# Just bought a bunch of stale beans



## Vimfuego (May 1, 2014)

Hi, I'm new to this game, but have read lots and lots on here (great advice). Anyway, I ordered some beans from an online retailer in France (where I live), stupidly, expecting them to be freshly roasted as they were from a coffee specialist. Beans arrived with a roast date of 3 months ago. Complain? Ask for a refund? Suck it up and try to find a better supplier?


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

Use them to season the burrs of a new grinder! If you were more local I would take them off your hands for just that purpose!


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Three months may still be okay if they have been stored properly. Have you tied them?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

3 months wont be ok!

The French are still a bit old fashioned in general when it comes to coffee, liking their darker roasts with a bit of robusta in. You could try arguing for a refund, but they will probably just tell you its good coffee.

I'm not sure of any speciality coffee roasters in France, but there must be some? If you are willing to order International The Barn in Berlin or Caffenation in Belgium would be good choices...


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

aaronb said:


> 3 months wont be ok!..


Call me a heathen , if I was stuck with them I would still give them go and see what they were like.


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

How much did you buy? Is it worth the hassle of discussing with the retailer?

Beans really are at their best at some point in the first 4 weeks then will go downhill after that


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Were they advertised as fresh? They're within their useable lifespan, just not up to our exacting standards


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Also there's a great coffee scene appearing in Paris now, you could contact the shops there to see where they source their beans. PM me if you need names


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Trading Standards will tell you there is no actual definition of the word FRESH.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

dfk41 said:


> Trading Standards will tell you there is no actual definition of the word FRESH.


What about .....


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## jappl (Sep 29, 2008)

Just bought some beans at Algerian Coffe Shop in London - Beans were old and stale , will probably bin them.

The reason I went there was because I was looking for a darker roast and finding too many coffee roatwers don't supply the darker roast.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

jappl said:


> Just bought some beans at Algerian Coffe Shop in London - Beans were old and stale , will probably bin them.
> 
> The reason I went there was because I was looking for a darker roast and finding too many coffee roatwers don't supply the darker roast.


the darker lords of coffee on this forum seems to put a lot of store in the coffee compass beanz..

have a look at those on their site . They will be fresh







.


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## Gangstarrrrr (Mar 4, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> the darker lords of coffee on this forum seems to put a lot of store in the coffee compass beanz..
> 
> have a look at those on their site . They will be fresh
> 
> ...


+1 for coffee compass. Great for darker roasts.


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## Vimfuego (May 1, 2014)

I'm on my third day with the beans. Very disappointing taste, lacks body, lacks ummph. I only have a kilo, so I guess it's a learning experience.

As mentioned a few times on here, the French are a little behind with their coffee, but there are one or two places, but mainly in Paris.


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## jappl (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks , will take a look at coffee compass


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## ShortShots (Oct 2, 2013)

aaronb said:


> 3 months wont be ok!
> 
> ..... If you are willing to order International The Barn in Berlin or Caffenation in Belgium would be good choices...


I second both of those roasters. The Barn do great beans


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## mym (Sep 15, 2009)

jappl said:


> Just bought some beans at Algerian Coffe Shop in London - Beans were old and stale , will probably bin them.
> 
> The reason I went there was because I was looking for a darker roast and finding too many coffee roatwers don't supply the darker roast.


What did you get?

The dark roast of the month is usually fresh (throughput is high).


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

ShortShots said:


> I second both of those roasters. The Barn do great beans


I had a couple of bags of beans from The Barn recently, bought from Takk in Manchester, they were really nice, but looked as though they'd been covered in SPF 100 before roasting lol. They took some work dialling in being such a light Nordic style roast but were worth the effort, but if I had my old setup still I suspect I wouldn't have been able to get the enjoyable results I got.


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## jappl (Sep 29, 2008)

They were labelled as Rossa


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