Specialty coffee education from farm to cup
Coffee University.
Master the art and science of specialty coffee — from farm to cup, brew to ritual, and purchase to impact.
- Specialty coffee education for every skill level
- Direct-trade stories from real producers
- Every purchase helps fund people + planet initiatives
- Learn, brew, subscribe, and create impact
- Ethically sourced
- Small-batch roasted
- Farmer storytelling
- Impact-backed mission
- Specialty-grade quality
7+
Brew guides
10+
Producer regions featured
11.3k+
Mangroves planted
52
Nonprofits supported / year
Why Coffee University
Coffee, taught by the people who roast it.
We built Coffee University because specialty coffee is at its best when it's understood — by the people brewing it, by the people buying it, and by the people whose lives change when farmers get paid fairly. Every guide, every story, and every initiative on this page connects three things: better coffee, deeper relationships with our producers, and measurable impact.
I want to brew better coffee
Start with our brew guides — pick a method, learn the right ratio, and shop the beans for it.
Open the brew libraryI want to discover the right beans for me
Take the Coffee Match Quiz — flavor, roast, and brew style in under two minutes.
Take the quizI want my purchases to support meaningful impact
See exactly where your money goes — mangroves planted, nonprofits funded, women-led farms supported.
See the impactPillar 01 · Brew Guides
Brew better coffee at home.
Seven methods, every skill level. Each guide gives you the ratio, grind, and timing — plus the right beans to brew it with.
Pour Over
IntermediateClean · bright · nuanced
- Time:
- 3–4 min
- Ratio:
- 1:16
- Grind:
- Medium-fine
- Water:
- 200°F / 93°C
- Best roast:
- Light to medium
French Press
BeginnerRich · full-bodied · oily
- Time:
- 4 min
- Ratio:
- 1:15
- Grind:
- Coarse
- Water:
- 200°F / 93°C
- Best roast:
- Medium to dark
Espresso
AdvancedConcentrated · syrupy · intense
- Time:
- 25–30 sec
- Ratio:
- 1:2
- Grind:
- Fine
- Water:
- 200°F / 93°C
- Best roast:
- Medium to dark
Cold Brew
BeginnerSmooth · sweet · low-acid
- Time:
- 12–24 hr
- Ratio:
- 1:5 (concentrate)
- Grind:
- Coarse
- Water:
- Cold filtered water
- Best roast:
- Medium to dark
AeroPress
IntermediateVersatile · clean · espresso-like
- Time:
- 1–2 min
- Ratio:
- 1:14
- Grind:
- Medium-fine
- Water:
- 185°F / 85°C
- Best roast:
- Light to medium
Moka Pot
IntermediateBold · concentrated · rich
- Time:
- 5–7 min
- Ratio:
- 1:7
- Grind:
- Fine
- Water:
- Pre-heated water
- Best roast:
- Dark
Turkish
AdvancedThick · spiced · ceremonial
- Time:
- 5 min
- Ratio:
- 1:12
- Grind:
- Extra-fine
- Water:
- Cold water start
- Best roast:
- Dark
Free brewing tools
Brew ratio calculator + grind-size visual guide
Pick a method, plug in your cup count — get exact coffee + water weights. Plus a visual reference for grind size matched to your equipment.
Start here
Best coffee for new customers.
Our top-selling specialty coffees — perfect for first-time buyers and brew-method experimenters.
Medium RoastHappy Mushroom concentrated Cold Brew coffee
From $44
↻ Subscribe & save up to 15%
Dark RoastPhoenix Blend- Dark Roast Coffee
$36
↻ Subscribe & save up to 15%
Dark RoastOriginal Concentrated Cold Brew Coffee
From $22
↻ Subscribe & save up to 15%
Dark RoastEast Java Konang Springs Natural
$38.50
↻ Subscribe & save up to 15%
Find your match
Coffee Match Quiz.
Answer six quick questions about flavor, roast, brew method, and what you care about — and we'll send you a personal match: the right coffee, the right subscription, the right brew guide.
The Daily Drinker — easy-going blends, mostly milk drinks
The Origin Explorer — single-origin, brew-method-curious
The Espresso Devotee — bold, dark, and concentrated
The Cold-Brew Loyalist — smooth, low-acid, ready-to-drink
The Mission-First Buyer — values-aligned + impact-led
Five result archetypes, each mapped to a coffee, subscription, and brew guide.
Pillar 02 · Producer Spotlights
Meet the farmers behind the coffee.
We don't buy from brokers. Every coffee we roast comes from a relationship — direct-trade, women-led, family-run, shade-grown. These are some of the regions and partners we work with.
Ethiopia
Shanta Golba
"Pomegranate · mixed-berry jam · dark chocolate"
- Altitude
- 2,500 MASL
- Varietals
- Heirloom Arabica
- Process
- Natural · handpicked
- Harvest
- October–February
High-altitude micro lots from family-run farms in the Sidamo region. Cherries are dried on raised African beds for a clean, fruit-forward natural process.
Rwanda
Rwandan Cooperatives
"Bright stone-fruit · honeyed body · floral finish"
- Altitude
- 1,800 MASL
- Varietals
- Bourbon
- Process
- Washed · women-led
- Harvest
- March–July
Sourced through women-led washing-station cooperatives. Every micro lot pays a living wage premium back to the cooperatives' farmer-members.
Indonesia
East Java
"Cocoa · brown-sugar · earthy depth"
- Altitude
- 1,400 MASL
- Varietals
- Typica · Catimor
- Process
- Wet-hulled · shade-grown
- Harvest
- April–September
Indonesian micro lots grown under canopy, no synthetic fertilizers, processed via traditional wet-hulling for the iconic full body.
Colombia
Colombian Direct-Trade
"Caramel · red apple · clean acidity"
- Altitude
- 1,500–2,000 MASL
- Varietals
- Caturra · Castillo
- Process
- Washed
- Harvest
- Year-round (two cycles)
Year-round availability through a direct-trade relationship with our Café Tio Conejo partners — meet them on origin trips at the World Coffee Expo.
Brazil
Brazil — Santos & The Nutty One
"Nutty · chocolate · low-acid sweetness"
- Altitude
- 900–1,200 MASL
- Varietals
- Bourbon · Mundo Novo
- Process
- Natural · pulped natural
- Harvest
- May–September
Approachable, crowd-pleasing single-origin from Brazilian micro lots — the daily pour for anyone new to specialty coffee.
Multi-origin
Costa Rica & Tanzania
"Tropical fruit · honey · bright finish"
- Altitude
- 1,600–2,000 MASL
- Varietals
- Bourbon · Caturra · Kent
- Process
- Honey · washed
- Harvest
- Seasonal rotation
Two of our seasonal favorites, rotated based on harvest quality. Costa Rican honey-process for sweetness; Tanzanian Kent for that classic East African brightness.
Pillar 03 · Sustainability deep-dives
Proof of impact — beyond marketing.
Each topic comes with a measurable claim, the work behind it, and the link to where your purchase contributes.
100% of single-origin lots
Shade-grown coffee
Every single-origin we source is grown under natural canopy — protecting biodiversity and producing better cup quality.
Shop shade-grown11.3k+ trees planted
Mangrove reforestation
Through Ecodrive, every coffee bag order plants a mangrove on the Kenyan coast — capturing carbon and restoring fisheries.
See impactMultiple cooperatives
Women-led farms
We actively seek partnerships with women-owned and women-led cooperatives, paying a living-wage premium directly to farmer-members.
Read our storyNo synthetic fertilizers
Regenerative agriculture
Our partner farms use cover crops, compost, and natural pest management. Soil that stays alive for the next harvest.
Read more100% farm-direct
Fair wages & direct trade
No brokers. We negotiate with the farms directly so the people picking the cherries earn what they should.
Wholesale program0 idle gas burns
Electric, on-demand roasting
Our Bellwether roaster fires only when there's an order. Low-carbon, fresh — you drink it the week we roasted it.
How it worksRecyclable bag program
Packaging improvements
Continuously moving to lower-impact bag liners and shipping materials — small wins compound at scale.
Our progressSpring Origins Series
Community education
Cuppings, latte workshops, and origin spotlights at the Reno café — coffee education open to anyone.
See upcoming eventsLive impact dashboard
Where your purchases land.
11.3k+
Mangroves planted
52
Nonprofits supported / year
100%
Farm-direct sourcing
1
Electric, on-demand roaster
Pillar 04 · Community voting
Your purchase has a vote.
Members vote monthly. 25% of membership proceeds go to the chosen nonprofit. Subscription isn't just convenience — it's participation.
This month's vote
The Great Basin Institute
This month's voted nonprofit — protecting the lands and waters of the Great Basin.
Subscription · membership · impact
Join the Rising Ritual.
The easiest way to always have incredible coffee — and a guided journey through origins, producers, and the impact your purchases create.
Always fresh, always flexible
Pause, skip, swap, or upgrade tier any time from your customer portal.
Member-only access
First dibs on limited drops, member-only pricing, exclusive seasonal flights.
Voting + impact participation
Vote on the monthly nonprofit. Your subscription funds 25% of that month's giveback.
Personalized journey
We rotate origins, processes, and roast levels so your subscription is always interesting.
Subscriber-only education
Brewing PDFs, origin trip recaps, and quarterly impact reports — for members only.
Discounts on gear + bundles
Member pricing on starter kits, brewing equipment, and gift bundles.
Why customers switch · why members stay
A coffee brand people don't quietly leave.
"This membership pays for itself before I finish my second week."
"The monthly tasting kit alone makes it worth it."
"I love supporting a coffee shop that actually cares."
Coffee Gifts
Subscription gifts, gift cards, and bundles. Wrapped, shipped, mission-aligned.
Shop giftsOffice & Hospitality
Wholesale + office programs for cafés, hotels, restaurants, retail, and event venues.
See wholesaleCatered Events
Espresso bars, matcha bars, coffee flight tastings, brunch service — across Reno + Northern Nevada.
See cateringFree downloads
The brew guide bundle.
Everything in our brew library, designed to print and pin to the kitchen wall. Plus the SCA flavor wheel, our home-brewing starter, and a monthly impact report — all yours.
Brew Guide PDF Bundle
Step-by-step ratios for all 7 methods, printable.
Coffee Flavor Wheel
Train your palate with the full SCA flavor wheel.
Home Brewing Starter Guide
From bean to first cup — a clean 12-page primer.
Producer Story Roundup
The farms behind every Rising For People origin.
Monthly Impact Report
Where every dollar went — partners, trees, and outcomes.
Send me the bundle
One welcome email with the PDF download links + access to monthly impact reports.
Coffee University FAQ
Common questions.
No. A French Press, a bag of fresh coffee, and a kettle is plenty. Our Beginner brew guides start there and let you scale up if you fall in love with the craft.
Coffee that teaches you something every morning.
Pick the next step.