Coffee FAQ
Straight answers about what we roast, how to choose a bag, how our coffee ships, and how to brew it once it lands.
Northwood Roast is a small-batch coffee roastery in the Northwoods, and we ship from our own storefront at shop.northwoodroast.com. Six coffees sit in regular rotation: the house Roastmaster's Blend, a medium roast that is smooth with nutty and citrus notes; the bold, dark Seattle Blend; the light, toasty Graham Cracker; Chocolate Macadamia Nut; the seasonal Jingle Bell Java; and Abie's Irish Cream, which we stock in 2 lb and 5 lb bags. Decaf comes from Good Brothers. Alongside the coffee we keep the gear that goes with it — 11 oz mugs, 2-cup programmable drip brewers and bulk bags. 12 oz coffees start at $18.99.
Start from what you already drink. If you take your coffee black and want a heavy body with a long finish, the Seattle Blend is the one. If you like smooth and nutty with a chocolatey close, the Roastmaster's Blend is the safest first bag and the one we drink most. Flavored bags — Graham Cracker, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Jingle Bell Java and Abie's Irish Cream — lean dessert without losing the coffee underneath, and the light Graham Cracker is the gentlest of the six. Decaf drinkers get the same flavor without the caffeine. Bags are ordered one at a time; there is no club to cancel.
Orders ship from our storefront in about 8 to 11 days, and Affirm is available at checkout on orders of $35 or more. Once a bag arrives, keep it sealed, cool and out of direct light — skip the refrigerator, where moisture and food odors get in. Our brew guide publishes the grind, ratio, water temperature and timing for pour over, French press, drip and cold brew, and if you want to build real skill before buying gear, Northwoods Coffee School teaches grind size, ratios and how to fix a bitter or sour cup. The questions below are the ones we get asked most.
Short, direct answers to the questions that come up most, with a link to the bag, the brew guide or the school where it helps.
Choosing a coffee
The Roastmaster's Blend is the house cup and the safest first bag: a smooth medium roast with nutty and citrus notes that finishes chocolatey. If you drink your coffee black and want more punch, start with the dark Seattle Blend instead.
Shop the house blendChoosing a coffee
Yes. Decaf comes from the Good Brothers Decaf collection and keeps the flavor of the roast without the caffeine. It is the bag most people keep for an afternoon or late-evening cup, and it brews the same way as our regular coffees.
Shop decafChoosing a coffee
Four of the six in rotation carry flavoring: Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Graham Cracker, the seasonal Jingle Bell Java and Abie's Irish Cream. They are coffee first, so they taste like the roast underneath rather than syrup, and they brew best a little stronger than you would expect.
See the flavored roastsOur coffee
In small batches, which is why seasonal bags such as Jingle Bell Java come and go instead of sitting on a shelf for a year. Every bag lists its roast level — light, medium or dark — so you can match a coffee to the way you brew rather than guessing.
Browse the shelfOrders and shipping
Orders ship from our storefront in about 8 to 11 days. Shipping options, costs and tracking are shown at checkout on shop.northwoodroast.com, and your order confirmation comes from the same store.
Visit the storeOrders and shipping
Yes. Affirm is available as a payment option on orders of $35 or more at checkout on our storefront, which covers bulk bags, brewers and larger orders.
Start an orderOrders and shipping
Abie's Irish Cream is stocked in both a 2 lb bag at $36.00 and a 5 lb bag at $85.50, which is the one households that go through coffee fast tend to reorder. The rest of the shelf is 12 oz.
Shop the 5 lb bagBrewing at home
Keep the bag sealed, cool and out of direct light, and skip the refrigerator, where moisture and food odors get in. A 12 oz bag makes roughly sixteen cups at our standard brew ratios, so it stays fresh through the week it takes to finish.
Read the brew guideBrewing at home
Buy whole bean and grind just before brewing when you can. If you buy ground, choose the grind for the method you actually use: medium-fine for pour over, coarse for French press, medium for a drip brewer and extra coarse for cold brew.
See the brew numbersBrewing at home
Yes. Northwoods Coffee School, our own school, teaches grind size, brew ratios, pour over, French press, drip and cold brew, plus how to diagnose and fix a bitter or sour cup. Lessons are practical and written for people brewing at home.
Visit Northwoods Coffee SchoolTake the flavor finder route that matches your morning, or see the full shelf on the store.