• Medium roast coffeeOur medium roast coffee beans are optimised for filter brewing. That is, we have roasted the coffee so that it is suitable for brewing as filter coffee. When we roast the coffee to medium roast, the coffee beans reach a core temperature of 210-215°C. A medium roasted profile tends to give coffee a round flavor. It will have a light sweetness, good body and an enjoyable balance between flavor and acidity. Our medium roast coffees are a bit on the light side. This gives a bit more acidity to the coffee, which adds some freshness. See our selection of medium roast coffee beans here
• Dark roast coffeeOur dark roast coffees are roasted between 221-227°C. The darker the coffee, the more bitterness and intensity. The brightest of our varieties are Santos Isabel, Leonel Valladares. At the darker end, we have flavours like Café de Alturas and Corcasan. Many find that darker roasted coffees are best suited for milk drinks, since their strength and intensity balances out the flavor of milk and lets the true taste of the coffee shine through. If, on the other hand, you prefer a complex espresso, where acidity, sweetness and fruity undertones shine through, you should opt for the lighter dark roast varieties or even use medium roast coffee beans.
• Light roast coffeeA light roast coffee is typically roasted at a temperature between 195-210°C. The beans get a light brown color and retain a lot of flavor and aroma from the coffee. We roast the coffee from Silvio Sanchez relatively light- at a temperature of 208°C. The light roast gives the coffee an elegant character with lots of acidity. We also roast our coffees of the month relatively lightly. We want to bring out as much character as possible with our coffees of the month, and this is best accomplished through a relatively light roast.

Does coffee get old and should you go by the best before date on the pack?On our ØNSK coffees, we have set the best before date 1 year after the roasting date. Coffee does not rot or get moldy. But coffee will become dull over time, especially if it is not stored in the right conditions. To get the best taste out of your coffee, we recommend that the coffee beans are freshly ground before use and that they are used within 5-6 weeks after roasting. We have written a blog post about it here: Guide: How to store coffee – get more out of your coffee.

Have you ever noticed how the taste of coffee can change over time? That’ s because coffee is a perishable product and it can lose a lot of flavor if it comes into contact with oxygen. Here are 5 tips to keep your coffee fresh:

1. First and foremost, buy freshly roasted coffee. Look for the roast date on coffee bags.
2. Whole beans are fresher than ground coffee
3. Store coffee in an airtight container
4. Keep coffee beans cool
5. Just like vampires, coffee doesn’t like light

Read more in our extended guide: how to store your coffee – get more out of your coffee.

Why should you choose organic coffee?There are several reasons. In general terms, organic means opting out of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.One of the by-products of chemical fertilisers and sprays is pesticides. Pesticides are not good for us as humans, and conventionally grown coffee will contain more pesticides than organic coffee, which does not use pesticides.There are also a number of environmental benefits to producing organic coffee. Growing organic coffee typically requires more shade trees on coffee plantations. Aske Bosselmann, PhD in Forest & Landscape at KU, has studied the environmental challenges of conventionally grown coffee and the benefits of growing coffee with shade trees. Aske explains that shade coffee has a number of environmental benefits; including:

• C02 uptake and carbon storage
• Protection and conservation of biodiversity
• Protection of water resources

The reason for using shade trees is that the larger shade trees keep moisture in the plantation. Trees on coffee farms also help to maintain the soil through limiting sedimentation and erosion into nearby waterways. Coffee plantations with many shade trees also require less fertiliser and reduce the risk of nitrogen leakage. In addition, coffee plantations with shade trees help to preserve biodiversity. Birds in particular benefit from the preserved shade trees.We’ve written an extended blog post about Organic coffee – and why it’s a good idea.

A selection of ØNSK’s certifications: Environmentally Friendly Packaging is a group of companies that are all committed to protecting the environment and our limited resources. The CSR label aims to highlight the social responsibility of companies and support their work with CSR.

We roast coffee every week.Typically, we roast coffee every Monday and Tuesday, which we then send out for the remainder of the week. We roast the coffee every week to always offer freshly roasted coffee to our customers.We also have a commitment not to ship coffee that is more than 14 days older than the roasting date.We roast the coffee on a Loring coffee roaster, which provides an incredibly clean roast that enhances the most prominent flavors of the coffee.

When choosing a coffee, there are several different factors to consider. The coffee you most prefer will always be a matter of taste. But there are several parameters you can keep in mind. These parameters include:

• Aroma – how does the coffee smell and how intense is the aroma you sense by smell?
• Acidity – what type of acidity does the coffee have? How intense/strong is it? Is the coffee sour?
• Body/fullness – how does the coffee feel in your mouth? Heavy or light and thin?
• Aftertaste – what taste does the coffee leave in your mouth? Does it linger, and is that good or bad?
• Sweetness – sweetness is generally a desirable taste and one that is hard to miss.
• Balance – How do all the different parameters interact – and do they harmonise well or are they unbalanced?
• Taste – can you identify any specific flavors?

Often these parameters, give or take a few, will be used when describing coffee. Well, at least when you’re shopping for specialty coffee. So now you’ll have a better understanding of coffee and some new insights into how to taste it! Try taking a sip of coffee and tasting for one parameter at a time.Soon you’ll be able to identify the types of flavors that you like. If you want to know more about how to choose coffee beans, read our guide here.

No, we do not add flavors to our coffee.The flavors we use to describe our coffees come exclusively from:

• The coffee variety.
• Coffee terroir – i.e. the coffee’s natural environment, such as the soil, altitude, rainfall, and climate.
• The coffee processing method. If the coffee is washed, you can expect a clean taste with a slight acidity. If the coffee is honey processed, you can expect a full-bodied coffee with more sweetness. With natural coffee, you can expect more fruitiness and body.
• Coffee roasting – is the coffee roasted light, medium or dark?

Nicaraguan coffee is typically characterised as being full-bodied, sweet and slightly acidic. However, this is a strong rule of thumb. Nicaragua has several regions with different microclimates and growing traditions; for example, coffees from Jinotega, Matagalpa and Madriz typically have notes of chocolate, nuts and brown sugar. Typically, coffees from those regions have a full, rich flavor and low acidity. Very good coffees for espresso. The Corcasan and Café de Alturas coffees are characteristic of these regions.If you look to the Nueva Segovia coffee region instead, you will find coffees grown higher up in the mountains. It produces flavors that have a greater complexity, higher acidity and some fruity undertones. The coffees from Leonel Valladares, Santos Isabel and Silvio Sanchez are grown here. In addition to the region in which they are grown, there are a number of other factors that play a role in determining the taste of coffee. The variety of coffee used, the altitude at which the coffee is grown, and whether the coffee is washed, honey processed or natural processed (like Silvio’s coffee).Read our full blog post about Nicarauga as a coffee country.

Which water is best for brewing coffee?

This is a very good question, and actually a very underestimated parameter. The vast majority of a cup of coffee consists of water. Therefore, the composition and quality of the water has a massive impact on the quality of the coffee that you brew. First of all, let’s look at what parameters are important for the taste of coffee when we talk about water.

Water hardness (GH)

Calcium is one of the minerals found in water and greatly influences the hardness of water (GH). The calcium content of water varies greatly, and therefore the taste of coffee can even change depending on if you are brewing it in Klitmøller or Frederiksberg. When brewing coffee, removing a large amount of calcium is beneficial to the taste. A small amount of calcium can be good in that it adds fullness to coffee. On the other hand, too much calcium can undermine many of the tart and sweet undertones. And calcium is also responsible for calcification because it does not dissolve properly in water. Another mineral that is important for water hardness (GH) is magnesium. Magnesium attracts acid molecules and adds sweetness and citric nuances.

Carbonate hardness and PH value of the water

Carbonate and bicarbonate are components of water. Carbonate and bicarbonate act to keep the PH of the water stable. It is important to keep the PH value stable when brewing coffee to maintain a balanced and consistent taste. A low carbonate hardness will give too much acidity to the coffee. Conversely, a high carbonate hardness will remove all forms of acidity and leave a dull and flat cup of coffee. PH values range from 0-14, where 0 is acidic, 14 is basic, and 7 is neutral. When brewing with a low pH water, you will get more acidity in the taste of your coffee. Conversely, with basic (alkaline) water, you will remove sweetness, acidity and delicate fruity flavors, leading to a more flat and neutral flavored cup of coffee.

How can you get balanced water for coffee brewing?

So how do we get the best possible water for our coffee brewing? The answer is not clear-cut, but there are two established methods for improving water quality. They are reverse osmosis and carbon filters or softeners.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is probably the most expensive way to treat the water, and is often used in coffee shops or cafés where they want to achieve the best coffee quality. Originally, this method was developed to distill water so that it does not contain minerals, ions, chlorine and sulphate. However, we do need some of these minerals for coffee. If the water has no minerals, the result will be a flat and dull cup of coffee. That’s why reverse osmosis allows us to add the minerals we need to make a good cup of coffee.

Water filter

A water filter is a good and cheaper alternative to reverse osmosis. There are a variety of calcium filters. These include BWT filter jugs, such as the BWT magnesium mineralizer filter jug, which remove about half of the carbonate hardness from your tap water. In addition to removing calcium, the water filter also removes chlorine, lead and copper, while adding magnesium to the water. The result of the filtration is that the water will taste fresher and have a softer feel.

Why is calcium a problem for coffee machines?

Like we previously mentioned, calcium has some negative effects on the taste of coffee. Lime, or calcium, adds body to coffee, but too much of it will create a flat taste without acidity and sweetness. In addition to negatively affecting the taste of coffee, calcium also builds up. Calcium build-up can damage your boiler and the internal parts of your espresso machine. Calcium build-up typically occurs in the heating elements, pipes and magnetic valves and (if left untreated) will eventually cause your espresso or coffee machine to stop working. In addition, calcium deposits have a major impact on a water heater’s ability to heat, and the more calcium builds up, the more energy will be required for heating. So if you have an espresso machine or coffee machine, it will be a good investment to descale your machine regularly and use filtered water so you don’t expose your coffee machine to unnecessary calcium build-up. Otherwise you may have to face costly repairs and a higher energy bill. The repairs will often include faulty solenoid valves, boilers that no longer work and clogged pipes.

How do I determine the hardness of my tap water?

You will often be able to find information about water hardness on your local water company’s website.

Which beans are best for espresso?As a starting point, we would suggest our dark roast varieties for espresso. The roasting profiles on our dark roasts are optimised for espresso brewing. A darker roast is generally richer, sweeter and more intense. If you prefer a more acidic espresso, the medium roast variants are a good choice. With a lighter roast, the fruity and acidic undertones will come out even more strongly. You can find our dark roast coffees here.

Which beans are best for french press coffee?

In our opinion, the best coffee for a french press is medium roast coffee beans. Since the coffee steeps for 4 minutes (check out our French press brewing guide for more) the coffee will become strong and slightly bitter with a dark roast. Instead, a medium or light roast will give you a more complex coffee flavour with more nuances, bringing out the pure taste of the coffee. With a medium roast or light roast coffee you will get more acidity and more fruity undertones.

Which coffee beans are best for filter coffee?

The short answer is medium roast coffee beans. Our medium roast coffees are optimised for filter brewing. Overall, our medium roast varieties, including Leonel Valladares, Corcasan, Santos Isabel, Café de Alturas and Silvio Sanchez are roasted to have a bit of acidity, a nice sweetness and a rounded taste. You can read more about the individual coffees in our shop.

If you want to pause your subscription, do the following:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Cancel”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been cancelled”.
5. When you want to activate your subscription again, go to the same page: 1)
   1. My account.
   2. Press “Subscriptions”
   3. Then tap “View” next to the cancelled subscription you want to reactivate.
   4. Then press “Reactivate this subscription”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been reactivated”.

Here’s how to pause your subscription and reactivate it later.

If you wish to cancel your subscription, please do the following:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Cancel”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been cancelled”.

Then, your coffee subscription has been cancelled. If you want to reactivate your subscription, you can log in to the same page.

If your card has expired or you want to switch to another payment method, here’s how:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Change payment method”, and click on “Change payment method” again.
5. Then enter the details of the new card you want to use.

To change your coffee subscription address, please:

1. Go to My Account
2. Click on “ADDRESSES”
3. Click on the small icon under “Delivery address”
4. Enter your details, then press update.

That’s it. Now your delivery address is updated.

If you want to pause your subscription, do the following:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Cancel”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been cancelled”.
5. When you want to activate your subscription again, go to the same page: 1)
   1. My account.
   2. Press “Subscriptions”
   3. Then tap “View” next to the cancelled subscription you want to reactivate.
   4. Then press “Reactivate this subscription”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been reactivated”.

Here’s how to pause your subscription and reactivate it later.

If you wish to cancel your subscription, please do the following:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Cancel”. You will then receive a system message saying “Your subscription has been cancelled”.

Then, your coffee subscription has been cancelled. If you want to reactivate your subscription, you can log in to the same page.

If your card has expired or you want to switch to another payment method, here’s how:

1. Go to My Account.
2. Click on “Subscriptions”.
3. Then tap “View” next to the active subscription you want to update.
4. Then press “Change payment method”, and click on “Change payment method” again.
5. Then enter the details of the new card you want to use.

To change your coffee subscription address, please:

1. Go to My Account
2. Click on “ADDRESSES”
3. Click on the small icon under “Delivery address”
4. Enter your details, then press update.

That’s it. Now your delivery address is updated.

You can change the regular coffee variety on your coffee subscription. You change your regular coffee by:

1. Go to My account
2. Press the “Subscriptions” button
3. Then click on “Upgrade or downgrade”
4. Then you can customize your subscription by choosing:
   1. medium roast or dark roast,
   2. Corcasan or Leonel,
   3. 250g+250g, 500g + 250g or1000g + 250g.
5. Then, press “Apply now”

Then your regular coffee will be updated.

Our coffee subscription is sent out on the 16th of each month.We send out the coffee subscription on the. 16th and, in most cases, the packages containing the coffee subscriptions will arrive overnight between the 16th and 17th of each month. Our coffee subscriptions are usually sent out by DAO, which delivers the packages overnight and straight to your door.