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Coffee subscriptions are great, in theory. You tell the company how you make your coffee and what flavor profiles you like, and they send you bags from top roasters all over the country. Small artisanal roasters get sales. You get good coffee without leaving the house. It should be a win-win situation. But it's usually not.
The problem with most coffee you get from subscriptions—and the problem with most coffee in general—is that it's not as fresh as it could be. And the reason is that the raw coffee beans roasted in the United States are harvested months before they finally arrive. That's just how the coffee supply chain works.
But what if it didn't work that way? That's the question that gave birth to Quintal Coffee.
What Does Freshness Actually Mean?
The biggest thing standing between you and genuinely outstanding coffee is time. No matter where your coffee was grown or how expertly it's roasted, if it's not fresh, it will not be very good. But what do we mean when we talk about fresh coffee?
The industry standard for "fresh" these days is coffee roasted within 7 to 21 days and ground immediately before use. But that's only half of the freshness equation. The other half has to do with how long coffee seeds, more commonly known as beans, sit around before they get roasted.
According to one study published in the Annals of Botany, the "aroma potential" of coffee seeds is directly correlated to their viability—i.e., the seed's ability to sprout and grow into a new coffee plant. Thus, the "prolonged storage" of raw coffee beans almost always leads to a "decline of quality." But their quality is preserved when you roast coffee beans immediately after picking them.
Unfortunately, it is next to impossible for coffee roasters located in the United States to get their hands on viable raw coffee beans. Instead, most coffees roasted stateside have spent months in harsh shipping conditions aboard cargo ships followed by long periods of storage. During that time, the green coffee seeds literally die. And that means their quality is significantly reduced before they ever get roasted.
To solve this problem and balance the freshness equation once and for all, Quintal Coffee founders Eduardo Umaña and Otto Becker decided to flip the traditional coffee roasting business model on its head and roast the coffee beans where they are grown.
Say Hello To Origin Roasted Coffee
What makes Quintal Coffee different from other coffee subscriptions—not to mention almost every coffee roaster in the country—is that they roast the coffee right after it's harvested in the country of origin. Then they immediately ship the roasted beans directly to their subscribers. By doing this, Quintal Coffee locks in the beans' full potential, giving you the freshest and most authentic coffee experience you can get in the continental United States.
Because Quintal Coffee only offers beans that were recently harvested, their offerings change every month. But they don't just use any random beans. The Specialty Coffee Association of America uses a 100-point scale to grade coffees. Scores of 80-84 are classified as "very good"; scores of 85-89 are classified as " excellent, and scores of 90 and above are classified as outstanding. Quintal Coffee only uses beans that score 86 or higher.
Of course, Quintal's origin roasted model doesn't just deliver better, fresher coffee. It's also more ethical and sustainable. By cutting third-party importers and roasters out of the supply chain and connecting consumers directly to farmers, Quintal Coffee reduces the carbon footprint of every single bag sold while simultaneously lowering prices. However, because they roast in the country of origin, often by the same people who grow and harvest the beans, coffee producers get a bigger cut of the profits.
Quintal Coffee Delivers Actual Freshness
Lots of people love coffee. But very few people have experienced everything coffee can be.
Quintal Coffee wants that to change. With a subscription, you'll receive a 10oz bag from the most recent harvests across Central and South America every single month, allowing you to discover new varieties and roasts.
If you or someone you love is looking for a coffee subscription that actually delivers the freshest coffee in the world, give Quintal Coffee a try today.
