FAQ
Below we have listed some of the most common questions we’re asked about our service and products at Colonna.
Shipping
How long does shipping take?
For UK standard shipping, Royal Mail provides us with an estimate of 2 working days for delivery from the receipt of your shipping notification. This is an untracked service.
We offer free standard shipping within the UK on orders of £35 and over.
For orders outside of the UK we use Royal Mail Standard International, with estimated shipping times presented at checkout depending on destination.
Tracked courier delivery options are available at checkout for both UK and international orders.
My order has not arrived yet, what should I do?
Once shipped your order is placed into the care of the postal service selected. If an order does not reach you within the estimated time frame please do be in touch at help@colonnacoffee.com.
Please note - for orders shipped with Royal Mail we allow up to 14 days from postage before declaring an item as lost in the post.
My delivery address is not in the UK, will there be import charges?
Some countries may have import charges. For international shipments we recommend checking with your local authority or postal service to confirm if additional charges apply on delivery.
Please note - since 1st January 2021, for orders shipping to countries within the EU, additional charges may apply on delivery. Please check with your local authority/postal services for more details.
Beans
When will my coffee be roasted?
Coffees are roasted throughout the week, with orders fulfilled as quickly as possible after the order is placed. We recommend resting our coffee at least seven days from roast before brewing.
For beans subscriptions we roast at the start of the month and package in Nitro-flushed bags, giving a shelf life of up to nine months (unopened).
Do you offer ground coffee?
No, we do not currently offer our coffee ground. Our goal is to showcase incredible flavour from the coffees we select, and ground coffee loses this flavour much quicker than whole bean coffee.
We do stock a number of home-grinding options here. If you would like any advice please get in touch at help@colonnacoffee.com.
What is the difference between the espresso and filter options?
This references the roast approach. These coffees are roasted for their intended brew method. Both roast types are supplied as whole beans.
Why does my coffee bag have no valve?
Traditional coffee bags feature a one-way valve, designed to vent CO2 created as the freshly-roasted coffee de-gasses. However, along with CO2 goes a large portion of the volatile aromatics that define the flavour of the coffees we source.
Systematic testing revealed that the valves themselves are often not one-way at all — allowing small amounts of oxygen into bags, negatively impacting freshness and cup quality.
Our valveless bag design seals in those precious aromatics that make our coffees so spectacular — and lock out age-inducing oxygen — allowing for vibrant cup profiles.
The lack of a valve means that the coffee inside the bags sits in a pressurised state. Our espresso roasts give off more CO2 and are therefore at a higher pressure than our filter roasts.
As a result, our bags may have an on-shelf appearance that can differ from other retail coffee bags.
Capsules
Are your capsules recyclable?
Yes, our aluminium capsules are 100% plastic-free and fully recyclable with Podback for UK customers. For a free, straight-forward and effective method of recycling your aluminium capsules pick up a free Podback bag right here.
Compostable capsules (and their air-tight bags) require commercial composting and can be added to many local food waste collections. Please confirm valid types of collection with your local authority.
Why are my capsules running slowly?
Our coffee is roasted lighter than many traditional capsule coffees to preserve and enhance each lot’s unique flavour, it is also ground on a roller grinder for an incredibly even, fine grind. Lighter roast coffee holds a little more water as it brews and this, combined with our more even grind approach, may provide a slightly slower brew than you may be used to.
Which machines are your capsules compatible with?
Our capsules are designed to be compatible with drop down Nespresso® machines. The capsules are not compatible with commercial and “built in” models.
There are a wide variety of Nespresso® compatible machines available. Please note regarding compatibility that the models in the marketplace all vary slightly in design and composition.
The machine we recommend for consistent and exceptional results is the Opal Machine, the only capsule machine designed to brew Colonna capsules.
What dose do you recommend for my capsules?
We recommend brewing our short capsules to 25g in the cup, and our longs to 80g.
Most Nespresso® machines can be programmed to deliver the same dose every time you press the button.
Subscriptions
How do your subscriptions work, and what are the terms?
Subscriptions are simple. You sign up, selecting which genre, brew method and roast type you’d like. You also select the frequency of your subscription and the amount of beans or capsules you’d like to receive.
Your first order is placed into our dispatch queue as soon as you complete the checkout process. Your subscription will start immediately and subsequent orders will be processed based on the frequency you select.
You can sign in to our site at any time to manage your subscription. You will also find an option to cancel your subscription within the subscription management section of your account.
There is no fixed term for a capsule or beans subscription (this does not include the Opal subscriptions, terms and conditions for which are viewable at sign-up).
Is there a minimum order for capsules?
Yes, there is a 40 capsules minimum order per type (4 boxes) - Discovery Short capsules, or Rare Long capsules for example.
Other
Do you have a coffee shop or retail outlet?
Yes, our coffee shop Colonna & Small’s can be found at 6 Chapel Row in Bath, England.
You haven’t answered my question here, who should I contact?
If you have a question about our products or service that is not answered above, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer support team at help@colonnacoffee.com.