FAQs

Why SIP?
At SIP we are passionate about incredible coffee; roasted perfectly; to the highest standard. We do not sell coffee that we do not believe in. We also care a great deal that all the people involved, from bean to cup, right down to the farmers who pick the coffee cherries, are treated with the highest standards. We are very proud to say that SIP coffee far exceeds Fairtrade criteria and you can read more about that below. 


What makes our coffee so good?
To ensure our beans are roasted optimally a process that takes a few weeks must begin. First the beans are test roasted in a sample-roaster, to try and discover the optimal roasting grade for those beans. More test roasts are done in a bullet roaster and over the course of weeks the roasted coffee is cupped (taste tested) until the beans are producing the best possible flavours. After all of this, it's ready to SIP.


In what way is our coffee Fairtrade+?
Fairtrade in terms of coffee production is essentially paying farmers the minimum wage their country offers, which way back when in 2005 was a step in the right direction, but now it just doesn't cut the mustard. The company, Olam, who imports SIP's coffee into the UK pays our farmers 1.5 - 4x their country's living wage, which is far more fair than fairtrade if you ask us. Olam also work with their farmers to ensure they have enough to get by if machinery is broken or if it's been a terrible year for coffee yield. That's Fairtrade+


Is our coffee organic?
None of our current range is certified Organic coffee, but we have stocked and do stock organic coffees on a rotational basis. All of our coffees are produced using organic processes but they haven't gone as far as getting their processes certified organic. 


Who roasts our coffee?
At the moment we are solely working with a singular amazing coffee roaster. They are amazing and dedicated to creating some of the best coffee money can buy. We contract roast on their beautiful Loring zero emissions roaster which is a state of the art piece of equipment - meaning the roasting process is carbon neutral.


When to drink our coffee and why?
It's a little known fact, even among some coffee enthusiasts, that coffee doesn't taste it's best until two weeks after it's roasting date. Fresher isn't necessarily better. The reason for this is that during the roasting process, the coffee beans themselves hold residual carbon dioxide, which takes away from the flavour of the bean. The CO2 doesn't subside until two weeks after it's roasted, and that's when it's best to drink it. (This is also the reason for the one-way coffee valve on coffee bags - they exist so that CO2 can escape, but oxygen can't get in).


PreGround or Wholebean?
We recommend buying wholebean - if you have a grinder. There is nothing like freshly ground coffee!!! If you don't have a grinder at home though, don't worry, sit pretty and we'll grind our beans for you so it arrives at your door ready to brew. 
We do recommend investing in a grinder in the long term though, particularly if you brew at home using a cafetiere, a pour over, or an aeropress. If you brew using any of these methods then you needn't purchase a high end grinder to maximise your coffee output. Finding a cheap, preowned and/or inexpensive grinder that'll do the job for you should not be too difficult and will maximise your coffee experience at a minimum cost.


How to store your coffee?
To maintain the optimal freshness of SIP coffee wholebeans we recommend grinding only the required amount each time you brew. Keep the coffee beans, or preground coffee, in our original resealable SIP coffee bags, which are designed with a one-way degassing valve to keep the oxygen out and a zipper lock to seal in freshness. If left entirely unopened, the coffee in our bags will be at it's best for up to a few months. 

 

Shipping Questions
The standard cost of one 250g bag of SIP coffee or hot chocolate is £2.99, we realise this is quite high. One way you can get around that is to buy up to THREE bags of coffee or hot chocolate in one order; the shipping cost will not increase and £2.99 would cover you for all 3 bags. We hope that helps. Deliveries will usually arrive 3-5 business days after you have placed your order.

Our Hot Chocolate bags can be collected from our Reading Office if you live locally. Either contact us to pop by the office and buy your SIP hot chocolate direct in person via paypal, cash, or card-reader, (not through the website) or contact us after a website purchase then come collect, and we can refund you the shipping fee in person.