Brewing the best at home? Find tips on freshness, storage, and pod compatibility in the Don Francisco's Coffee FAQ. Expert answers from our family to yours.

We source Arabica coffee beans chosen for their quality, flavor clarity, and complexity. Coffee thrives in specific climates with ideal soil, rainfall, and elevation, and those conditions shape the character of the beans we select.

Our coffees come from established coffee-growing regions around the world, including Latin America, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Hawaii. These areas are part of the global coffee belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn — where the climate and terrain support consistently high-quality coffee production.

We work with trusted partners and growers in these regions to bring beans with distinct, reliable flavor profiles into every Don Francisco’s roast.

For over a century — and four generations — we’ve been perfecting the craft of coffee. We source beans from the world’s finest coffee-growing regions, roast fresh daily in our Los Angeles facility, and carefully sample every batch before it reaches your cup. The result? Coffee made for people who care about great taste, consistency, and quality.

Roast changes the flavor character. Light roasts retain bright, origin-driven notes; medium roasts balance sweetness and body; dark roasts bring bold, rich flavors with smooth finish. Each level has its own appeal depending on how you like your coffee.

• Body: how full the coffee feels in your mouth
• Acidity: a pleasant brightness or liveliness on the palate 
• Finish: the lasting taste after drinking the coffee or “the taste that lingers…”

 These terms help describe the feel and taste of coffee— not good or bad, just distinct.

To be labeled “decaf” in the U.S., at least 97% of the caffeine must be removed from the beans.

The decaffeination process begins with green coffee beans that are gently steamed to make the caffeine accessible for extraction, which is done by using the methylene chloride method. This method is a well-established process that selectively bonds with and draws out caffeine while preserving the bean’s flavorful oils and aromatic compounds.

After the caffeine is extracted, the beans are steamed again to help remove residual solvent, then dried and roasted. The result is a smooth, rich decaf with as much of the original character as possible.

This method is regulated by the FDA, which allows only trace methylene chloride residues in finished coffee beans ensuring safety and great taste in every cup.

The short answer is no.

The National Coffee Association "is not aware of any GMO coffee in the marketplace." Additionally, all non-flavored coffees processed by F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. do not have any additives or flavors. Our non-flavored coffee products are flushed with nitrogen gas during packaging in order to displace oxygen and preserve freshness. All non-flavored coffee products across all Don Francisco’s® Coffee products are GMO-free and do not contain any genetically modified components.

All coffees roasted and packed in our plant are gluten free (Coffee beans are not a protein grain).

Start with fresh, filtered water. Grind whole bean coffee just before you brew. Use about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 oz of water, a pinch more or less to suit your taste.

The right grind size ensures the water extracts flavor evenly for your chosen method.

• Coarse: best for French press
• Medium: drip or pour-over including Chemex®, Hario®, or common home brewers
• Fine: espresso

The best temperature for brewing is between 195–205 °F (90–96 °C). Water that is too cool will not extract fully, and water too hot may increase bitterness. For full extraction and balanced flavor, it is best to aim for that ideal temperature range.

Yes, our coffee pods are compatible with the 2.0 Keurig® machines as well as the older generation of Keurig® machines. Please Note: our coffee pods are not compatible with the Vue® machine.

Yes, our espresso capsules are compatible with Nespresso Original Line machines only. Not compatible with Vertuo machines. We are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Nespresso.

Yes, our coffee pods and espresso capsules can be recycled through our partnership with TerraCycle. For more information, please refer to our recycling program page.

We recommend storing your coffee in an airtight container at a stable temperature. A cupboard is a great place to store your coffee if you will consume it within 1 week. If you will store the coffee longer than a week, we recommend storing it in the freezer in an airtight container.

For the best flavor, we recommend consuming the coffee within 2-3 weeks after opening. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer between brews.

Coffee left unopened in its original packaging has a shelf life or “Best if Used By” date of:

• 18 Months for Bag Coffee, Coffee Pods, and Espresso Capsules
• 1 Year for Cold Brew Coffee
• 2 Years for Can Coffee

No, coffee that is of sound quality will not be harmful if consumed after the 'Best if Used By' date. However, the original aroma, taste, and flavor of the coffee will no longer be the same as when it was freshly packaged and sealed just after roasting.

• Light roast is roasted for the shortest time and preserves more of the bean’s original characteristics, which are often brighter acidity and more delicate, fruity or floral notes.
• Medium roast strikes a balance between origin flavors and roast-derived sweetness, creating a smooth, rounded cup with moderate body and acidity.
• Dark roast is roasted longer, producing bold, smoky, and rich flavors with lower acidity and a heavier body.

Medium roast is widely regarded as the most popular coffee roast. It hits a balanced middle ground between bright, light roasts and bold, dark roasts, offering smooth, approachable flavor that appeals to many coffee drinkers and works well within a wide range of brewing styles.

Generally, yes. Medium roast beans are roasted longer than light roasts; their acidity is moderated, making the coffee feel smoother and less sharp on the palate compared to brighter, higher-acid light roasts.

Medium roasts often develop chocolatey, nutty, caramel, and sometimes mild fruit undertones from the roasting process. These flavors come from balanced roasting that brings out both natural bean notes and roast-derived sweetness. Coffee origin plays a significant role in flavor characteristics as well; factors such as altitude, soil, rainfall, and microclimate contribute to the coffees unique flavor, body, and aroma.

Medium roast coffee is versatile across brewing methods, but classic approaches that highlight balance include:

• Drip or Pour-Over: Showcases clarity, sweetness, and balanced acidity.
• French Press: Enhances body and smoothness.
• AeroPress: Offers a clean, nuanced cup.

Aim for medium grind and water at ~200°F for consistent extraction and flavor.

As beans are roasted longer and hotter (closer to dark roast), natural coffee oils begin to rise toward the surface of the bean. That slight sheen doesn’t mean the coffee is bad, rather it reflects roasting progression and contributes to the body and aroma in your cup.

Yes. Roasting breaks down some of the acids in coffee beans over time. Medium-dark beans generally have lower perceived acidity than lighter roasts.

Dark roast is versatile but shines in methods that suit fuller body and deeper flavor:

• Espresso or Moka pot — delivers concentrated, richer flavor
• French press — highlights body and low acidity.
• Drip or pour-over with slightly coarser grind — balances extraction.

These methods help emphasize the roast-derived sweetness and softer acidity.

Dark roast is suitable for cold brew because cold brew extracts more gently over longer contact time, and dark beans provide rich body and smooth flavor without overly bright acidity. Coarse grind and extended steep (12–24 hours) work well for cold brew.

Flavored coffees are made by coating or infusing roasted whole beans or ground coffee with food-grade natural flavoring oils or extracts, and/or artificial flavors. This allows the coffee to carry added aroma and taste while preserving the bean’s structure. The flavoring step typically happens after roasting and before packaging.

Plain flavored coffee itself does not contain sugar or significant calories. A brewed cup of flavored coffee has about the same calories (~2–5) as regular black coffee. Additional calories or sugar come from what you add after brewing, like syrups, cream, or sweeteners, not from the flavored coffee itself.

At Don Francisco’s, our flavored coffees are made with natural and artificial flavors but do not contain any nut-derived allergenic proteins. Additionally, our facility only roasts and packages coffee; we do not handle or process any real nut ingredients on site. That means our flavored coffees do not contain any nut allergens in the product. Even so, if you have a severe nut allergy or are concerned about consuming flavored coffee, please consult with your health care provider before consuming our flavored coffees.

Once the order is placed, your order will usually take 5-7 business days to arrive at your door. You will be sent an email with a tracking number once your order has shipped.

Once your order ships, you will receive an email containing your tracking number. If for any reason you have not received your shipping confirmation email and your order date is past 5 business days, please let us know by emailing help@donfranciscos.com. We will be happy to find out what exactly is going on with your order.

We are committed to freshness. We roast our coffees daily and ship within the next business day of the order. If you need to cancel or modify your order for any reason please do so within 24 hours of placing the order by emailing help@donfranciscos.com, please send us your order number and the changes that need to be made. We will let you know as soon as possible if we were able to make the changes.

We ship via UPS and USPS.

Unfortunately we do not ship internationally at this time. We currently ship everywhere in the United States.

We accept most major credit cards along with Shopify Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

We do not offer discount codes or coupons at the moment unless noted in the promo bar at the top of the site. We also do run special promotions through our newsletter every now and again. If you would like to hear about promotions first please subscribe to our newsletter in the footer of this page.

We strive to provide exceptional coffee as well as Customer Service and will work with you to ensure your 100% satisfaction. If you are not pleased with any item, for any reason we will gladly replace it, exchange it, or refund the purchase price. Please email returns@donfranciscos.com or contact us at 1-800-697-5282 (Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm PST) and we’ll gladly get your return started for you.

For returns, please email returns@donfranciscos.com or contact us at 1-800-697-5282 (Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm PST) and we’ll gladly get your return started for you. We will send you a return label to ship the items back to us. Once we receive the items we will issue a refund or exchange.

Note: If you return items without contacting us first, you will be subject to pay return shipping costs.

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