Tips

Getting the most from your coffee

Every NORD coffee is a light-roasted single origin, roasted to order in Sydney and shipped worldwide. The notes below cover when to open the box, how to keep the beans fresh and where to start with brewing, so every cup from a 150g box tastes the way it was meant to.

When to start enjoying your coffee

Light-roasted coffee needs time to rest. In the weeks after roasting the beans release carbon dioxide, and the flavours settle and open up. Brewed too early, a coffee can taste sharp, hollow or uneven.

Counting from the roast date on your order, give the coffee at least 2 weeks before brewing. From 3 weeks onwards is even better, as light roasts take longer to open up and reach their full sweetness and clarity.

As boxes usually arrive within days of roasting, expect to wait a week or two after delivery before the first brew.

Most coffees stay delicious even after 3 months from roasting. Where a coffee has its own ideal window, it is noted on the product page.

How to store your coffee

Air, heat, light and moisture age coffee fastest. Once opened, close the packaging tightly with as little air inside as possible, or move the beans to an airtight container. Keep them somewhere cool and dark, away from the stove, the kettle and direct sun.

The fridge is best avoided. It is humid, and coffee easily picks up the smells of everything else inside.

The freezer is a great way to hold a special lot at its peak for longer. Once the coffee has rested, split it into single brew doses in small airtight bags or jars, freeze them and grind straight from frozen. Avoid moving the same portion in and out of the freezer, as condensation on the beans will dull the cup.

Brewing starting points

Every grinder and brewer behaves a little differently, so treat this filter recipe as a place to start and adjust by taste. A 150g box makes around ten cups.

Light roasts are dense and take more energy to extract, so hotter water and a slightly finer grind than usual often bring out their sweetness and florals.

If the cup is not quite right, change one thing at a time:

Water and grind

A cup of filter coffee is around 98% water, so the water matters as much as the beans. Filtered water with a gentle mineral content gives the sweetest, clearest cup, and a simple carbon filter jug is a good everyday option. Avoid distilled water, which tastes flat, and very hard mineral water, which mutes acidity. All coffees have been tested with 100 ppm water.

Grind just before brewing, as ground coffee starts losing aroma within minutes. A consistent burr grinder makes a bigger difference to the cup than almost any other piece of equipment.

Still have questions?

Brewing setups vary a lot, and no single recipe suits every kitchen. For help dialling in a NORD coffee on your own gear, email hello@nord.coffee or send a message on Instagram at @nordcoffeeau. Questions are always welcome.