FAQs
General
Do you offer free shipping?
Not at the moment. Free shipping usually means the shipping costs are built into the price you pay on the and are usually based on an average cost - regardless of location. We believe you should pay the least amount of shipping possible, without the hidden costs. The prices we offer are the prices of the product alone, and shipping is calculated at the checkout based on what you’re buying and where you are located in relation to the roaster. Simple. Transparent. Cheaper!
Will all of my coffee arrive in one package if I order multiple coffees from different roasters?
We want to get your coffee to you in the quickest possible time, which means dispatching it directly from the roaster to you. If you want to make a multi-roaster purchase, your coffees will come separately from each respective roaster.
Do you offer a subscription service?
Maybe down the track. For now it’s all about you choosing what coffees you want, when you want them.
There are lots of coffees on offer. How do I choose which one to try?
#Sorrynotsorry for spoiling you for choice! If you’re not quite sure where to start, we highly recommend that you use our palate calibration quiz to give you a personalised selection of coffees to choose from. If that collection is still too big, look out for our “Roast Collective Favourite” to help guide you. And if all else fails, just start at the top of your list and work your way down!
What if I didn’t receive my coffee?
First thing, we recommend that you check the tracking link in the email you will have received from us when you confirmed your order.
Second, do a quick check to make sure you typed all of the right details when you placed the order. Autospell has ducked us all at some point, right? Also check to see if nobody else has accepted your parcel on your behalf.
If you still coming up trumps, please send us an email at hello@theroastcollective.com and we’ll have a stickybeak.
Do you accept returns?
For coffee and other perishable items we do not accept returns. For merchandise or coffee that has been damaged in transit we will organise a replacement or refund under most circumstances. If the postie’s had a bad day and your product arrives in a bad way, please send us an email at hello@theroastcollective.com along with some photos, a description, and your proof of purchase and we’ll see if we can set it right. For more info, please see our return and refund policy.
Coffee specific questions
What size bag of coffee should I buy?
The real question is, how many cups do you normally drink? Don’t worry, we won’t cup shame you! We generally recommend buying smaller amounts of coffee more frequently - usually about 7-14 day’s worth - to ensure optimum drinking quality. Coffee that is more than a month old will often begin to taste a bit gross, so we generally advise against “stocking up”.
A 250g bag of coffee will usually give you about 10-15 servings of coffee, depending on what device you make coffee with and what the “recipe” is. Of course if you’re a mad keen coffee drinker, or you’re buying for a house/office full of coffee drinkers, then a 500g or 1kg bag might be what you need for those 7-14 days.
To give an example, Jill drinks one cup of coffee containing a double shot of coffee before she heads to work every morning and two cups each day on the weekend. Sometimes a friend comes over on Saturday afternoons and she makes coffee for them too. That’s 9-10 servings a week. So a 250g bag of beans will last her about 9 days. Knowing this, Jill orders a 250g bag of coffee from The Roast Collective every Sunday afternoon to make sure she always has fresh coffee and doesn't run out.
Why do some suppliers offer different sized bags of coffee?
Our roasting partners all have slightly different ways of doing things, which is why exploring them is so fun! One of these differences is that some of our partners offer different size bag offerings. Generally speaking, most of our partners will offer 250g and 1kg bags as standard offerings. Some offer 500g bags as well, and some will offer smaller 150g or 200g bags, particularly for limited edition or high end offerings.
Of course, we recommend you choose the right sized bag depending on your circumstances (see the question above if you need a hand). Under each product we will have a drop down option so you can select which size bag you would like, based on what is on offer. Happy picking!
Do you stock single origin beans?
It’s coming soon! We really want to offer singles for all you coffee aficionados out there, but for now we’re only offering blends. Why? Because blends are always available, and our partner roasters can inform us ahead of time if they’re changing a component in their blends or if they’re changing to a new “seasonal” blend offering. Single origin offerings on the other hand are usually more limited in quantity and roasters change their offerings much more frequently. We’re currently working with our partner roasters to offer their single origin beans, without running the risk of the stock running dry and you missing out.
Do you stock decaf?
Pregnant? Doctors orders? Just want an after dinner coffee without the late night? We’ve got you! We know decaf can be the butt of a few jokes, but some of our partner roasters have some seriously tasty decaf offerings, and we highly recommend you try them.We even stock a couple of offerings of “low caf” variety coffees - that is coffee that grows with naturally less caffeine - that are super sweet and dangerously tasty.
Story time! Back in our hospo days, one of us used to take great joy in decaffing certain coworkers who had too many lattes and needed a break. The decaf (and skill of the barista hehe) was so good that the coworkers never knew the difference ..until they were told. Needless to say it changed a few perceptions in that workplace on how good decaf can be …and how sneaky the barista was!
Light, medium, or dark roast? Espresso or filter? What’s the difference? Which is right for me?
We could (and will) write an entire blog post about this.
But the short version is in Australia lighter roasted coffees are generally used for filter (e.g., pour over or plunger) or cold brew beverages that are intended to be drunk without milk. Medium and darker roasted coffees are generally used for espresso style beverages (e.g., espresso machines or stovetop) and can be enjoyed as a stronger tasting black coffee or with milk. Also generally speaking, a lighter roasted coffee will likely taste “fruiter” or more acidic. A darker roasted coffee will likely taste more or bittersweet and less acidic.
Everyone has different preferences so if you’re not sure which style is for you, we recommend using our palate calibration quiz to point you in the right direction.
How should I store my coffee?
Please, please, please - never in the fridge!! Fridges can be damp and smelly, which make coffee beans taste super gross. To keep your beans tasting primo, we recommend storing them in a cool, dark, dry place e.g., your pantry. Think of them like oats. Oats that hate the sun and absorb odours and moisture. Actually, kind of like some teenagers..
What about the freezer? For the average coffee fan, it’s more trouble than it’s worth and if not done properly can lead to a fridge on steroids level of bad flavours. But under certain circumstances coffee can be stored in the freezer with good or even superior results. We’ll do a blog about this to explain further.
About our partner roasters
Do you stock any offerings from overseas roasters?
You’re a keen one! The short answer is not yet, but soon!
Why do you stock these roasters and not others?
In an ideal world, we would stock every Australian roaster possible. But as it turns out, there’s an awful lot of them out there! For example, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast alone, there are more than two hundred individual coffee roasters!! And that’s not counting roasters from elsewhere who provide coffee to local cafes and businesses.
We have chosen to work with the coffee roasters we have on our site for several reasons. We want to give a fair representation of roasters from all around the country. We want to offer a range of styles, price points, and business philosophies. And we want you to be able to try coffees from roasters who are doing cool things but you may have never heard of.
Of course, if you know a local coffee roaster who has some tasty beans or is doing something unique, we’d love to hear about them and see about listing their products for everyone to enjoy. Please let us know at hello@theroastcollective.com
I’m a coffee roaster and I want in. Can we chat?
Absolutely! Send us an email at hello@theroastcollective.com and we’ll line up a time to chat with you.
About the merchandise
What merch do you stock?
Anything that looks cool! Being coffee nerds, we’re always on the lookout for sweet coffee swag. Cups, tote bags, tees, beanies, hats, lapel pins. If our partner roasters stock merch, we’ve got it right here for you! We also stock some non-roaster coffee merch, including a couple of lines exclusive to The Roast Collective! Stock is often seasonal, so be sure to check in regularly to get your hands on the newest gear!
Do you sell equipment or accessories?
Not at the present time, but maybe soon.
My size is out of stock. Are you getting any more?
Sorry about that! Most of the merch on our store is shipped direct from our partner roasters, so the stock availability on our site is generally reflective of their current stock levels. But if you’ve got your heart set on that hoodie and it’s currently out of stock, please send us an email at hello@theroastcollective.com and we’ll see if we can’t make your wish come true.