roasting and our espresso roasts are at their best with at least a week of rest.

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I tried one of your coffees, but don’t see it available. Why is this?

Because coffee is a seasonal fruit, we source it from origin in tiny, freshly harvested lots. Harvest cycles happen throughout the year, with coffees from different regions landing at different times. Once a shipment arrives stateside, we have a few months to roast and serve the coffee. As a result, you will rarely see a particular single origin coffee on our menu for more than a few months at a time as we will only serve coffees at their finest and freshest. We work to curate a very special coffee experience for you, both in our coffee bars and when you’re brewing our beans at home. If you would like help choosing a coffee, please contact hello@sightglasscoffee.com and we can provide some recommendations.

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What is the best coffee for *blank* brew method?

You can use any coffee with any brew method, although some sing better than others when made with different brewing devices. In general, brew methods will either highlight the flavor clarity of a coffee or highlight the body and mouthfeel. For example, a french press, because it has a metal filter, allows oils and insoluble components to enter your final cup of coffee, which enhances the coffee’s overall body. A Chemex, because of its thick paper filter, catches a lot of those insoluble components and emphasizes clarity. At our cafes, we brew all coffees through a V60 or Fetco as we feel that gives us a balanced representation of each coffee without favoring one aspect of its flavor profile. If you want to have fun and experiment, for coffees that are complex and have lots of delicate flavors, like most East African coffees, try a brewer with a paper filter. For coffees with a noteworthy heaviness and mouthfeel, like Central and South American coffees, try a full-immersion brewing method. 

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I don’t live in San Francisco. Where else can I find your coffees?

Our coffees are served at a variety of wonderful cafes, restaurants, and other establishments throughout the country (and internationally!). You can also purchase many of our offerings, including seasonal single origin favorites and year-round staples, in our webstore. For more information on where to find our coffees near you, please email hello@sightglasscoffee.com.

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I want to sell your coffee, who do I talk to?

If you’re interested in selling Sightglass coffee, please visit our Wholesale page to explore our program and fill out the inquiry form. Once submitted, a member from our Wholesale team will follow up to learn more about your business.

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I want to have an event, shoot photos, film my commercial here, who do I talk to?

We do not currently rent out either of our coffee bars for private events, filming, or professional photography. For marketing or press-related inquiries, please contact hello@sightglasscoffee.com.

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Are your bags and mailers compostable?

Yes! Our mailer is made from a combination of bio-based polymer and plant materials and is 100% compostable. Just remove any adhesives (packaging tape, shipping labels and stickers) beforehand. Our Biotre bags that your coffee is packaged in are also compostable. Just remove the tin tie and valve and toss both our bags and mailers in your compost bin!

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More questions about our coffees? Contact our Education Department at education@sightglasscoffee.com.

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Shipping & Returns

 

We roast your coffee to order Monday-Friday every week. Please see our schedule below:

 

— Orders placed between 2:00pm (PST) Sunday and 2:00pm (PST) Monday will be roasted and shipped the following Tuesday. 

 

— Orders placed after 2:00pm (PST) Monday will be roasted and shipped the following Wednesday.

 

— Orders placed before 2:00pm (PST) Tuesday-Thursday will be roasted and shipped the following day.

 

— Orders placed between 2:00pm (PST) Thursday and 2:00pm (PST) Friday will be roasted and shipped the following Sunday.

 

— Orders placed between 2:00pm (PST) Friday and 2:00pm (PST) Sunday will be roasted and shipped the following Monday.

 

In the event of a holiday, this schedule may be subject to change in order to better meet customer needs.

 

We offer shipping via USPS Priority within the United States and to US Military Outposts. This infographic map can estimate delivery to your region of the US, based off of our origin zip code: 94103. USPS claims that Priority Mail assures delivery of your order within 2-3 business days, with the exception of Sundays & holidays. Please note that Sightglass does not guarantee this claim ourselves.

 

We do not offer international shipping at this time.

 

When your package has been processed for shipment, you will receive an email notification and tracking number. To track the status of your shipment, click on the tracking number, which will redirect you to the USPS site. It may take up to 24 hours before package status information becomes available.

 

We are not responsible, liable, or obligated to reship or refund the cost of any packages that are mis-delivered, stolen or Returned-to-Sender. Upon receipt of a returned package, we will contact the customer to determine the reason for the return. We can then reship the package, provided new shipping charges incurred are paid for in full by the customer. 

 

We do not accept returns or exchanges. Nevertheless, if you are dissatisfied with your coffee, an item arrives damaged, or an error occurs with your order, we would like to know about it. Please contact us with your concerns at orders@sightglasscoffee.com and we will do our best to ensure your satisfaction.

 

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Fraud Protection

In order to protect our customers from fraudulent credit card activity, we have implemented some “best practice” solutions within our payment gateway. Any time suspected fraudulent activity occurs, we are alerted by our gateway provider, and look into this activity immediately. If confirmed, we will stop the transaction before it settles, report the incident/IP address, and void the order.

***Please note, in keeping with credit card industry standards, our payment gateway will decline a card that has been used over 3 times from the same IP address within an hour’s time. In the event this happens, please wait an hour and try again.

 

Bulk Orders

If your order exceeds the online transaction limit of $650.00, you can place the order directly through us. Bulk orders for coffee, coffee products and merchandise have the same great prices as seen online. They are shipped via UPS Ground for improved traceability. We even accomodate most special requests with these orders, please feel free to ask! If you’d like to place your bulk order today, please contact Customer Support.