About us

Flint & Steel coffee was developed with optimizing performance in mind.  Our single origin-microlot Haitian coffee is from 100% arabica beans, grown at approximately 5000ft, wet processed, and small batch roasted.  Grown in the same soil & environment as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Flint & Steel coffee has a unique smoothness & low acidity.

All of the coffee that we source are from micro lots.  A micro lot is an extremely small lot (average about 45-65 bags) that has been consciously set aside from other coffee because of its high quality.  It is near impossible to produce consistent high quality coffee all throughout a farm and each year it can vary with which part of the farm is producing the best coffee.  Therefore micro lot coffee comes from a single farm but is not part of that farm’s entire production.  Our farmers put extra effort in harvesting that micro lot coffee and do not lower the quality by mixing it with other beans on the farm.  In many cases these coffee beans have a 90 and above cupping score.  Our micro lots are always unique, single origin, never diluted with cheaper beans, and of the highest quality that we can find.

The best analogy we’ve heard is if you look at coffee beans like a pyramid.  You would see commercial commodity grade at the bottom in the larger portion of the pyramid because they are the most readily available.  As you progress up the pyramid, micro lot coffee beans would fall in the top portion, thus the most scarce and unique.

Direct Trade vs Fair Trade:

Fair Trade is a system where buyers pay cooperatives a flat rate for a specific product, based on the world average.  For coffee, this average is usually around $1.50 per pound.  The cooperative is not required to be transparent, therefore due to overhead costs, the amount given to the farmers is inadvertently less than Fair Trade prices.  Paying everyone the world average does not create an incentive to increase product quality nor does it equate to sustainable employment. 

What is Direct Trade?

Direct Trade is a system of payment based on product quality.  Coffee can be purchased from any range of small farmers to large cooperatives.  This amount is normally between $3-$5 per pound (but never goes below $1.80 per pound).  Direct Trade guarantees sustainability by paying the actual value of the product, and because quality is so important, the Direct Trader will assist the farmer to getting up to the highest quality possible.  This results in higher wages and more sustainable economic growth in farming communities.  Direct Trade also guarantees long term farm to buyer relationships.

Flint & Steel Coffee follows the direct trade system because we believe that quality and sustainability go hand in hand and that farmers should get paid based on the quality of their product.  We practice that belief by paying up to 300% higher wages than what Fair Trade requires for truly exceptional coffee.