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Thanks for the questions. 1. I always forget to get one or two things when I go to the store. This removes having to remember coffee stock levels. Also, the co

Thanks for the questions. 1. I always forget to get one or two things when I go to the store. This removes having to remember coffee stock levels. Also, the coffee in the store isn't fresh because the distribution chain is too long. We ship straight from roaster to customer, so the coffee is really fresh. 2. Dash doesn't work because it's a new habit and people have to remember to find and press the button before running out. We're a Dash button that automatically presses itself and is fully passive. 3. For toilet paper and diapers it may not be a scale but some other sort of passive monitoring system. We definitely plan to address these eventually.

jschwartzi 8y ago
Actually a scale still works for 3 if it's large enough. Counting scales exist which can weigh increments less than a gram but can measure trends of kilos without damage.
- seizethecheese 8y ago
  You're right, and we'll probably just keep doing scales. Some people have a mental block with the word "scale" in this context, so we like to remind them it could be other stuff :).
subpixel 8y ago
I think this is very clever and I wish you success but I do not buy the coffee “more than a week old is not fresh” line. Coffee is fermented - stored well it lasts a hell of a lot longer than two weeks. We stock up on our family’s favorite coffee from Colombia three or four times a year, where relatives travel long distances to collect it for us from a non-exporting roaster. Many months is a normal shelf life.
- seizethecheese 8y ago
  This is counter to everything I've ever read on coffee freshness. Perhaps you are right! Do you have any links?
  - subpixel 8y ago
    The experts in the field are wary to put a definitive time frame on 'freshness' because there are many variables at play (and a lot of product to sell). Here is a good overview: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2016/06/26/long-coffee-beans-last/ https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2016/06/26/long-coffe... I will grant that not very long ago, the fear of coffee going bad pretty quick was probably valid. But today packaging systems available to even the home roaster allow you to flush oxygen, displace C02, and/or vacuum seal. I am not trying to argue that flavor stays the same for several months. But I call marketing BS on the warning that you have a week from when your beans were roasted to either enjoy them or to suffer the consequences.
- taneq 8y ago
  I used to keep my beans on the shelf for months. I also have a friend who owns a coffee roasting business. Let me tell you, fresh-roasted coffee tastes WAY better.
- drusepth 8y ago
  When you stock up on coffee from Colombia, is it already roasted? I think somewhere between 5-15 days is pretty generally accepted as the "fresh" period after roasting (caveat: except for espresso). Some people even freeze their beans if they don't think they'll start the bag soon enough after getting it, or if they get large bags. You definitely _can_ make coffee with weeks-old beans (or months-old beans), but there's a distinct difference in taste when consuming shortly after roasting (after the degas but before it goes stale). According to [1] (random source among tons for a google search for "how long are coffee beans good after roasting"), beans aren't considered "stale" until around 30 days, but are definitely still usable; stale bread and flat sodas are edible too, but a lot of people prefer the better taste. [1] https://making-nice-coffee.com/how-long-does-coffee-stay-fresh/ https://making-nice-coffee.com/how-long-does-coffee-stay-fre...
- pard68 8y ago
  I getting my coffee. If I buy one too many bags I can tell the difference between coffee used week 0 and say week 3 or 4. My palette isn't the best so I can't really tell the difference but I can see it. There is much less CO2 in the older coffee. You see this in the smaller "bloom".

jschwartzi 8y ago

Actually a scale still works for 3 if it's large enough. Counting scales exist which can weigh increments less than a gram but can measure trends of kilos without damage.

seizethecheese 8y ago
You're right, and we'll probably just keep doing scales. Some people have a mental block with the word "scale" in this context, so we like to remind them it could be other stuff :).

subpixel 8y ago

I think this is very clever and I wish you success but I do not buy the coffee “more than a week old is not fresh” line. Coffee is fermented - stored well it lasts a hell of a lot longer than two weeks. We stock up on our family’s favorite coffee from Colombia three or four times a year, where relatives travel long distances to collect it for us from a non-exporting roaster. Many months is a normal shelf life.

seizethecheese 8y ago
This is counter to everything I've ever read on coffee freshness. Perhaps you are right! Do you have any links?
- subpixel 8y ago
  The experts in the field are wary to put a definitive time frame on 'freshness' because there are many variables at play (and a lot of product to sell). Here is a good overview: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2016/06/26/long-coffee-beans-last/ https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2016/06/26/long-coffe... I will grant that not very long ago, the fear of coffee going bad pretty quick was probably valid. But today packaging systems available to even the home roaster allow you to flush oxygen, displace C02, and/or vacuum seal. I am not trying to argue that flavor stays the same for several months. But I call marketing BS on the warning that you have a week from when your beans were roasted to either enjoy them or to suffer the consequences.
taneq 8y ago
I used to keep my beans on the shelf for months. I also have a friend who owns a coffee roasting business. Let me tell you, fresh-roasted coffee tastes WAY better.
drusepth 8y ago
When you stock up on coffee from Colombia, is it already roasted? I think somewhere between 5-15 days is pretty generally accepted as the "fresh" period after roasting (caveat: except for espresso). Some people even freeze their beans if they don't think they'll start the bag soon enough after getting it, or if they get large bags. You definitely _can_ make coffee with weeks-old beans (or months-old beans), but there's a distinct difference in taste when consuming shortly after roasting (after the degas but before it goes stale). According to [1] (random source among tons for a google search for "how long are coffee beans good after roasting"), beans aren't considered "stale" until around 30 days, but are definitely still usable; stale bread and flat sodas are edible too, but a lot of people prefer the better taste. [1] https://making-nice-coffee.com/how-long-does-coffee-stay-fresh/ https://making-nice-coffee.com/how-long-does-coffee-stay-fre...
pard68 8y ago
I getting my coffee. If I buy one too many bags I can tell the difference between coffee used week 0 and say week 3 or 4. My palette isn't the best so I can't really tell the difference but I can see it. There is much less CO2 in the older coffee. You see this in the smaller "bloom".