FAQ
Straight answers. If yours isn’t here, email hello@drinksmallhours.com — a real person reads it.
Is the coffee whole bean or ground?
Whole bean. Coffee starts going flat within minutes of grinding, so a grinder at home is the biggest single upgrade most people can make — bigger than the espresso machine. If you need one, there are a few on the Equipment shelf worth the counter space.
How fresh is the coffee?
It ships from the roaster, not off a warehouse shelf, so it reaches you close to roast. Espresso tastes best rested about 4 to 14 days off roast; filter is more forgiving. Buy what you’ll drink in a few weeks and freshness takes care of itself.
How fast will my order get here, and who ships it?
Coffee and gear ship straight from the roaster or the maker — we don’t run a warehouse — which usually means fresher and faster. Most orders leave within a few business days, and you’ll get tracking when they do. If timing matters, email us before you order and we’ll give you the honest read on that exact item.
Something arrived damaged or wrong.
Email hello@drinksmallhours.com with your order number and a photo. You deal with one inbox — ours — and we sort it out with the maker directly. No supplier ticket queue, no runaround.
Can I return or exchange gear?
If a piece of equipment isn’t right, email us — as long as it’s unused and in its original packaging, we’ll help you return or exchange it. Opened coffee we can’t take back, for obvious reasons. Reach out and we’ll make it fair.
Can you actually help me choose — or dial it in?
That’s the point of a short shelf. Tell us what you’re working with and what you want out of the cup — hello@drinksmallhours.com — and you’ll get a real recommendation, not a chatbot. The Journal covers the common ground: dialing in espresso, which grinder to buy first, and getting your water right.
Who’s behind this?
Lars Miller, out of a home bar in South Florida: a La Marzocco Linea Mini and Linea Micra, a Mazzer Philos, and a rotating cast of challengers. Everything sold here gets used there first. The longer version’s on About Small Hours.