How is the caffeine removed from coffee beans?
Our decaffeinated coffees are produced by a direct solvent process. The green beans are softened by steam and then flushed with methylene chloride to remove 97% of the caffeine. The methylene chloride is then drawn off, the beans are steamed a second time and then dry heated to evaporate almost all solvents.

Is there any caffeine in decaffeinated coffee?
A coffee must have at least 97% of its caffeine removed to qualify as decaffeinated coffee in the United States. Each five-ounce cup of decaffeinated, therefore, contains less than 5 milligrams of caffeine.

Do you sell Water Processed Decaffeinated coffees?
We offer Colombian Water Processed Decaffeinated coffee. To order, please visit The Coffee Shop, our online store.

What are flavored coffees made of?
The flavors we use are classified as Natural & Artificial. This combination enables us to make the best flavors. They are composed of ingredients which the Food & Drug Administration has deemed safe. The ingredients include essential oils and other plant derivatives as well as aromatic flavorings.

Do the flavors contain fat, cholesterol or calories?
All edible items present some caloric value. But the flavors in our coffees offer so little (less than one calorie per cup) as to be inconsequential. The flavors are essentially non-nutritive and don't contain fat or cholesterol.

Do they contain sugar or alcohol?
Most of our flavors are free from sugar and alcohol although some of our chocolate flavors may contain nominal amounts of either or both. They are used as a manufacturing aid in the natural cocoa extract which we occasionally use in these flavors. The amount of sugar or alcohol which ends up in the cup is too small to be readily measured and is of no dietary significance.

Following is an article from Prevention Magazine which confirms that liquid coffee flavors are essentially non-nutritive.

"Gourmet Coffee is ok for diabetics"

The boxed-coffee blends all list their ingredients, but gourmet shops that grind the coffee beans for you rarely provide this information. So we checked with 2 major flavoring manufacturers: neither uses sugar in its formulas. Even if they did, only 0.05 percent of ground coffee is added flavoring - a dose too small to make a difference. The American Diabetes Association says that people with diabetes should have no problem with any food or drink that contains less than a teaspoon of sugar (or any other caloric sweetener, such as honey or molasses) per serving. And this includes ground gourmet coffees.

Is there any lactose in your flavored coffees?
No, there is no lactose in any of our flavored coffees.

Are your flavors Kosher?
Coffee by its nature is Kosher. Additionally, all our flavorings are certified Kosher.

Is there gluten in your flavored coffee?
No, our flavored coffees do not contain gluten.

Where do New England Coffee beans come from?
We use coffee beans from all over the world. Our beans come from countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Sumatra, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Brazil and Hawaii. Our beans are exclusively 100% Arabica which is superior in cup quality to the other principal commercial coffee species. They are then roasted and ground in our Malden facility.

What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans?
There are two basic categories of coffee: Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica beans (named for the Arabs) are considered to be of much greater quality and taste than Robusta beans. Therefore, at New England Coffee, we only use 100% Arabica beans. Arabica beans are more flavorful and aromatic and have a sweet, acidic taste. They have less caffeine (about half the amount found in Robusta) and are predominately grown in higher elevations. These beans are extremely delicate and are threatened by, direct sunlight and disease – making them more difficult to grow and harvest. These hand-picked beans account for 75% of all world coffee production.

Conversely, Robusta beans (named for their hardiness) have a strong, harsh, and bitter taste. They are grown in low altitudes and are much more resilient and disease-resistant that Arabica beans. These machine-harvested beans are mostly used in instant coffee and commercial blends.

Do you sell whole bean coffee?
Yes, we do offer whole bean coffee. To order, please visit The Coffee Shop, our online store.

How should I proceed if I’d like to order your seasonal coffees?
We currently offer two seasonal coffees: Eggnog (October-December) and Gingerbread Cookie (October-December). These coffees can be ordered during the holiday season by visiting The Coffee Shop, our online store.

Pumpkin Spice, Apple Strudel, and Blueberry Cobbler were formerly seasonal coffees, but due to overwhelming popularity, they are now offered year-round.

Do you offer Fair Trade Coffees?
We offer two Fair Trade coffees: Central Highlands Blend and Central Highlands Decaf, both of which are Central American coffees. Our Fair Trade coffees are certified by TransFair USA, a non-profit organization advocating economic independence through fair pricing. To order these coffees, please visit The Coffee Shop, our online store.

Are your coffees certified Kosher?
Yes, all of our coffees are certified Kosher by the Rabbinical Council of New England.

How do I make the perfect cup of coffee?
Buying the right beans is just the first step to a great cup of coffee. For the very best flavor, we recommend following these simple guidelines:

• Brew New England Coffee using the drip method.
• Use only cold, fresh water, either freshly drawn from the tap or filtered.
• Measure one rounded tablespoon of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water, although the exact amount of coffee will vary to suit personal taste.
• Whenever possible use a thermal container to store your brewed coffee.
• Never reheat your coffee.
• Do not boil the coffee: this will destroy the flavor, resulting in a bitter taste. The flavors in brewed coffee are delicate and can be easily damaged by overexposure to heat and oxygen.
• Do not store coffee in the refrigerator due to odors and moisture.

What is the best way to store coffee?
Our coffee is vacuum packed immediately after roasting and grinding so that you get the freshest coffee possible. Our special one-way valve bag releases the natural gases produced by roasting. Unopened, this coffee will stay fresh for one year. Once opened, coffee should be consumed within a week for optimal taste and freshness. Remember that the natural enemies of coffee are air, moisture and heat. So always store your coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Do you have a question that you could not find the answer to? If so, then please don't hesitate to email us at consumerrelations@necoffeeco.com. We will be more than happy to help you!

How do I find the expiration date on my bag of coffee?
We do not print an expiration date on our coffee bags because the preservation of freshness fluctuates greatly depending on how it is stored. That being said, you can find the date your bag of coffee has been manufactured by reading the Julian Code on the bottom of the bag.

The 6-digit code can be read as follows:

• The first three digits are the day of the year that the product was manufactured
• The second two digits are the month of the year that the product was manufactured
• The last one digit is the year that the product was manufactured

Example: The code 136056 would be broken down as follows:

• 136 - 136th day of the year is May 16th
• 05 - 5th month of the year is May
• 6 - 6th year is 2006
• This package’s product was manufactured on May 16, 2006.

Our coffee is vacuum packed immediately after roasting and grinding so that you get the freshest coffee possible. Our special one-way valve bag releases the natural gases produced by roasting. Unopened, this coffee will stay fresh for one year. Once opened, coffee should be consumed within a week for optimal taste and freshness. Remember that the natural enemies of coffee are air, moisture and heat. So always store your coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

What exactly is a "Best Before" date, and how do I read it?
A “Best Before” date code may appear on the bottom of the coffee bags. It is the date one year after the product is manufactured. We guarantee the quality of the unopened product until this date. However, once opened, coffee should be consumed within a week for the best taste and freshness. Be sure to store unused coffee in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place.

Do you have a question that you could not find the answer to? If so, then please don't hesitate to email us at consumerrelations@necoffeeco.com. We will be more than happy to help you!