About Katahdin Coffee

We’re not hipster. We’re heritage. Born and bred in Maine, we pay homage to the highest mountain, Katahdin, which means “the great mountain.” Like this peak, our coffee is also… well, great.

About Our Beans

Sustainably sourced from 100% high-grown Arabica, we work with farmers and regional cooperatives from Honduras, Brazil, and other countries. Then, we fire roast the coffee beans in small batches right on the coast of Maine.

Honduras San Vicente Beneficio

San Vicente started exporting coffee in 2001 and was the fulfillment of Fidel Paz' father, Cantalicio Paz's dream of having a successful coffee farm. Since the initial export, the coffee has become famous for its quality and consistency. This is attributed to the excellent volcanic soil, microclimate provided by the proximity of Lake Yojoa, and the meticulous nature of the quality control experts at San Vicente. Not just an exporter, they also assist over 1,500 producers with planting, processing, and curating specialty coffee lots using relationships based on trust, hard work, and passion.

Brazil Cerrado

Cerrado is a region in the state of Minas Gerais, the largest coffee-producing state in Brazil. Coffee has been a major crop in this region since the 1980's, mainly because of the devastating black frost of 1975 that forced growers from the Parana region to relocate north to Cerrado and other areas of Minas Gerais. Today, coffee is produced by over 4,500 growers on 175,000 hectares of farmland with yields of approximately 5.5 to 6.0 million bags per year. The coffee is grown in rich soil that the natives call "Terra Roxa" or "Red Earth" and other factors such as consistent rains, high daytime temperatures, and dry winters combine to make the Cerrado region ideal for producing coffee.

PROUD OF OUR ROOTS

Katahdin comes from a family of coffee mongers. From 1975 to 2014, Lyons Coffee Service, founded by Stan & Hazel Lyons, provided hardworking Mainers (and New Hampshirites) with workplace coffee and supplies. Family owned and operated, we carried Katahdin Coffee as our own private brand. Eventually, we sold the office coffee operation, and Katahdin Coffee Co. began a new chapter as a stand-alone company: Katahdin Coffee. The Friendly Cup.

Brew Guide

Brewing That Perfect Friendly Cup

Ok, if you’ve been drinking coffee as long as we have, you’ve already got this down. But whether you’re a coffee veteran or you just discovered this magical beverage, here are our tips.

We’re often asked about whether storing coffee in the freezer is a good idea. Our usual answer: Coffee is a perishable product, so think of it like lettuce. You wouldn’t buy a bushel of lettuce and store it in the freezer. Same with coffee (ok, not that perishable)! Buy it in reasonable quantities, like every week or two, and check the date code to see that it’s fresh. Oxygen causes staling, so do store it in an airtight container, or reclose the bag as tightly as possible. And those open bins of bulk coffee at the supermarket? Steer clear of them. Unless that coffee was roasted yesterday, it’s already stale.

Coffee comes in two species, the more delicate and pleasant tasting Arabica, and the hardy but often harsh Robusta. Katahdin Coffee Co uses only high-grown Arabica beans. While we don’t yet offer organic coffees, we applaud the movement towards organic growing methods. Most of the coffee we buy comes from farmer co-ops that are in the multi-year process of converting to organic methods. This is a difficult period for them. They’re sacrificing higher yields without receiving the higher prices that organic coffees command. However, many of them get certified by the Rain Forest Alliance for their bird-friendly (shade grown) growing methods, and these coffees can be some of the best tasting in the world.

In general, lighter roasts are for drip brewing and for folks who drink it black. Darker roasts are for espresso and folks who add milk or cream. That’s the first rule. The second rule is: break the rules! Katahdin Coffee comes in light, medium, and dark roasts, and we encourage you to experiment.

The best grinders use conical burrs to mill the coffee beans, rather than blades that chop them to smithereens. Be sure the grind size is appropriate to your brewing method. If it’s too fine, your brewed coffee will be “over-extracted” and bitter tasting. If it’s too coarse, it will be “under-extracted” and flat tasting.

There’s really only one rule: if you don’t drink it out of the tap, don’t try to brew coffee with it. Use filtered or bottled water, never from the hot tap. Coffee should be brewed with water that’s heated to 195–205 degrees F.

This is a matter of personal taste. We recommend one to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. For a household automatic drip brewer, we use a level ¾ cup dry measure for 10 cups.

There isn’t one. It’s the one that works for you. Automatic drip, French Press, or espresso — what matters is how you like your coffee. The only ones we don’t recommend use those little plastic cartridges (you know the ones). We think the excessive package waste is a poor trade-off for convenience. And there’s some compelling evidence that heating food or beverages in plastic is a bad idea. But do clean your brewer frequently, especially the decanter, brew funnel, and spray head. Your dishwasher does a better job than scrubbing in the sink.

Hiking Around

There are many hikes that take you all over our state. Exploring Baxter State Park will take you right to Mt. Katahdin and is a spectacular adventure to take.