Your questions answered

Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received. We’ve grouped them under headings to help you find your question as quickly as possible. If you can’t find the information you need on this page, please contact us.

About our coffee

What is the Coffee of the Month

Every month we recommend and roast a Coffee of the Month for you to try.

The Coffees of the Month can come from anywhere in the world – that’s the fun of it – and many of them have an interesting story which we bring you in their tasting notes.

Why does Zabu supply coffee beans and not ground coffee?

Because of the taste. Most customers say coffee made from freshly ground coffee beans tastes better than coffee made from pre-ground coffee.

Coffee beans also remain fresh longer - once the beans have been ground, they begin to go stale after just 7 minutes and lose much of their freshness after 24 hours.

What size are your bags and how many cups will I get out of each one?

All of our coffee comes in 227g bags. Each bag of coffee makes approximately 30 cups of coffee. So each monthly delivery of two bags makes about 2 cups of coffee a day.

How much coffee do I need to grind per cup of coffee?

A lightly heaped tablespoon (7.5– 8 g) of coffee beans is the recommended amount needed per cup of coffee however this can be adjusted depending on individual preferences.

If you like your coffee strong add more coffee and leave it to brew for longer; if you like your coffee weak, add fewer coffee beans and pour quickly.

If I like my coffee strong, should I grind more beans?

Essentially, yes, and / or leave your coffee to brew for a couple of extra minutes.

How long will my coffee beans remain at their freshest after I open the bag?

2 to 3 days typically if left open. However, at Zabu Coffee, all of our coffee bags are re-sealable prolonging the freshness of your beans.

How long will my coffee beans remain fresh if I have not opened the bag?

Zabu Coffee’s beans have a best before date of approximately 12 months.

How do I store my coffee?

Once opened keep in a cool, dark place, in either our re-sealable bags or in an airtight container, out of direct sunlight.

If I grind too much coffee, will it remain fresh?

Freshly ground coffee starts to lose its freshness very quickly. If possible, we recommend it is used within 24 hours.

What is the best way to make fresh coffee?

It depends on a number of factors and most importantly personal preference. Zabu Coffee beans are most suitable for cafetiere or filter coffee machines.

What types of coffee can I make with my Zabu Coffee beans?

Most of our coffee is roasted to be used with a cafetiere, filter coffee machine, mocha pot or aeropress.

Some of our customers use these beans to make great espresso coffee. However, if you prefer, you can order our specially roasted espresso coffee.

Can I use my coffee for espresso?

Many or our customers use our regular beans to make great espresso. However, if you prefer, you can order our specially roasted espresso coffee.

We supply a separate, darker roast for espresso. You can order this online or call our Customer Services Team on 0844 375 1695.

Some of my beans are darker than others - are they burnt?

Different origin coffees react differently when roasted. For example, Ethiopian coffees have a tendency to come out lighter than others and Sumatran coffees often look darker. These beans are not burnt, they are simply darker.

Where does my coffee come from?

Zabu Coffee beans and pre-ground coffee is all 100% Arabica. Grown in temperate regions, typically at 1000 miles north and 1000 miles south of the Equator and above 3000ft. Coffee grows in over 70 countries worldwide. You can read more about our beans on the Our coffees page on this website. Information is also included in each delivery you receive.

What are single estate coffees?

Most coffees grown commercially are traceable back to regions of countries, but single-estate speciality coffee can be sourced and traced back to single farms. These coffees are sometimes referred to as micro lots and availability can be limited.

About Zabu

How do I contact Zabu Coffee?

• Use the Contact Us page on our website
• Email CustomerService
@ZabuCoffee.co.uk
• Call 0800 298 2211 (orderline)
• Call 0844 375 1695 (customer services)

Who are Zabu?

Zabu Coffee is a small London-based coffee business delivering roasted-to-order coffee beans (and ground coffee) direct to our customers at their home.

We bring you carefully selected beans from around the world. Many are Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance Certified, many come from single estate plantations. They have interesting stories which you can read on our Our Coffees section.

Why should I buy from Zabu Coffee?

There plenty of great reasons to buy from Zabu Coffee:
• Freshly roasted beans
• Home delivery
• Quality & taste
• Coffee of the Month
• You choose
• Fair and responsible
• 100% guarantee

What is my 100% guarantee?

Zabu offers a 100% guarantee – we will replace the coffee or provide a full refund, no questions asked.

Is your packaging recyclable?

Not yet. We would love to have 100% recyclable packaging, but it isn’t possible. The boxes we use for delivering customer orders are fully recyclable and made from recycled card. Coffee grounds can be spread on the garden.

Our coffee bags cannot be recycled but we are working on this. The recyclable bags available can only be recycled at certain locations and the nearest to us is in Germany. The environmental cost of shipping them there would outweigh any benefit.

If you know of suppliers of recyclable coffee bags, please let us know.

What does the Fairtrade Certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified mean?

Coffee farmers producing Fairtrade Certified coffee beans are members of farmer-owned co-operatives. They receive a minimum price that covers their costs, or the market price if higher. They receive an additional amount, the Fairtrade Premium, to invest in farm improvements, social projects such as healthcare and education, and environmental projects such as reducing chemical use, and developing alternative sources of fuel to protect forests.

The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval makes it easy for consumers to know they are buying a product that has been grown or made sustainably. The Rainforest Alliance Improves the quality of life for workers and the local community while protecting wildlife and the environment.The coffee bean growers have to demonstrate they take care of their workers and the environment to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified logo.

Why aren’t all Zabu Coffee beans Fairtrade Certified or Rainforest Alliance Certified?

Because of choice and taste. We want to bring you the best tasting and widest choice of coffee beans available.

Are Zabu Coffee beans as good as those used to make my coffee in high street coffee shops?

Yes, better! Why, because our beans are specially sourced and roasted as gourmet beans and delivered to you at the optimum time. We roast to order. That doesn’t happen in the high street.

Ordering & delivery

Can I order by phone?

Yes, call our orderline on 0800 298 2211. (Or order online from this website.)

How soon will my first delivery arrive?

You will receive your first delivery within 5 working days. Then every month we will freshly roast your coffee and send you 1 x 227g bag of our House Blend plus 1 x 227g bag of our Coffee of the Month.

Can I choose which coffees I receive?

Yes, changing your order could not be easier. Simply contact our Customer Services Team by email (CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk) or phone (0844 375 1695). We are always happy to help.

Can I order regular deliveries of Zabu as a gift to someone else?

Yes, you can order gift packs online (click on the "Buy now" button at the top of this page and you will see details in the panel on the right). Alternatively, contact our Customer Services Team by email (CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk) or phone (0844 375 1695).

Can I change the frequency of my deliveries, if I am receiving too much, or too little, coffee?

Yes, contact our Customer Services Team by email (CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk) or phone (0844 375 1695).

How do I return beans I am not happy with?

Contact our Customer Services Team by email (CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk) or phone (0844 375 1695). The team will give you all the details you need to return the items and arrange your refund or exchange.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver anywhere within the UK, except BFPO or PO Box addresses.

We can also deliver to the Republic of Ireland but this involves an additional charge. For more information, please email CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk or call our order line on 0800 298 2211.

Do you deliver overseas?

At the moment we deliver anywhere within the UK, except BFPO or PO Box addresses. We do not deliver overseas except to the Republic of Ireland - orders for addresses in the Republic Ireland must be made by phone as these involve an extra charge.

If you are interested in receiving deliveries elsewhere outside of the UK please get in touch and we’ll look into whether we’ll be able to deliver to your chosen address in the future.

How long does delivery take?

Your order will be usually delivered within five working days of receipt of your order.

Can I choose a day or time for my delivery or request express delivery?

Unfortunately deliveries cannot be arranged for a specific day or time. We do not offer express delivery, however we do guarantee your delivery will be delivered within 5 working days.

How much is delivery?

Our standard UK delivery charge is £2.99 per delivery. Deliveries to addresses in the Republic of Ireland incur an extra charge and must be arranged by phone.

What if I am out when you deliver?

All of our deliveries are sent via Royal Mail and if you are out they will put a notice through your door. We are looking into packaging that will fit through most letterboxes to make delivery better for you.

I’m moving house – how do I update the address details you have for me?

Contact us by email (CustomerService@
ZabuCoffee.co.uk) or phone (0844 375 1695) – don’t forget to give us the date of your move and we'll make sure your next delivery is sent to your new address.

I still haven’t received my order, what do I do?

If you have placed an order and you have not received it within 5 working days please contact us and we will look into it for you.

Payment & cancellation

Which credit cards do you accept

We accept Mastercard and Visa card.

How secure is your website?

The Zabu Coffee website uses VeriSign's Pro EV security protection. This is the highest level of online security available. We take the security of our customers' information very seriously. Please see our privacy policy for more details.

How secure are my details?

At Zabu Coffee we take the security of our customers' information and data very seriously, as we know how important it is. All card details are stored securely encrypted using industry standard 256 bit encryption and we ensure that our staff cannot see your full credit card details at any time.

Please read our Privacy policy for more details.

Can I pay by cheque or postal order?

Unfortunately we are unable to accept cheque or postal order payments.

Do I need to give you my credit card details for each delivery?

To keep things simple, we will charge future deliveries to the same card, unless you ask us not to. Your card details will be held securely and cannot be accessed by our staff. We take security of our customer’s data very seriously here at Zabu Coffee. We only charge you for the deliveries you take.

When will my account be debited?

We will debit your card on despatch of each delivery.

How do I cancel?

Call our Customer Services Team on 0844 375 1695.

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