FAQ
Coffee & freshness
How fresh is your coffee?
Every order is roasted and ground the day it's received and ships within 48 hours. We hold no pre-roasted inventory, so your coffee has never sat in a warehouse.
Do you roast the coffee yourselves?
No. Our coffee is roasted by a specialty roastery in California that produces exclusively to our specifications for Hardcover Coffee. We select the beans and set the standard; they handle the roasting. More on that here.
Which grind should I choose?
Coarse for French press, cold brew and percolators. Standard for drip machines and pour-over. Espresso for espresso machines and moka pots. Whole Bean if you grind at home — that's the best cup available if you'll actually use a grinder.
How should I store my coffee?
Airtight container, room temperature, away from light and heat. Don't refrigerate — it introduces moisture and dulls the flavour. Don't freeze unless you're storing for months, and if you do, freeze in portions you won't thaw twice.
How long will my coffee stay good?
Best within 2–4 weeks of roasting for peak flavour. It won't go bad after that, it just gets progressively less interesting.
Is your flavored coffee made with real ingredients?
We use natural flavoring oils, applied during the roast while the beans are still warm, so the flavor bonds into the bean rather than coating the outside. We start with the same specialty-grade beans as our unflavored coffees — never seconds.
Where do your beans come from?
Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda. Every lot is evaluated on cup quality, farm processing and sustainable practice.
Do you sell decaf, and how is it decaffeinated?
Yes. Our Peruvian decaf uses the Swiss Water Process — decaffeination using only water, temperature and time, with no chemical solvents at any stage. It removes about 99.9% of the caffeine while leaving far more of the origin character intact than solvent methods do.
Tea
Is your tea loose leaf or bagged?
Loose leaf, with two exceptions — matcha and hojicha are powders, meant to be whisked rather than steeped. We don't sell bagged tea, because bagged tea is mostly dust and dust brews bitter.
Which of your teas are caffeine free?
Apple Cider Rooibos, Hibiscus Berry and Peach Paradise contain no caffeine at all. They're herbal infusions rather than decaffeinated tea — there was never any caffeine in them to remove.
Ordering & shipping
Do you offer free shipping?
Yes. Every US order ships free with no minimum.
How long until my order arrives?
Roasted and shipped within 48 hours, then 3–5 business days in transit. Typically 4–7 business days total.
Why does my merch arrive separately from my coffee?
Apparel and accessories are produced and fulfilled independently. Separate packages, separate tracking, different timelines. Expected, not an error.
Do you ship internationally?
We currently ship within the United States only.
Can I order in bulk?
Yes — 5 LB and 12 LB sizes are available on most coffees and ship free. For standing or wholesale orders, get in touch.
Can I cancel or change my order?
If we haven't started roasting, yes. Contact us as quickly as you can.
Returns
What if I don't like it?
Tell us. We'll help you find something better suited or refund you. Details on the Returns page.
What if my order arrives damaged?
Contact us with a photo and we'll replace or refund it. Don't send it back.
Can I return opened coffee?
No — it's a perishable product roasted to order and can't be restocked. But if something's wrong with it, we'll still make it right. We just don't need it back.
Books & the brand
Why do you sell coffee and books together?
Because they belong together, and because nobody was doing it properly. Plenty of companies sell coffee alongside books — but the books are always someone else's. We write ours. Our story.
Do you write your own books?
Yes. Every title is written in-house, not licensed or curated from another publisher. The first series is Confession After Closing.
Are you a big company?
No. Two people in the Arkansas Ozarks. That's a deliberate choice, not a stage we're trying to grow out of.
Do you run sales?
Rarely, and never permanently. Constant discounting trains people not to buy at full price and quietly tells them the original number was fiction. We'd rather price honestly.
Still stuck?
Contact us, or email hello@hardcovercoffee.com. A person reads it — usually within 1–2 business days.
``` > **One question I left out on purpose.** The old file had a "What is The Midnight Stacks?" entry. Since that page currently renders empty and hardcovercoffeeclub.com isn't live, answering it would point people at nothing. Add it back when there's something behind it.