2. Is Cafe Altura a shade grown coffee?
Yes. The shading of the delicate Arabica coffee trees is an important element in the organic management of coffee farms. Many of the varieties of the shade trees are legumes and help fix nitrogen into the soil. The trees are also beneficial to the migratory patterns of many birds.

3. Do you roast your own coffee?
Yes, we roast and package Cafe Altura in Santa Paula, California.

4. Who certifies your coffee as organically grown? What does "certified organic" really mean?
The Demeter Association has been certifying Cafe Altura since 1982. The Demeter Association is a national, independent, nonprofit, non-tax exempt corporation committed to assuring that Biodynamic products in the United States and Mexico are grown and processed with the highest integrity and care. The standards for evaluation are used worldwide. The association oversees the production and processing of these labeled products by enlisting the services of consultants in a program written reports and farm and processing facility visitations. The consultants are approved by the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Kimberton, Pennsylvania.

5. Is Cafe Altura real coffee or made from something else? Cafe Altura is 100% high grown arabica coffee.

6. How long have you been in business?
Clean Foods, Inc. began in 1980. We were the first company to import organically grown coffee in the United States. We were the first company to have independent third party certification.

7. What kind of package should I buy my coffee in?
You have two choices to fit your needs, pre-ground vacuum-canned coffee for those on the go who want convenience, or bulk, whole bean vacuum-pack coffee affording the opportunity to taste Cafe Altura at its best. The whole bean (2lb) vacuum-pack is packaged the day it is roasted and is protected from oxygen until the package is opened. This choice is preferable to canned coffee because the beans have not been ground and will be fresher than the bulk.

8. How much caffeine does Cafe Altura have? How much caffeine is left after decaffeination?
Cafe Altura has 1% caffeine. This is standard amongst all high grown (Arabica) varieties of coffee. Cafe Altura drip brewed coffee contains 50 to 63 milligrams of caffeine per 6 oz. cup. The S.W.P. decaffeination process removes 97% of the caffeine from the 1% caffeine it contains.

9. What does S.W.P. (Swiss Water Processing) mean when used along with the word decaffeination?
S.W.P. stands for Swiss Water Process decaffeination. Swiss Water Process decaffeination is decaffeination without chemicals. This patented process extracts 97% of the caffeine using only water and steam. This very special process is done in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here's how Swiss Water Process Decaffeination works from "Through pure water comes pure taste", published by Nabob Coffee company:

• First, we soak green, unroasted coffee beans in our water to draw out both the caffeine and flavor.
• We then remove and discard these beans while retaining the water which is now filled with caffeine and flavor.
• Then we filter the caffeine and flavor-rich water through carbon filters to remove the caffeine.
• Next, we soak the world's finest, unroasted coffee beans in the caffeine-free, flavor saturated water. Again, this draws out the caffeine. But, this time it can't draw out the flavor. The water is now so saturated with flavor components, there is simply no room for the premium beans' flavor components to pass into the water.
• The beans, now free of caffeine, but full of flavor, are dried, polished and ready to be roasted to perfection.

10. What is Kona Blend?
Kona Blend is 20% Kona from Hawaii, 80% Mexican coffee. Learn more about Kona Blend!

11. Is Cafe Altura high in acid or acid free?
Cafe Altura is a high grown Arabica coffee. Coffee grown in altitudes of 1,000 meters or more will be naturally lower in acids than coffee grown at lower altitudes. This high grown coffee is more flavorful and gives a brightness to the flavor. A darker roast coffee will be lower in acid content as it burns out most of the chemicals which cause the acid sensation. Preparing coffee with a coffee "Toddy" takes most of the acid from the ground coffee as it filters out the acid. If acid free coffee is needed, this type of preparation is preferable.

12. Is it the acid that makes my stomach hurt?
When coffee is brewed and left on a hot plate (burner) for more than twenty minutes, the liquid will concentrate the acids in the coffee. This may contribute to stomach discomfort. Try storing freshly brewed coffee in an airpot or thermos

13. What are your recomendations for making coffee?
I have been asked many times about the best way to make great coffee. How much coffee do I use? What about the water? Which is the best home brewer? For my favorite method for making a perfect cup every time click here.