Coffee Beans in Chicago

We roast coffee in Chicago and ship it the same week it comes off the roaster. If you are looking for fresh whole-bean coffee here — for your kitchen, your office, or a standing weekly delivery — this page covers what we roast, how fast it reaches you, and how to pick a bag if you have not bought from us before.

What "fresh" means when you buy locally

Coffee is at its best from about day three to day twenty-one after roasting. Before day three it is still degassing and tastes sharp; after three weeks the aromatics have measurably faded. Grocery-shelf bags are typically well past that window by the time they are bought, and most carry a best-before date rather than a roast date, which conveniently obscures the difference.

Roasting locally collapses the gap. We roast to order and ship within 24 hours, so a bag ordered Monday is usually being brewed inside that peak window rather than at the tail of it. Every bag carries its roast date, not a best-before date.

What we roast

Seven single-origin coffees, rotating as harvests come in. We do not run a large catalogue, because a small one means every lot gets attention.

• Argelia Cauca — Colombia. Washed, from women producers in Cauca. Toffee, amaretto, fresh berry. The most broadly likeable coffee we sell and the one we hand to people who do not know what they want yet.
• Dembi Sidama — Ethiopia. Natural process, shade-dried eighteen days by smallholders in Sidama. Dark chocolate, red grape, citrus.
• Banko Gotiti — Ethiopia. Washed heirloom Yirgacheffe grown between 1,600 and 2,300 metres. Jammy apricot, apple blossom, bergamot. The brightest thing on the list.
• Finca Tacacal — Costa Rica. Natural, from the Aguilera Brothers' Cup of Excellence micromill in the West Valley. Panela and strawberry.
• Cerrado Catuai — Brazil. Natural, from Brazil's first Denomination of Origin region. Mellow cocoa, soft acidity. The one that works in milk and in moka pots.
• Triunfo Verde Decaf — Mexico. Organic, fair trade, Mountain Water Process. Graham cracker, mild fruit. See the decaf guide for why the process matters.

Which bag to start with

If you have not bought from us before, pick by how you drink it rather than by origin:

• Black, drip or pour over, want something easy → Argelia Cauca.
• Black, and you like fruit and acidity → Banko Gotiti.
• With milk, or espresso and moka → Cerrado Catuai.
• You want the most distinctive cup on the list → Dembi Sidama or Finca Tacacal.
• Evenings, or you are off caffeine → Triunfo Verde.

If you would rather not choose, the Roaster's Choice subscription sends whatever is best that month.

Getting it to you

Orders are roasted to order and ship within 24 hours. Chicago and the surrounding area are one shipping zone from our roastery, so local orders generally arrive quickly after they ship. Subscriptions run on whatever cadence you set — most people land on every two or three weeks for a single-person household, weekly for an office — and can be paused or cancelled at any time without contacting anyone.

Whole bean or ground

Buy whole bean if you own a grinder, and buy a grinder before you buy anything expensive to put through it. Grinding immediately before brewing does more for a cup than upgrading the coffee does. If you do not have one yet, choose Ground and we will grind it fresh the day we roast, at a medium setting that suits drip and pour over.

Buying coffee in Chicago — FAQ

Do you roast in Chicago?

Yes. Everything is roasted here and ships from here.

How fast will it arrive?

We roast to order and ship within 24 hours of the order. Local delivery is a short hop from there.

Do you print roast dates?

Every bag carries the date it was roasted. Not a best-before date — the actual roast date.

Can I get coffee for my office?

Yes. Standing subscriptions handle most office volumes; for larger or invoiced accounts, see wholesale.

Do you sell decaf?

One, and it is a water-process lot rather than a solvent-processed commodity decaf. Triunfo Verde.

What if I don't like what I ordered?

Tell us. We would rather send you something that suits you than have a bag sit unused.

Where to go next

Browse everything currently roasting in our coffee, set up a standing delivery through subscriptions, or if you are specifically after decaf, start with the Chicago decaf page.