FAQ
ORDERS, SHIPPING & DELIVERY
Does Kicking Horse Coffee offer coupons?
To get the latest, most fresh and up-to-date news: sign up for our Newsletter or head to our 'Deals' page. Every so often we include updates on special offers!
I ordered something a while ago, but it hasn't arrived yet. Where could it be?
Occasionally, the tracking information provided by the carrier may show delivery ahead of schedule. Please allow a few days for the actual delivery. If your order is still delayed or hasn't arrived, kindly contact our consumer care team through our Contact Us page.
Where does Kicking Horse Coffee ship to?
We currently ship to Canada and the USA.
How long does it take for an order to arrive?
Once an order is placed, it gets fulfilled within two business day. From there, it usually takes between three to ten business days to get to its destination (excluding holidays). Please allow an additional 2-3 business days for deliveries to rural areas. Keep in mind, delivery times may vary depending on where you are geographically and the shipping carrier.
The estimates we provide are from the time of shipment to delivery, not including processing time at the warehouse.
*Please note due to circumstances beyond our control, your order may not deliver within our standard shipping times. Of course, we always do our best to make sure coffee orders get out the door as soon as possible!
RETURNS & EXCHANGES
Does Kicking Horse Coffee have a return policy?
We sure do. Our return policy outlines whether or not a purchase is eligible for a return and/or a refund. For more specific questions related to returns, see below.
Still have questions? Please contact our customer service and support team.
How do I return an item and receive a refund?
Not happy with coffee ordered? Our customer service team will happily replace or refund the ordered coffee within 14 days. However, due to its perishable nature, we don’t accept coffee returns.
To return an item, contact our customer support team. *Once we’ve been given the heads-up an order is being returned, you will have 14 days to send the item back to us. only for merch*
Can I change or cancel my order after its been placed?
At this time, we are unable to change or cancel orders that have been placed, even moments after you've finished checking out. Please triple check that you have your order (ie. blend, size format, whole bean or ground coffee) and shipping address correct.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
What are subscriptions and why should I sign up?
Subscriptions are a convenient way to have your coffee delivered to your door without having to physically place your order every time you need coffee! You can pick whatever blend or blends you want; you dictate the frequency of the deliveries so you’ll never run out! Pretty sweet, eh?!
Once I sign up can I change or edit my Subscription order?
You betcha! We highly recommend creating an account to easily manage your subscription right here on our website.We can have you set up and ready to go in two shakes of a donkey’s tail! Just follow these quick steps:
1. Click the 'Account' button (person icon) at the top right.
2. Fill in your name, email, and a 5-character password.
3. Click 'Create my Account' and activate via email. You will be sent and activation email, check your junk folder!
4. Once activated, the icon changes to your initials.
5. Manage your subscription under 'Subscription' > 'Manage Subscriptions', where you can update frequency, blends, address, and add or cancel subscriptions anytime."
How do I manage or change my payment methods for Subscriptions?
Follow steps listed above and click ‘Update Payment Method’. A message will pop up and here you will click ‘Send Email’. The email you receive will tell you exactly what you need to do.
Can I take advantage of other discounts or promotions on my subscription order?
As the order is already discounted, your subscription will not qualify for additional promotions or offers. See the Subscription policy for more details.
How many different Subscriptions can I have?
As many as you like! Sky’s the limit! Send your friends and family the gift that keeps on giving!
OUR PRODUCTS
Where do Kicking Horse Coffee’s beans come from?
Our beans come from South America, Central America, Africa and Indonesia. Specifically, we buy beans from certified Organic and Fairtrade farming cooperatives in Peru, Colombia, Sumatra, East Timor, Uganda, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras and Ethiopia.
How does Kicking Horse Coffee decaffeinate the beans?
We use the Swiss Water Process for both our Decaf and Half Ass blends. This is a chemical-free process that uses only water, temperature, and time to gently remove 99.9% of the caffeine. Graci-ass, H2O!
Why are some beans oilier than others?
Coffee oils are naturally brought out during the roasting process. The darker the roast, the more likely the beans are to release their oils. Why? They’re exposed to higher temperatures which brings more natural oils to the surface. That’s why more oils can be seen on medium and dark roasts.
What is the best blend to use with an espresso machine?
Many of our blends are a great choice for brewing espresso. Cliff Hanger Espresso is made for it! Every blend comes with a list of recommended brew methods: have a look and see what sounds about right.
For a super-automatic espresso machine with an integrated grinder, we’d suggest trying a medium or light blend, like Smart Ass or Hola. Give ‘em a shot! Make that a double.
How much caffeine is in one cup of Kicking Horse Coffee?
It all depends on how the coffee has been brewed and how much coffee is used.
Generally speaking…
One double shot (2 oz) of espresso has about 80mg of caffeine.
One cup (12 oz) of drip coffee using 2 Tbsp of ground coffee can have approximately 140mg of caffeine.
Curious about the details? Read more here.
Is there any caffeine in the Decaf blend?
To decaffeinate our coffee we use the Swiss Water Process. This is a chemical-free process that uses water only water, temperature, and time to gently remove 99.9% of the caffeine.
Decaf that uses 2 Tbsp of ground coffee to 8 oz (236 ml) of water will yield about 0.08mg of caffeine per cup.
By comparison, a regular cup of Kick Ass drip coffee has 140mg of caffeine per cup. Giddy-up!
Are there mycotoxins in coffee? Does Kicking Horse Coffee test for mold and toxins?
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring and can be found on foods such as dried fruits, nuts, spices, cereals, cocoa, and coffee beans. Because of this, Kicking Horse Coffee has extremely high-quality standards to ensure we mitigate the risk of mycotoxin exposure.
How do we do this? We intensively monitor our green beans and our Quality Control Team regularly undertakes green bean analysis, roasted sampling and independent lab analysis. Our testing has always been negative to molds, bacteria or yeast.
Our coffee is hand-picked and carefully processed at the source. We regularly visit our farmers and their communities and work together to ensure quality standards are met.
How can someone tell when a bag of beans was roasted?
If the bag is unopened, our will hold its freshness for 18 months after roasting. To find out when a bag of beans was roasted, check out the best before date on the back. The beans will have been Rocky Mountain-roasted 18 months before that date.
Is Kicking Horse coffee gluten/nut/dairy free?
In our facility, we only make one thing: coffee! It's roasted from one ingredient only: green coffee. We don't use additives, fillers, or flavouring. We follow very strict food safety guidelines to ensure our coffee does not come in contact with gluten, nuts, dairy or soy.
Does Kicking Horse Coffee add flavours or additives to the coffee?
Hard no. The flavours in our coffee are all natural. Why spoil a good thing?
What is the blend with the lowest acidity (pH level)?
It sounds like you may be in search of our dark roasts. The pH of our hot brewed dark roasts are:
- 454 Horse Power – 5.6 pH
- Grizzly Claw – 5.4 pH
- Kick Ass – 5.2 pH
The way you prepare your coffee also contributes to the amount of acidity in each cup. Some tips to help lower acidity are:
- Use a French press. The coarser grind size helps lower acidity. Here are some brewing tips for using a French press.
- If you’re grinding beans, be sure to use a burr grinder (versus blade); this ensures your grind is always consistent, which can help
- Use coffee with Arabica beans. Good news! 100% of our beans are high-quality Arabica beans that are also Fairtrade and Organic. Heck, yes!
- Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. Try drinking a glass of water before your morning coffee!
What is the grind size of your ground coffee?
Our ground coffee is a medium-fine grind and is intended for a typical drip brewer and pour over.
SUSTAINABLITY
What does Fairtrade actually mean?
Kicking Horse Coffee is 100% certified Fairtrade. It’s the only coffee we use. Why?
Fairtrade helps farmers run smart, successful and sustainable businesses. This improves the standard of living for farmers and their communities. And that is something we care about.
To become certified Fairtrade, we stick to specific standards. We are more than happy to meet these standards, as it means we are offering better trading conditions for producers and workers in the countries where our coffee comes from.
Learn more about our Fairtrade certification.
A nifty fact? We are now the largest Fairtrade roaster in Canada! How ‘bout that.
What does Organic actually mean?
Kicking Horse Coffee is certified Organic. This means none of our beans have been grown with synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.
Our coffee is proudly certified by ECOCERT and we are audited annually.
Is Kicking Horse Coffee considered bird-friendly?
All of our coffee is certified Fairtrade and Organic. This means it comes from cooperatives who are dedicated to improving biodiversity on their farms. This also means our coffee is shade-grown on small-scale farms (less than 5 Ha in size). This helps to ensure the environment is as biodiverse as possible, and continues to offer habitat for birds (and other species).To be officially bird-friendly, we would have to receive certification from The Smithsonian Institute. Their current list of cooperatives with this accreditation is very limited. Given the number of cooperatives from around the world that we source coffee from, we currently aren’t able to use their seal on our blends.
Can Kicking Horse Coffee bags be recycled?
Our bags literally have a silver lining. This foil lining is what keeps the beans fresh: our top priority. Why? All of our beans are 100% Fairtrade and Organic, they’re also hand-picked and roasted with a lot of love. Given how much work goes into getting kick-ass beans, we have to make sure they stay fresh for as long as possible. That’s the lining’s job! But because of the lining they are not recyclable.Here’s the thing. We’re working hard to find a solution. And we look forward to the day when we can bring more sustainable packaging to the market: one that keeps beans super fresh, conserves taste and also has a small environmental footprint.