FAQ

About Try-Me Coffee

What is Try-Me Coffee, and where can I purchase your beans?

Try-Me Coffee is a 100-year-old coffee roaster in the heart of the historic Bywater of New Orleans. We roast full pounds at fair prices to keep local coffee accessible. To get your pound of Try-Me Coffee, order directly online from our community roaster. We’re one of the few remaining historic businesses still rooted in the neighborhood, staying true to our hand-crafted traditions: no mass production, no grocery aisles, just coffee shared through the New Orleans community. We roast on vintage machines that have been passed down through generations of local roasters. Every batch is roasted entirely by hand by skilled artisans — born and raised in New Orleans — with over 30 years of experience each.

How is your coffee roasted?

Our coffee is roasted by hand and by eye.

We use vintage machines, carefully maintained through four generations of ownership. Our staff has spent decades mastering their craft, listening for the first crack of the beans and watching their color deepen, the signal that a roast has reached its perfect moment. Nearby, a century-old mixer blends coffee and chicory just as it did when we were founded in 1925.

In a world where many roasting machines are programmed by algorithms and monitored by screens, our approach remains simpler:

“We look at the bean, not the screen.”

It’s a philosophy that we believe makes the difference in every cup.

Product Questions

How is your coffee so affordable for such exceptional quality?

Our coffee is priced between $15-$20 per full 16oz pound for personal retail orders, which is an incredible value for our quality and craftsmanship. You will typically pay much more at the grocery store for mass-produced coffee sold in bags less than a full pound. So how do we do it? As a heritage roaster with 100 years of experience, we’ve maintained high-quality equipment that helps keep our operating costs low. But it’s also a deliberate choice to keep coffee affordable for our community. It’s a commitment to making great coffee accessible to everyone we serve. Learn more about Try-Me Coffee's full pounds at fair prices.

Why is freshly roasted coffee better? How long does it stay fresh?

Coffee is at its most vibrant when it’s fresh, but what does fresh actually mean? While roasting may be complete, the bean itself continues to develop for several days, allowing its richest aromas and flavors to come into balance.

Depending on the roast, most coffees reach their peak 2–9 days after roasting and remain vibrant for up to 3 months when stored properly. Our goal is to help you experience coffee at its most expressive, to savor its evolving character as it unfolds.

Next time you’re at the grocery store, glance at the roast dates. You may be surprised how often even expensive coffees were roasted many months before ever reaching your cup. Not at Try-me.

Can you tell me what the grind options mean?

We offer the following grind options:

Whole Bean: Best for those who prefer to grind fresh at home.
Drip Grind: A medium grind, ideal for traditional coffee makers.
Coarse Grind: Perfect for French press or cold brew.

Are your coffee bags sustainable?

Yes! Our bags are compostable, designed to return to the earth that gives us our coffee beans. Simply remove the tin tie and peel off the label. To ensure our coffee bags break down consistently, they are certified compostable for industrial composting facilities. You can find more information about materials on the bottom of your coffee bag. At Try-Me Coffee, sustainability means caring for where we live in the Ninth Ward, a neighborhood shaped by environmental challenges like flooding and climate change. Learn more about our sustainability efforts here.

Ordering & Gifts

Can I walk up and buy coffee beans, or do I need to preorder?

Please pre-order your beans here. We roast your coffee beans to order because we want you to have them at their best. The fastest way to get your coffee? Choose Pickup at our Bywater roaster, and they will be ready in 1 business day or less. See our First-Time Ordering Guide to learn about our ordering process.

How do I get my pound of Try-Me Coffee?

We offer several options to make receiving your coffee easy.

Free Pickup at Try-Me Coffee.
Visit our roaster in the Bywater at 1014 France St. Monday–Thursday, 9:30am–4pm and Friday, 9:30am–3pm to pickup your order. Place your order, and it will be ready in 1 business day or less.
Affordable Shipping.
Can’t make it down to the Bywater? We ship throughout the United States via UPS, whether you’re just across town or far from New Orleans and craving the real thing.

We calculate the lowest available rates at checkout to keep pricing fair and bring our handcrafted coffee to doorsteps near and far.

Learn more about our shipping and pickup policies here.

Do you offer free shipping or discounts?

We do not. In a world where shipping is often advertised as free, we gently remind our customers that shipping is never truly free. Every package represents the work of our dedicated UPS drivers who collect each order from our Bywater roastery and deliver it to your doorstep. We know them by name.

Rather than inflating our prices to hide shipping costs, we price our coffee fairly every day and simply charge what it costs to deliver it to you.

Rest assured, you are receiving the fairest possible price for your coffee. No inflated prices. No secret promo codes. Just exceptional coffee, honestly priced and shipped fresh to your home.

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping is calculated in real time based on your location and the size of your order. You'll see the exact cost in your shopping cart before checkout.

Because shipping increases only slightly with each additional bag, many of our customers choose to order several pounds at a time. Freshly roasted coffee keeps beautifully, allowing you to enjoy weeks of exceptional coffee from a single shipment.

We believe you'll find it's well worth the journey from our New Orleans roastery to your home.

Do you offer Try-Me Coffee gift cards?

Yes! You can purchase a gift card here. All gift cards are sent by email for quick and easy delivery. Need help choosing an amount? We've included a guide in the gift card product description.

I’m sending coffee as a gift. Can I include a message for the recipient?

Absolutely. To include a message, add it in the special requests section in your cart (top right corner) before proceeding to checkout. Your message will be printed on the packing slip.

The packing slip includes the items in the order and your message, but does not display pricing.

Please note: once you move to checkout, the special requests section will no longer be visible, so be sure to add your message while in the cart.

Can I change or cancel my order after it's been placed?

At Try-Me Coffee, we take pride in our roast-to-order service. Once your order is submitted, the roasting begins, and we are unable to cancel or modify the order.

Do you accept returns?

Because we roast your beans to order, we regretfully cannot accept returns. We understand that finding your favorite coffee is a journey, and we offer a Century Sampler to aid your quest. It includes four carefully chosen coffees, each with its own story connected to the rich history of coffee. Find out more here.

Wholesale

Do you offer wholesale ordering?

Certainly. We proudly supply delicious coffee to restaurants and coffee shops. For further details, please visit our Wholesale FAQs and fill out our wholesale application.

Do you donate to charity events or fundraisers?

Yes! Currently, we donate items to silent auctions that support local schools. As a family-run business, we see the next generation of New Orleanians as stewards of our city’s culture. If you’re organizing a school fundraiser, please fill out our contact form with a few details.