About the Coffee

What is all of this?

This is a subscription service that delivers freshly roasted coffee to the mailing address of your choice on a monthly or biweekly basis. 

How’s the roast?

Medium roast that is sweet and nutty with notes of dark chocolate, stone fruit and nougat.

Sourcing Information

In the mountains of the tropical Ixcan region, in the department of El Quiché and the tiny town of Santa Avelina, the Maya Ixil cooperative is helping farmers to improve their communities and livelihoods.

Maya Ixil evolved in response to sinking coffee prices and a need to increase profitability for farmers in the communities of San Juan Cotzal, San Gaspar Chajul and Santa Maria Nebaj.

In 1998, the group began to organize and succeeded in gaining organic certification, and in 2004 it earned Fair Trade certification as well. These certifications signify not only an improvement in co-op members' quality of life but also improvements to their environment through sustainable practices. 

Maya Ixil has 185 members and is currently using its Fair Trade premiums to build a school for the community, as well as to fund the following initiatives:

Women's Microcredit Fund

Coffee farming is heavily dominated by men in this community, though Maya Ixil does have 12 members who are women. To empower the wives of farmers to engage in additional economic pursuits, Maya Ixil created a microcredit fund to support income diversification plans, such as purchasing materials to raise livestock or to produce handicrafts and textiles. The additional income they generate both benefits the families and helps to promote gender equality in the community.

Beekeeping Teaching Program

A pilot project by Food 4 Farmers has promoted commercial beekeeping among coffee producers. InterAmerican recently donated $6,000 to the program, which has helped coffee crops, provided a source of nutrition to families and created a supplemental source of income. Domingo de la Cruz Toma, the apiary teacher for the Maya Ixil program, and a coffee farmer himself, touts beekeeping’s potential to improve the lives of farmers over the long term.

How much caffeine is in this coffee? 

96mg per 8oz of coffee 

Can I get larger amounts of coffee?

We only sell 12-ounce bags, but you can receive more than one per month! For context: Our family has two coffee-drinking adults who drink 2-3 cups per day, and we go through around three bags per month, so we have signed up for a 3-bag-per-month subscription.

Where is the coffee roasted?

The coffee is roasted by our partners IronSmith Coffee in Encinitas, California.

How do I brew the coffee?

For filter drip:

We recommend a ratio of 16:1 (water:coffee), boiled filtered water, and 4-6 minute brew times. Coffee should be ground medium-fine. 

For example: 

18 grams ground coffee 

280-300 grams boiled water  

For espresso:

We recommend a ratio of 2:1 (water:coffee). Brew time should be between 25-30 seconds

For example:

18 grams ground coffee

36-40 grams of espresso into a cup between 25-30 seconds of extraction

How should I store this coffee? How long will it stay fresh?

Best if used within one month of receiving. Store the coffee in the bag or an air-tight container at room temperature.

Is this coffee gluten-free? Vegan? Kosher?

The coffee is gluten-free and vegan. It is not certified kosher. 

Are there possible allergens in the coffee? 

No. Our roaster works only with coffee beans. 

Can I get samples? 

Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide samples at this time. If you subscribed and decide you don’t like the coffee, you can cancel at any time without fuss or hassle.

Placing an Order

Can I subscribe if I live outside the US? 

We're able to ship coffee to as many countries that will allow us to! Some countries do not allow the import of consumable goods or have particularly strict and expensive processes in order to ship consumables from the US. We'll do our best to ship everywhere we can.

To check if we can ship to your address, we recommend adding the subscription to your cart and enter your address at checkout. If we can ship to you, then the system will allow you to move to the next step to enter your payment information.

What payment methods do you accept? Can I pay with a money order or purchase order?

We accept payments from all major debit cards and credit cards, as well as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay.  We cannot process payments via Amazon Pay, money orders, purchase orders, orders placed over the phone, or cash transactions.

Are taxes included in the cost of my subscription?

Taxes are not included in the cost of the subscription. If you live in a location that charges sales tax on items like coffee, you’ll see tax charged for your subscription in addition to the subscription price.

Customs fees and import taxes may also be due for your order depending on your country's regulations. We recommend familiarizing yourself with these regulations before ordering to avoid any surprises when it's time for your order to be delivered or picked up.

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping fees are included with your subscription. There will be no additional shipping fees charged by DFTBA, regardless of where the shipment is going! For non-subscription items, the cost of shipping is calculated based on the weight of the item(s).

You said shipping was free. Why was I charged shipping on my order?

Shipping for the coffee subscription is free. If you ordered any other items, you will be charged shipping on your first order containing those items.

When will I be charged?

You will be charged right away for your first shipment. You will be billed every two weeks for bi-weekly shipping or on the same day you signed up for monthly shipping. 

Do you ship to my country/school/small town/etc?

If you have an address within the US that receives mail and packages from the US, we ship to it! 

Orders are shipped via UPS and handed off to the postal service for final delivery. If there are multiple versions of your address, we recommend using the version you normally use for mail the post office delivers to you.

Unfortunately, due to restrictions and regulations for the import of consumable products, we’re not able to ship coffee to all countries at this time. However, we'll make every effort to ship coffee orders to every country that will allow us to. 

To check if we can ship to your address, we recommend adding the subscription to your cart and enter your address at checkout. If we can ship to you, then the system will allow you to move to the next step to enter your payment information.

Is expedited shipping available?

No. We do not offer expedited shipping for recurring subscriptions.

Subscription Details

How long will I be subscribed?

The subscription will charge on a monthly basis until you choose to cancel it. You’ll receive a billing reminder each month, a few days before you are charged, and an order confirmation when your order is successfully processed.

When will my orders be shipped? When will I receive my coffee each month?

Your first order will ship within 7 business days after purchase. Every month after that, your orders will be processed and ship from our warehouse within 1-3 business days after the charge is processed. Orders shipped within the US typically take 1-2 weeks to arrive once they’re shipped. 

Can I change the billing date?

Yes! You can log in to manage your subscription and choose a new billing date. If you're having any trouble with making this change, please reach out to our team at hello@dftba.com and let us know the email address associated with your account and the new billing date you'd prefer.

Can I cancel my subscription?

Of course! Cancel anytime with no fees and no strings. We only guarantee to open the subscription once per year though, so you will not be able to re-subscribe until we open it again. 

You will be able to cancel your subscription within your customer portal which will be emailed to you after your purchase. Please note, canceling your subscription will not cancel any recent orders that have been processed but not yet shipped. 

Contact us at hello@dftba.com if you need help canceling your subscription or finding your customer portal. 

Can I skip my next order?

Yes, you can skip an order by going to your account and clicking on “Delivery Schedule.” You will see the option to skip a month there. You can also contact hello@dftba.com if you need additional assistance.

Can I change my address/payment/account information?

If it is for a future order that has not yet been processed, you can view your account and make any changes on your own in your customer portal, or email us at hello@dftba.com for assistance.

If you need to update the address for an order that has already been processed, please email the new address to hello@dftba.com as soon as possible to let us know so we can update that in our shipping system. Once an order ships, we’re not able to update the address on the shipping label

Why was my subscription canceled?

If a payment fails, our system will attempt to charge your card on file a few times up to one week after the initial attempt (one attempt every two days) until a successful payment is processed. If the final payment attempt fails, the subscription will be cancelled and you'll receive an email letting you know your subscription was cancelled. To reactivate your subscription, update your billing information and our system will process a new order for you. If you have any trouble, or the new order is still not processing, reach out to hello@dftba.com and we can help!

I need to update my shipping address! 

If you have registered your account, you can log in to your subscription portal to update your shipping address. Once you are logged in, click “Manage Subscription” under the “Account” section, then select “Subscriptions” from the top menu. There will be an option to update your shipping address there. 

Please note that updating your account address will not automatically change the address for any orders that have already been processed and not yet shipped. If you need an address updated for a recently processed order, email hello@dftba.com as soon as possible with your new shipping address and order number. We are not able to update shipping labels for orders that have already shipped. 

**Please note that updating your default address within your account will not update the shipping address for your subscription orders. You must edit the shipping address from the Manage Subscriptions > Subscriptions pathway for your address to update successfully.

I need to update my billing information.

If you have registered your account, you can log in to your subscription portal to update your shipping address. Once you are logged in, click “Manage Subscription” under the “Account” section, then select “Billing Information” from the top menu. You can then click the “Payment Method” section to update your card on file. 

I can’t log in to my account / I have a subscription, but the site says I have no account!

If you have not yet registered for an account, check your inbox for an account invite from DFTBA - this email would have been sent to you very soon after placing your first order at DFTBA.com. Sometimes these emails end up in spam/junk folders! 

If you did not receive that email or if you’re having any trouble logging in to your existing account, email us at hello@dftba.com. We can send a new account invitation or a password reset message so that you can set up a password and log in. 

We recommend using a computer, and not a mobile device, to log in to your account - particularly when updating your shipping and billing information. 

Shipping, Refunds, & Replacements

I need to cancel a shipment of coffee, what do I need to do?

Send us an email (hello@dftba.com) with the order confirmation number as soon as you decide to cancel your order! We can only cancel orders that have not yet shipped.

What is your refund/return policy?

Refunds and replacements for lost or damaged orders can be set up within 6 months from the order date. After 6 months, an order is no longer eligible for a refund or a replacement.

We cannot accept returns for consumable products and will not provide refunds for returned coffee. We can provide a refund for other items, such as mugs, as long as they are returned in new condition. Shipping fees are non-refundable.

Are tracking numbers available/why doesn't my tracking number work?

When your order ships, you will receive a confirmation email with tracking info. These sometimes get snagged by spam folders, so be sure to check there if you believe your order should have already shipped. Once an order ships, it can take a day or two for the tracking page to update with new information. You can track your shipment at https://www.ups.com/track.

My order never showed up! Where is it?

If you feel like your coffee is taking too long to get to you, don't worry! Our replacement policy covers lost packages. We can reship or refund lost orders up to 6 months after the order is processed (charged). Please email us at hello@dftba.com for assistance with a replacement or refund request. 

For replacements to be sent in the case of a lost package, we will need the shipping address re-confirmed so we know the address was not the cause for your order being returned or misdelivered. Please note, there will be a $6 reshipment fee for any orders that need a change of address. 

How do you know if the order may have been lost? There are some guidelines outlined below: 

We estimate that shipments will arrive 7-10 business days after the order leaves our warehouse. These orders include tracking capabilities with Standard Shipping through UPS Mail Innovations, so you should be able to keep an eye on the package's progress through the UPS Tracking page (https://www.ups.com/track). We can issue a replacement or a refund for the items if the tracking for the package has either 1) stalled for 10 consecutive business days, or 2) shows "delivered" but is not found in/on/near the mailbox or door within 3 business days.

I received a damaged item. How do I get a replacement or refund?

If your bag of coffee is broken, torn, or otherwise damaged in transit, send us an email (hello@dftba.com) and let us know. We’ll ship a replacement to the same address and you’ll receive a confirmation email when the replacement is shipped.