FAQ
COFFEE
We recommend storing coffee in a cool, dry place, away from heat and light, in its original packaging, or an airtight container. Prolonged exposure to air causes the beans to go stale twice as fast. So just keep that in mind when storing your beans!
Yes, you sure can but it is best to do it only if it will be in the freezer for long term! The cold temperatures can help extend the freshness of the beans. But the levels of moisture present in the refrigerator and freezer can accelerate flavor loss. So, our opinion is; fresh is best.
Freshness is key to enjoying a great cup of coffee as the flavor complexities change over time. This is why we recommend using coffee within 30 days after its roast date (which is stamped on the bottom of all of our bags). The first 2 days after roasting the coffee is still releasing some CO2 (a by-product of the roasting process). The coffee is at its peak freshness 3 to 10 days after roasting.
After many years of testing we find our beans hold their great taste for several months. The best flavor though, is within that first 30 days after it’s been roasted. As we like to say, the coffee will start to lose its “vibrancy” of flavor with each day that passes.
Yes we do! In fact we have two options: the Colombian Sweet Waters and the Ethiopian Sidama Ardi. We even offer one of our favorite afternoons treats - the Ethiopian Half Caff which is a blend of our Sidama Ardi and a Natural Processed Ethiopian.
Through our roasting we aim to highlight the terroir (taste of the land on which the beans grew) of each coffee. Altitude, soil quality, humidity, rainfall, temperature, and density of the crops are just a few of the elements that affect the taste of the coffee we love. We roast each coffee to the degree of development that expresses the beans best intrinsic qualities. The bulk of our coffees are light and medium roasts.. However, in recent years we’ve begun to add dark roasts, such as Colombia El Fuego, Sierra Norte, and our classic espresso blend, Tin Lizzie. We list the roast level on the details page for each coffee in our online shop.
We use tasting notes on our packaging and on our website as a way for us to describe the nuances in each coffee, highlighting things like brightness, sweetness, acidity and body. Don’t be alarmed if you can’t taste the specific notes listed on the bag in your cup - what really matters is the context of those notes; like delicate, full bodied, floral etc.
Yes, some of our coffees are certified organic but only at the farm level. We source our coffees from small scale farmers, and while many of these small farms use organic practices, they don’t seek out official certification as it can be very expensive. We list all certifications in the details for each coffee on our online shop.
Our bags are made from 60% biodegradable renewable wood pulp and 40% special polyethylene (plastic), which decomposes a bit faster than standard plastic and can even break down in your home compost given enough time. We acknowledge that it's still plastic and plan to transition to even more environmentally-friendly packaging as soon as bag manufacturers develop that option.
To compost:
Remove the zipper; simply cut the top portion of the bag off right below the zipper.
Remove the degassing valve. Just cut it right out or use those bear mitts and tear that sucker right off and trash it.
Remove the zipper; simply cut the top portion of the bag off right below the zipper.
Remove the degassing valve. Just cut it right out or use those bear mitts and tear that sucker right off and trash it.
Nice work! Now that the plastic has been removed, what's left of the bag material is 100% biodegradable and it can be composted. Or you can toss the entire bag in the trash and know that it will break down in a landfill much faster than your standard plastic lined bag.
While we hope our tasting notes, roast level and other details on the product pages are helpful - we also have a short quiz that can help determine which of our offerings will suit you best!
If you’re still unsure or having trouble, feel free to drop us a line at beans@vigilantecoffee.com
Absolutely - check out our Brew Videos where we cover grinding basics, pour overs, espresso and much more! We also offer tons of great brewing gear for your home set up
The Brew Ratio refers to the ratio, by weight, between coffee and water. We typically recommend a brewing ratio of around 1 to 15 meaning for every 1 gram of coffee you will use 15 grams of water (i.e. if using 22 grams of coffee you will use 330 grams of water). The ratio of coffee to water has the most influence on the final strength and flavor of the cup. If you notice your coffee is coming out to light or watery, try upping your dosage and if it’s too strong you can take it down a bit! Your grind can also affect the flavor but more on that when you check out our “Grinding Basics” video.
ORDERS + SHIPPING
Absolutely - we offer wholesale pricing and bulk discounts for special orders. Please reach out to us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com and let us know what you are working on and we’d be happy to work with you!
If you are interested in using Vigilante Coffee for a fundraiser please fill out this form and we will be in touch.
Absolutely - a link to a PDF invoice is included with each Order Confirmation. If you’re having trouble locating it simply email us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com and we can send you one as well.
You can always check the status of your order by logging in and clicking the Order number in the 'Order History' section of your account dashboard.
If your purchase was made as a guest user, you can track your order once it has shipped with the tracking number provided in the shipping notification email that is sent to the email address you provided at checkout. Still having trouble? Simply email us: beans@vigilantecoffee.com
Our goal is to provide our guests with world class service and the highest quality coffee. We want you to be happy with your experience, so we strive to make sure our return policies reflect that. Coffee is perishable and our whole beans are roasted to order, so we're unable to accept returns on coffee. But we're here to help, if there was an error with your order, please contact us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com as soon as possible! If you are dissatisfied with your order in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team about a return or exchange within 30 days of purchase.
Individual Coffee Orders: For the most part, you can expect orders placed via our online shop will roast and ship:
the next day if ordered by 2PM EST
two days later if ordered after 2PM EST
the forthcoming Monday if ordered between 8AM EST Friday and 2PM EST Sunday.
the next day if ordered by 2PM EST
two days later if ordered after 2PM EST
the forthcoming Monday if ordered between 8AM EST Friday and 2PM EST Sunday.
Some of the coffees we offer have a limited set of days during the week on which we roast so this may affect your shipping time by 1 to 2 days.
You can always view/edit the exact ship date on your subscription by heading to the Subscriptions section of your account dashboard. The majority of our subscriptions process on Sunday and are shipped on Monday. If you are a new subscriber, welcome! Your first order was created when you signed up and will roast and ship within 1 to 2 business days.
Most orders are shipped via UPS ground. The typical delivery time is 1 to3 days. Shipments to the West Coast typically take 5 to7 days.
Shipments to P.O. Boxes, DPO/APO/FPO, and international addresses are shipped via USPS and delivery times vary depending on destination.
We also have a local pick up option for Hyattsville Roastery!
All orders over $75 will receive Free Shipping - including subscriptions! The best deal is to always buy several bags if you’re looking to save some $$!
Sometimes there are mix-ups with UPS and packages arrive shortly after it is indicated they were delivered. If you don't see your order 24 hours after it was marked as delivered, please reach out to us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com so we can assist.
Often times when there are no tracking updates, it means UPS has yet to scan your shipment but it's still on its way (this can especially happen during busy shipping times). We've seen orders show no tracking updates up until the date of delivery, so don't panic if you still don't see any updates. Our standard shipping estimate is 1 to7 business days depending on the destination. If you haven't received a tracking update 7 business days after shipment, please let us know so we can help.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
You can count on receiving a variety of freshly roasted coffees throughout the year. Overall we release about 30 to35 coffees over the course of one year. Our hope is that you will get to try some, if not all, of them depending on the type and frequency of your subscription!
Our Dark Roast subscription rotates between 4 dark roast offerings. Our Two Bag Espresso always includes a bag of our signature Tin Lizzie Blend along with 1 Single Origin offering that can be used as Espresso. Our Single Origin subscriptions rotate through select single origin coffees on a four week rotation.
Subscription shipments are billed the day before your coffee is scheduled to roast and ship.
You can always check your upcoming shipments by logging in to your account and clicking “Manage Subscriptions” on your account dashboard.
Absolutely - that is the beauty of the recurring subscription, skip a shipment or pause it for as long as you’d like, no need to cancel. It’s as easy as 1,2,3 to skip or pause at any time.
Simply log in to your account. Head over to the Manage Subscriptions section of your account dashboard and click the ‘Pause Subscription’ or ‘Change Date’’.
Change Date: Skip just your next scheduled shipment and set when you would like it to ship next
Pause Subscription: Pause your subscription and just login to un-pause whenever you are ready!
Of course! Head over to the ‘Manage Subscriptions’ section of your account dashboard, click ‘Show Details,’ and then click the ‘Subscribed Products’ tab - from here you can increase or decrease your subscription quantity. To add a new coffee or additional subscription to your current subscription you will need to place a new order. If you would like a new and current subscription to ship together please email beans@vigilantecoffee.com and we will group your subscriptions for you! We recommend subscribing to several bags to take advantage of our Free Shipping offer!
No problem - simply log in and head over to the ‘Manage Subscriptions’ section of your account dashboard. Click on the ‘Change Date’ button under the Next Order Date. Choose a date on the Calendar and click ‘Save Changes’ to confirm. Typically your order will ship the day after it processes so be sure to keep that in mind when selecting the date! We ship Monday-Friday.
Of course! Head over to the ‘Manage Subscriptions’ section of your account dashboard. Click on the ‘Change Frequency’ button under the Order Frequency section. From there you can select shipment cadences of every 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 weeks. Click ‘Save Changes’ to confirm.
Sure - just send us an email at beans@vigilantecoffee.com and we will switch your subscription to whatever you prefer! Unfortunately we cannot honor specific coffee requests when subscribed to our Single Origin or Dark Roast rotating subscriptions.
Sure, if you have an upcoming order preparing to ship, send us a message at beans@vigilantecoffee.com with what you would like to include and we can add it to your order. Please notify us before your subscription order processes. Otherwise, you can also place a separate order via our online store.
Simply Log In to your account and then head over to the ‘Manage Subscriptions’ section of your account dashboard and click ‘Show Details’ and then click the ‘Address and Shipping Information’ tab - from there you can update your billing and/or shipping address.
To update your payment information click ‘Show Details’ and then click the ‘Payment Information’ tab and from there you can update your credit card details.
GIFTS
Of course we do and we love it when you share Vigilante Coffee with friends & family!
Give a Vigilante Coffee Gift Subscription, and choose the coffee, and how many shipments you would like to give. You can also send anything from our online store as a gift and we will be happy to include your personalized note with some extra stickers for you!
We also offer gift cards if you aren't exactly sure what they will like!
When a gift subscription is purchased it is set for a prepaid number of shipments. Gift subscriptions end after the last shipment has been sent on its way and will not automatically renew. If you want to keep the coffee flowing, you can sign up for another gift subscription or a recurring subscription that continues for as long as you’d like!
Yes, we offer gift cards in both digital and physical form.
To purchase a physical gift card online, for use in our cafes head here.
To purchase a digital gift card for use in our cafes head here (link to square GC)
To purchase a digital gift card for use in our online shop only head here.
In a few clicks, your recipient will be emailed a gift card, unless you chose to purchase a physical gift card in which case it will be mailed via Standard USPS mail.
Physical gift cards are also available and can be purchased in all our cafes.
To check your gift balance, please send an email with your gift card number to beans@vigilantecoffee.com
We offer two types of gift cards: one for our online store and one for our cafes. If you can't redeem your gift card online, you may have received a cafe gift card.
It's easy to remedy, just reach out to us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com with the 16-digit code on the back and we will get you an updated online gift card.
We offer two types of gift cards: one for our online store and one for our cafes. If you can't redeem your gift card at our cafe, you may have received an online gift card. It's easy to remedy, just reach out to us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com with the gift card code and we will get you an updated cafe gift card.
Absolutely, bulk discounts are available for special orders. Please reach out to us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com and let us know what you are working on and we’d be happy to come up with a solution for your special event!
FAMILIA QUESTIONS
It’s super easy and once you start earning you’ll instantly feel the savings! Simply click the “Join the Vigilante Familia” Icon in the bottom right hand of your screen - fill out the form and start earning points with each purchase.
Vigilante Familia points can only be redeemed through our online shop and cannot be used on subscriptions or combined with other discounts. The Vigilante Familia points provide great savings and are intended for purchases to upgrade or add to your home brewing set up, try out a new coffee, or grab some of our awesome merch! Or feel free to use your points to send a friend some coffee - it’s always a great gift!
No problem, send us an email at beans@vigilantecoffee.com and we can credit them back for you.
CAFE QUESTIONS
For orders placed in person at our cafes, you can find a copy of your cafe receipt by heading to https://squareup.com/receipts and entering your card and purchase information.
Loyalty points can be redeemed when checking out through our curbside site; simply add the item you are looking to redeem to your cart and select the option to redeem the reward. If that option is not showing, it is possible the item is not available as a redeemable item (Free drinks are 12oz).
You can also redeem them in person when checking out, just enter your phone number at the register and you will be able to redeem your points on site!
The Birthday drink coupon is valid for 7 days from the date sent and must be used in person at one of our cafes. It unfortunately cannot be redeemed via the curbside pickup website. Please email us at beans@vigilantecoffee.com if you’re still experiencing trouble.
We offer gift cards in both digital and physical form.
To purchase a physical gift card online that will be mailed via USPS, for use in our cafes head here.
To purchase a digital gift card for use in our cafes head here (link to square GC).
Physical gift cards are also available and can be purchased in all our cafes.