FAQs

We pay extremely close attention to the purchase of our green coffee, because we only want coffees that are traceable to the farm, fresh and ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. As a small roastery, we have already gained some experience with direct purchases of green coffee and use the help of trustworthy importers who take care of the transport and customs clearance. Given our size and our quality-driven approach, we also use selected importers who also represent our idea of fair coffee cultivation. A major advantage of direct import is the shorter value chain, which means that a larger share of the purchase price reaches the coffee farmers. The importers are also in direct contact with the coffee farmers. This ensures exchange and the greatest possible transparency in terms of pricing, working conditions and product quality. If you want to know more about our importers, take a look here.

Coffee is a natural product and coffee-growing regions are already affected by climate change, and will be even more so in the future. We therefore only select coffees that are grown in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable way. Since the summer of 2020, we have been allowed to certify organic green coffees, also as roasted coffees in this way. When we buy new coffees, we always taste them blind. To do this, we don't look at the prices or names of the farm before tasting, because we want to present coffees of outstanding taste and with the best quality. In this respect, both organic and nonorganic certified coffees can convince us. Since certification is simply too time-consuming and too expensive for most (small) farmers, our choice of certified organic specialty coffees is still somewhat limited. We like to buy coffee from small farms because we can have a greater influence and more direct contact than with a larger farm. But regardless of whether it is certified organic or not, when selecting our coffee, we make sure that it meets basic criteria, from cultivation to serving: natural cultivation (i.e. in an area that is climatically and geographically suitable for the respective variety), gentle harvesting and processing, fair working conditions, a value chain that is as transparent as possible and, in general, a high appreciation of the food.

Fair trade and specialty coffee belong together. Our labels show the name of the farm and we also try to establish contact with the farms. Quality labels are a good way to create trust in products, but they often do not make it easy for individual small farms, as certification is usually only possible above a certain size. All of our coffees are above the fairtrade minimum price, and usually by a multiple.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to make such a general statement, as many factors have an influence on the taste and type of beverage. The most important and generally applicable factors are the degree of grinding and the dosage of ground coffee. Roughly speaking, the following can be said:

If the coffee tastes...

thin and bitter - dose up
thin and sour - grind finer
strong and bitter - grind coarser
strong and sour - dose down

As a rough guideline, the following still applies: Brew ratio of 2:1, e.g. 40 g drink with 20 g espresso powder. Brewing time approx. 25-35 seconds. Temperature 93 - 95° C. More in-depth knowledge about setting and tasting brew recipes and extraction theory is available in our barista seminars. You can find the dates in our online store, we always set them about a month in advance. If there is no suitable date available for you, just check back in a few days

The coffee bean, as we know it, is the core of the coffee cherry, and is surrounded in the cherry by various protective skins and the pulp. After the ripe coffee fruit has been harvested, it is processed in a variety of ways, each taking the profile in a slightly different direction. Washed coffee beans are de-pulped, i.e. the pulp is removed from the coffee cherry, washed and then dried in the sun. This type of processing gives the coffee a clear structure and often a more pronounced acid profile. Natural processed coffee beans dry surrounded by the pulp, i.e. in the coffee cherry. The pulp is removed from the bean only after drying. During the drying process, sugar and aromas migrate from the pulp into the bean. Natural coffees, compared to washed coffees, therefore taste sweeter, fuller and often have fermentation flavours.

There are many different drinks in the coffee sector and there are wild discussions about what constitutes a particular drink. We make a cappuccino with a simple espresso (about 20-25g) and a Flat White with a Doppio Ristretto (about 25-30g). That sounds quite similar at first. The difference is that with a Flat White you get a whole sieve of coffee and here we extract fewer substances to get to your Doppio Ristretto. So a ristretto is an espresso that is stopped much earlier. Since bitter substances are only dissolved at the end of the extraction, they hardly appear in the ristretto. Because we make our Flat White with a double ristretto, it is much more concentrated than an espresso, the drink tastes stronger and bitter substances are not present. Why don't you try both in comparison? We froth our milk the same way for all drinks.

In the light roasting process, which is common in Specialty Coffee, the green coffee is roasted gently and according to a specific profile. During the roasting process, a lot happens to the coffee bean: water is extracted, sugar caramelises and carbohydrates and proteins undergo chemical reactions. This specific knowledge is used by coffee roasters to bring out the special characteristics of each harvest, which you can taste in the cup at the end. In order to extract the subtle flavours, acids and sweetness from the bean, it is essential that the coffee is not burnt - as is unfortunately the case with over 95% of the world's coffee harvest. We roast in a traditional drum roasting process at comparatively low temperatures (around 200 degrees Celsius) for between 10 and 19 minutes, depending on the roasting profile. In this process, the beans are heated slowly and thus roasted very gently. We roast filter roasts to the point where the highest aroma diversity is achieved and the respective terroir is presented in a first-class manner. Espresso roasts are roasted to the point where acidity and bitterness are in harmony.

Coffee should "degas" for a few days directly after roasting so that you can enjoy the full aroma. Too fresh after roasting, coffee usually does not yet taste as it could, because there is still too much carbon bound in the beans themselves, which has to be released in the form of CO2. This happens all by itself over time. It is therefore advisable to brew espresso beans for the first time about 10-14 days and filter beans about 7-10 days after the roasting date. With some coffees, it is worth leaving the coffee for a few weeks longer, as the beans change even more over time. Then store it in a cool (but not in the fridge!), airtight container in a dark place and you will be able to enjoy your new (favourite) coffee for a few weeks.

Our coffees are naturally grown, harvested and processed, and therefore also have no additives. The nuts/fruits/foods on the label are for better classification. We determine this flavour description ourselves as part of our green coffee purchasing process and subsequent quality control, to make it easier for you to choose. Similar to whiskey, wine or chocolate, the aromas of coffee are very diverse and depend on the coffee variety, its cultivation, the preparation of the beans and the roasting profile. If you want to learn more about the aromas of coffee, take a look at the Aroma Wheel , developed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) :)

As soon as we receive your order, we work at full speed to bring our coffee to you. After you have sent your order, you will receive a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address you have entered. We will send all updates on your order to this e-mail address, including an e-mail for tracking the shipment. As a rule, we dispatch orders on the next working day. It should not take more than 3-5 working days for the entire delivery to reach you. If you have any questions about the delivery status of an order, it is worth taking a look at the emails first, but you are also welcome to contact us at orders@hoppenworth-ploch.de if you have any complications or long delivery times.

First of all, we would like to apologise that you are not satisfied with our products! Please send an email to orders@hoppenworth-ploch.de and describe the situation as precisely as possible. We will help you as soon as possible.

You can pick up your order from our roastery at Länderweg 21 on weekdays between 9:00 and 16:00. To do so, click on the free "Pick-up" option under "Delivery method" during checkout. Unfortunately, for organisational and logistical reasons, it is not possible to collect your coffee order from the cafés.

We always offer our coffee beans for private consumers in 250g bags. We want to make it possible for you to always have fresh coffee at home and also to try out many different varieties. In our opinion, 250g is the perfect size to ensure that the coffee, with average consumption, does not get too old and lose its aromas. If you drink a lot of coffee, buy coffee for the office or serve our coffee in your shop, the 1kg bags are perfect. For larger (commercial) quantities, it is also possible to have the beans delivered unpacked, in drums. Please send your enquiries to orders@hoppenworth-ploch.de.

We sell all our coffees as whole beans, as this is the way coffee stays fresh the longest and retains all the aromas. Grinding coffee causes the aroma to dissipate more quickly and also provides a larger surface for oxygen to attack, which leads to the oxidation of naturally contained fats and oils. This is why coffee tastes rancid if you keep it too long and do not minimise contact with oxygen. If you do not have your own grinder so that you can always grind your beans fresh, we will be happy to grind your coffee in the café to the correct grind for your preparation method. When you order in the online shop, simply select the grind directly with your order.

Giving coffee as a gift is a wonderful idea! The surprise will be best if you provide us with some information: How does the person prepare the coffee? Does she have her own grinder? Do they already have experience in the specialty coffee sector or with light roasts? With this information we can advise you in conversation. If you are looking for a gift online and our descriptions do not help you enough, please send us an email to orders@hoppenworth-ploch.de!

Coffee, like any fruit, is a seasonal product. Depending on the growing area, the altitude and the variety, coffee plants have different harvest periods. After the green coffee samples of a coffee have convinced us, we buy a certain amount of it to sell in a fixed period of time. This way we guarantee a fresh product. Once our purchase quantity of the annual harvest is sold, it is sold. If the coffee convinces us again next year, you will find it on the shelves again. We always try to have a tasteful "successor" of each coffee in our assortment. Otherwise, a new coffee is added to the broad assortment every month - there is something for every frahling lover

We offer our Bio Espresso Blend in capsules that are compatible with most Nespresso* capsule machines. After careful testing, we have found a capsule that meets both our taste and sustainability standards. For pads/capsules for self-filling, we are also happy to grind your coffee for you.

*This brand belongs to third parties who have no connection with Hoppenworth & Ploch Food Products GmbH

We try to minimise the negative impact of our products on the environment and fellow human beings and are therefore very proud to use environmentally sustainable packaging for our coffee packaging. While the composite material is essential (until now), we are constantly working to use more and more sustainable materials. In the meantime, in cooperation with the innovation leader Dutch Coffee Pack, we have been able to achieve that our bags are industrially almost completely recyclable.

Since summer 2022, we have been breaking new ground in the ceramics sector and working together with Frankfurt-based Lena Eckerlein, known as leramics. Together we have developed a ceramic collection for our shops and also here in the online shop we offer the wonderful cups from this cooperation.

We are very happy about that - thank you for thinking of us! Feel free to send us an email with your plans to orders@hoppenworth-ploch.de or contact us via our contact form.

Yes, we will deliver the desired amount of subscription coffee per month. The price depends on the quantity you choose and not on the duration.

No. You choose the number of 250g bags of Coffee of the Month you want to receive each month, not the term. The minimum term for our coffee of the month subscription is three deliveries. After the third delivery, you can cancel your subscription at any time. If you don't, the subscription will be renewed monthly. All other coffees, which you order in the subscription, can already be cancelled after the first order.

Of course you can also give our subscription as a gift. We deliver the coffee to the specified delivery address, which can of course be different from the billing address. That's exactly why we created our Prepaid Subscription.

Oats are naturally gluten-free, as they are not related to wheat. People who are sensitive to gluten can therefore consume oat milk without concern. However, those who suffer from the rare disease coeliac disease should not consume oat milk that is not labelled gluten-free, as even the tiniest traces of the protein trigger severe symptoms. The traces of gluten in oat milk come from, among other things, the combine harvesters, the warehouses and the machines in which the oat milk is produced.

Our current oat milk Oatly is unfortunately not gluten free.

We try to offer a wide range of food and drinks so that everyone can find something suitable for them. We therefore have many vegan and gluten-free alternatives. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask our baristi directly. We have a list of allergens and additives for each product in each café. If you are an allergy sufferer with severe symptoms and are sensitive to traces, it is better to be safe than sorry and not consume anything. We make all our baked goods and food in a bakery and cross-contamination or traces of allergens can never be ruled out - no matter how hard we try.

We are always happy to expand our range with products that fit our economic and social demands. If you distribute such a product, please send us an email to info@hoppenworth-ploch.de and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Our own bakery right next to our roastery in Sachsenhausen is now open! Yippee!

We are happy to supply you with whole cakes or biscuits. Feel free to email your request to bakery@hoppenworth-ploch.de and we will take care of your request as soon as possible.

We divide all tips (whether cash or card) fairly among all baristi after each shift. The tip from the online shop is also divided fairly among the dispatch team.

If you are looking for a job, please send your application by email to info@hoppenworth-ploch.de. We are always looking for qualified people who would like to become part of our team (whether as a barista, in the dispatch team, bakery or logistics). Previous experience is of course welcome. But you can also learn a lot at our regular internal training sessions.

We do the content internally, for our beautiful pictures we brought Jonathan on board.

Our design is done by the lovely Anna, who also worked as a barista with us in the north end for several years.

Yes! we have developed a number of Seminars and look forward to your active participation! We publish the current dates on the respective product pages. We always set the dates about a month in advance. If there is no suitable date available for you at the moment, just check back in a few days.

You do not need to bring a certificate. As soon as you have booked a seminar, you will be on our list of participants for the respective date.

For reasons of space and hygiene, it is not possible to bring your own machine to the seminar. The aim of the seminars is not to set up the machine correctly forever and to find a universal recipe for every coffee. We rather focus on understanding coffee and the process behind coffee preparation, so that you can apply your transfer knowledge and make wonderful coffee for yourself - no matter where and with which machine.

If you are unable to attend a booked seminar, you can of course choose a substitute yourself. Please inform us briefly. From 14 days before the start of the seminar, we can only refund 50% of the seminar price. If the seminar is fully booked again during this period, we will refund the full amount. Alternatively, you will receive a discount code for 50% (100% in case of a replacement) for a new date.

We offer gift vouchers for our seminars. After booking, you will automatically receive a voucher code which can then be redeemed online by the person receiving the gift. Optionally, you can order a free gift card.

We always create seminar dates one month in advance. If you have a date request for the next month or would like to be informed about new dates first, please send us an email to seminare@hoppenworth-ploch.de.

We use both cow's milk and oat milk as a plant-based alternative in all seminars.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to pre-order our products via Instagram. However, you are welcome to order in our online shop and pick up your order later in our roastery at Länderweg 21 (Sachsenhausen). To do so, simply click on "Pick-up" under "Delivery method" at the checkout and you will receive all the necessary information.

For some time now, we have been handling the payment process at our locations exclusively electronically. This is a further step towards making your visit even more pleasant for you and our team. We are hoping for simpler, uncomplicated payment processing and less risk without cash. Having already switched to the Greenbill digital receipt printer, which enables us to avoid waste, we can now also eliminate the risk of counterfeit money (both for our guests and for us) and incorrect change.

We do not currently offer gift vouchers for our stores. You can find our gift voucher for the online store here.

For accounting reasons, gift vouchers purchased in the online shop can only be redeemed in the online shop.

After careful consideration, we are unfortunately no longer accepting reservations in our cafés.