OOTG - Frequently Asked Questions
Good questions lead to great coffee.
Whether you're choosing your next bag, checking an order, or curious about what happens inside the roaster, you'll find a clear answer here. Start with the practical details, then follow the coffee a little farther.
1. Ordering & Shipping
Who roasts and packages your coffee?
We do. Out Of The Grey Coffee® sources, roasts, packages, and ships its coffee. We roast daily and send coffee out fresh, so your bag hasn't spent months waiting in a warehouse.
How quickly will my order ship?
Orders typically ship within 3–7 business days. We roast for freshness and ship coffee within 24 hours of roasting. You'll receive an order confirmation after checkout and shipping information when your order is on its way. Most U.S. deliveries then take approximately 2–5 business days, depending on the carrier and destination. Delivery estimates are not guarantees. Read our Shipping Policy.
Where do you ship?
We ship to the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, APO/FPO/DPO addresses, Canada, and many international destinations. Available services and rates are shown at checkout; carriers may include USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
Do you offer free shipping?
Orders of $250 or more shipping within the 48 contiguous states qualify for free shipping. Merch Lab items ship free within the U.S., with no minimum or code required. Other destinations may have different rates or requirements; check the shipping total at checkout.
Can I ship one order to multiple addresses?
Each order can go to one address. Please place a separate order for each recipient.
How do I place an order?
Choose your coffee, tea, or merchandise, add it to your cart, and check out securely online. Need a recommendation? Call 1-888-354-JAVA (5282) and select Coffee & Tea Sales. Explore Coffee.
Can I change an order after placing it?
Contact us as soon as you notice a mistake. Submitted orders cannot be edited directly, but if yours has not entered processing, we'll do our best to help. Have your order number ready and call 1-888-354-JAVA (5282), selecting Web Support, or email Sales@OutOfTheGreyCoffee.com.
Which payment methods do you accept?
The payment methods available for your order are displayed securely at checkout. They may vary by device, location, and order type. Orders must be paid in full before preparation; we do not currently offer payment terms, credit accounts, or cash on delivery.
Can I use more than one discount?
Only one coupon, discount code, or Bank of Java reward can be applied to an order. Choose the offer you'd most like to use and save another eligible offer for later, subject to its terms and expiration.
2. Bank of Java Rewards
Open an account. Start earning free coffee.
The Bank of Java rewards you for enjoying OOTG. Members earn points we call Beans through qualifying purchases and other eligible activities, then redeem available rewards toward future orders.
What is the Bank of Java?
It's our loyalty program. Join, earn Beans from qualifying activity, and see your balance and available rewards in your Bank of Java account.
How do I earn and redeem Beans?
Sign in to your Bank of Java account to see current ways to earn, your balance, and the rewards available to redeem. Choose an eligible reward when ordering; the current redemption value and any applicable conditions appear in your account.
Can I combine Beans with another discount?
No. Checkout permits one Bank of Java reward, coupon, or discount per order. You can keep your Beans for another eligible purchase. Visit Bank Of Java.
3. Subscribe & Save
Your favorites. Your schedule. Delivered.
Choose eligible coffee or tea, set a delivery interval, and save with recurring orders. After each successful renewal, we'll prepare and ship your selection. Explore Subscribe & Save.
How does Subscribe & Save work?
Select an eligible product and delivery schedule. Your saved payment method is charged at each renewal, and your order is prepared for shipment. Your customer portal shows upcoming orders and management options.
Can I pause or cancel?
You can pause your subscription in the customer portal. New subscriptions require at least two successful payments before cancellation is available. Use the secure portal link from your first subscription email or sign in to your OOTG account to manage it.
Can I skip or reschedule a delivery?
Yes. Open your customer portal to skip an upcoming order or reschedule the next delivery. Make changes before the order enters processing.
Can I change the products in my subscription?
Your portal shows the changes available for your subscription. Depending on the subscription, you may be able to add, remove, or switch products for an upcoming order.
What happens if my payment fails?
You'll receive an email with a secure link to update your payment information. Once the payment succeeds, your subscription can continue.
Need help with your subscription? Contact Us.
4. Freshness, Grinding & Storage
What does “freshly roasted” mean at OOTG?
We roast daily and ship coffee within 24 hours of roasting. After roasting, beans release carbon dioxide and their aromas gradually change with exposure to oxygen. Many coffees taste especially expressive after a short rest and during the following weeks. The roast date is a starting point; the best brewing day depends on the coffee and method.
Should I order whole bean or ground?
For maximum aroma and flexibility, choose whole bean and grind just before brewing. If you don't have a grinder, we'll grind your coffee for your brewing method. Our custom grind option is $0.49 per bag where offered.
Which grind should I choose?
| How you brew | Starting grind | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| French press | Coarse | Adjust for your steep time and filter. |
| Cold brew | Coarse to medium-coarse | A good starting range for long steeping. |
| Drip coffeemaker | Medium | Basket shape and brewer design can change the ideal grind. |
| Cone filter or pour-over | Medium to medium-fine | Adjust for dripper, dose, and flow. |
| Reusable K-Cup® pod | Medium-fine | Follow your pod maker's directions. |
| Espresso machine | Fine | Dial in for your equipment and recipe. |
| Cezve / Turkish pot | Extra-fine | Powder-like texture for this method. |
Choose the named brewing method when ordering custom-ground coffee, and contact us if you’re unsure. Grind settings are starting points; the best setting can vary with your brewer and recipe.
Not sure which grind to choose? Ask us.
What changes once coffee is ground?
Grinding exposes much more of the coffee to air. Aromatic compounds fade faster, so grind only what you need shortly before brewing when possible. Ground-to-order coffee remains a convenient option when you don't have a grinder.
How should I store my coffee?
Keep the original bag tightly closed at a stable room temperature, away from sunlight, heat, moisture, and strong odors. For longer storage, seal coffee well and freeze it in portions you'll use without repeatedly opening the whole supply. Avoid the refrigerator, where moisture and food odors can affect the coffee.
What does resting coffee mean?
Freshly roasted beans naturally release carbon dioxide through a process called degassing. A short rest can help brewing become more consistent, especially for espresso. As a starting point, try a coffee 3–7 days after roasting, then taste it over the following days and adjust to your preference. Different coffees and brew methods may call for different timing.
What's the small valve on my coffee bag?
The one-way valve lets gas released by freshly roasted coffee escape while helping limit outside air entering a sealed bag. It's one of the ways the bag helps protect coffee during its trip to your cup.
5. Understanding Your Coffee
What do flavor notes mean?
When a Single Origin or Artisan Blend is described as having notes of chocolate, berries, citrus, or nuts, those are aromas and tastes the coffee may naturally suggest. They are not added ingredients. Variety, growing conditions, processing, and roasting shape what you experience, and your own impressions may differ. Nothing Added. Everything Discovered.
What does acidity mean?
In tasting language, acidity often means a pleasant bright or lively quality, like the crispness of an apple or the juiciness of citrus. It is different from an unpleasant sour taste. The balance depends on the bean, roast, and brew.
What is body or mouthfeel?
It's how coffee feels in your mouth: perhaps light and tea-like, smooth and silky, creamy, or rich and syrupy. The coffee and the brewing method both affect it.
Is a more expensive coffee always better?
Not necessarily. Rarity, origin, certification, processing, transport, and sourcing costs can affect price. The right coffee is the one whose flavor you enjoy most. Explore descriptions by taste, origin, and roast rather than price alone.
Do you add flavoring to your coffee?
We do not add flavorings to our Single Origin coffees or Artisan Blends. Our Handcrafted Flavored Coffees are intentionally made with selected natural flavorings and spices. Check each product page for details, especially if you need to avoid a particular ingredient.
How is your decaf made?
We use the Swiss Water® Process, which removes caffeine without chemical solvents while preserving the coffee’s character. Swiss Water® Process decaffeination is available for an additional $0.49 per bag where offered. Explore Decaf Coffee.
How much caffeine is in a cup? Does a darker roast mean less?
Caffeine varies with the coffee, dose, brew method, and serving size. As a broad guide, an 8-ounce brewed cup may contain roughly 80–150 mg, but an individual cup can fall outside that range. Roast color alone isn't a dependable way to predict caffeine in your mug, particularly when comparing equal weights of coffee. If you need to limit caffeine, choose an appropriate decaf and consider your total intake.
Does your coffee contain gluten?
Coffee beans are naturally free of gluten, and we do not intentionally use gluten-containing flavorings or oils in our coffees. If you have celiac disease, a severe allergy, or another condition requiring strict avoidance, review the specific product information and contact us before ordering. We do not make a certified gluten-free or cross-contact-free claim here.
Explore by taste: Smooth & Balanced • Bright & Adventurous • Bold & Dark
6. Sourcing & Coffee Education
Where does coffee's flavor come from?
A coffee's variety, growing conditions, harvest, processing, and roast all contribute. Even coffees from nearby farms can taste different. We look for what makes each lot distinctive and roast to bring that character into the cup. Explore Single Origin Coffee.
How is coffee bought and sold?
Green coffee is commonly priced by weight. The Arabica futures C Market is one reference point, while individual specialty lots can sell at premiums for quality, origin, processing, and other factors. A traditional export bag is often around 60 kg (132 lb), though sizes vary. Behind every lot are producers and communities whose work matters far beyond a market quotation.
What does Fair Trade mean?
Fairtrade certification is a defined system with standards for participating producers and supply chains, a minimum-price mechanism, and a separate premium paid to producer organizations. It is one approach to producer support. Quality premiums, traceability, and ongoing relationships may also help support growers outside that certification system. A certification label and a general claim of “fairly traded” do not mean the same thing. Explore Fair Trade Coffee.
Can I buy green coffee or discuss a commercial order?
Yes. Select green coffees may be available by full or half bag, subject to availability. We also discuss larger-volume coffee and tea programs, custom blends, and commercial orders. Call 1-888-354-JAVA (5282) and select Coffee & Tea Sales for current options and pricing.
7. The Journey Through the Roaster
Green coffee. Heat. Transformation.
Every coffee responds differently to the roaster. We pay attention to its origin, density, moisture, processing, and how it develops through the roast, then adjust the profile to reveal what we love about that coffee.
Green coffee
Dense, unroasted beans hold moisture and the potential for everything to come.
Drying
The beans absorb heat as moisture begins to leave. Much of this early change is difficult to see.
Yellowing
The beans turn pale yellow; aromas may suggest grain, rice, hay, or bread. Chaff begins to loosen.
Browning
Browning reactions create many of the compounds behind roasted coffee’s aroma and flavor.
First crack and development
Heat, vapor, and gas create pressure and audible cracks. Continued development changes sweetness, balance, body, and roast character.
Cooling
We rapidly cool the coffee when it reaches the profile we’re after, stopping the roast at the point we choose.
What about second crack?
Some darker roasts continue to a later series of sharper cracks. It is one possible roast milestone, not a step that every coffee must reach. Longer roasting often emphasizes roast-derived flavors and reduces some origin-specific character.
What is a roast profile?
It's the path a particular coffee takes through the roaster: how heat is applied and how the beans respond over time. We track it to repeat the qualities we want while adapting to each coffee.
Our job is to reveal it.
What happens to sugars and acids during roasting?
Heat drives reactions involving coffee’s naturally present sugars, amino acids, and acids. Browning reactions help create many of the aromas we associate with roasted coffee. As roasting continues, the balance of sweetness, brightness, bitterness, and roast character changes.
8. About OOTG
Why are you called Out Of The Grey Coffee®?
Our name means something to us.
We live in a world filled with grey areas, where truth is often treated as subjective and shaped by personal beliefs. But God's Word teaches us something different.
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
— John 8:32 KJV
Out Of The Grey reflects our family's faith and our conviction that truth is not ours to redefine. Truth is found in Jesus Christ.
Our name is more than a name. It is an invitation to step beyond uncertainty and discover the truth, hope, and freedom found in Jesus.
We invite you to come Out Of The Grey.
Coffee is our craft, but our purpose goes beyond what we roast.
Out Of The Grey Coffee®
O Taste And See — Psalm 34:8 KJV
Why coffee?
Because there is always more to discover. A cup carries the work of growers, processors, and roasters, as well as the character of a particular place and harvest. We love helping people taste those differences and find a coffee they look forward to brewing again.
Still curious? Good. So are we.
Tell us what you're looking for, how you brew, or what you'd love to taste next. We'll help you find the right coffee or answer a question about your order.
1-888-354-JAVA (5282) · Sales@OutOfTheGreyCoffee.com For an issue that needs owner attention, call the same number and select extension 700 to reach Java Jack.