Specialty coffee is coffee recognized for its distinctive qualities and the care taken throughout its journey, from growing and harvesting to processing, roasting, and brewing. All coffees we offer at Café LULO are specialty coffees, selected for their quality, character, and traceable Colombian origins.

Does bean size matter? Coffee beans naturally vary in size depending on their variety and growing conditions. Size grading helps producers sort beans for consistency, but bigger does not automatically mean better: bean size alone does not determine specialty quality. What matters is the quality in the cup.

A lighter roast profile optimized for pour-over methods like the Hario V60, AeroPress, Chemex, or French Press. This profile highlights the delicate, natural origin flavors of the bean—expect vibrant, fruity, floral, and highly nuanced notes. Best enjoyed black.

👉 Browse all Filter coffees

A slightly darker roast profile crafted for espresso machines or stovetop Moka pots. This development brings out more body, a rich sweetness, and a creamy texture. It provides the perfect balance for milk drinks while reducing sharp acidity.

👉 Browse all Espresso coffees

An Omni roast sits right in the sweet spot between filter and espresso. It is roasted with a versatility that allows it to perform beautifully across all brewing methods. One bag, any setup—perfect for experimenting.

👉 Browse all Omni coffees

If you love a rich, berry-like sweetness and intense fruit flavors, look for our Natural or Anaerobic/Co-Fermented coffees. If you prefer a very clean, crisp cup that tastes elegant and light (similar to a fine black tea with citrus notes), go for our Washed profiles. Because we gently roast our coffees in small batches in Neukölln, none of our roasts are bitter—allowing the natural, beautiful sweetness of our Colombian family farms to shine through.

If you’re new to specialty coffee, start with your brewing method: choose Filter for a pour-over brewer, Espresso for an espresso machine or Moka pot, or Omni if you like to switch between methods. For a first taste, a washed coffee is a great starting point for a clean, balanced cup. Prefer something fruitier? Try a natural. Not sure where to begin? Tell us how you brew and what flavors you enjoy, and we’ll help you choose.

🔬 Category: Coffee Processes & Fermentation

The way a coffee is processed after harvesting completely shapes its final flavor profile:

• 💧 Washed: The fruit flesh and sticky mucilage are completely washed off before the beans are dried. The Taste: Super clean, elegant, with a crisp and vibrant acidity.

Examples: El Tablón Castillo Washed (Espresso) and El Tablón Castillo Washed (Filter).

• 🍯 Honey: The outer skin is removed, but the beans are dried with their natural, sweet sticky layer (mucilage) still intact. The Taste: Wonderfully balanced with a smooth, creamy body and a gentle, honey-like sweetness.

Examples: El Rincón Pink Bourbon Honey (Filter) and El Rincón Pink Bourbon Honey (Espresso).

• ☀️ Natural: The coffee cherries are dried in the sun as whole fruits. The bean absorbs all the sugars from the surrounding fruit flesh. The Taste: Intensely fruity, sweet, and bold, often reminding you of berries or tropical fruits.

Try: El Encanto Yellow Bourbon Natural (Filter).

"Anaerobic" simply means "without oxygen." For this process, the freshly picked coffee cherries are placed inside sealed, airtight stainless-steel tanks. Because there is no oxygen, a completely different type of fermentation takes place. The Taste: This process creates incredibly unique, wild, and complex flavors—often resulting in intense tropical fruit notes, a wine-like character, or a velvety texture.

Try: El Rincón Tabi Anaerobic (Filter).

Co-fermentation is a highly innovative craft process. During the fermentation stage (often anaerobic), natural ingredients like fresh local fruits (e.g., passionfruit, citrus), spices, or herbs are added directly into the fermentation tanks with the coffee cherries. The beans absorb these natural aromatics on a molecular level. The Taste: An absolute flavor explosion that pushes the boundaries of traditional coffee, offering ultra-distinct and unforgettable taste experiences.

Try: Los Pinos Ají Bourbon Co-Fermented and Los Pinos Ombligón Co-Fermented.

None—it’s entirely about your personal taste! Washed = clarity & elegance; Honey = sweetness & balance; Natural = rich fruit & body; Anaerobic/Co-Fermented = wild intensity.

🇨🇴 Category: Direct Trade & Our Heritage

For us, this goes way deeper than just a marketing word—it is our life, heritage, and family history. Three of our co-founders are from Colombia, and sourcing coffee directly from their own family farms is the heart of what we do. For any other coffee we bring to Berlin, our highest priority is to know the producing families personally. We skip anonymous brokers completely. This unique, personal bond allows us to guarantee absolute transparency, pay prices far above traditional fair-trade standards, and directly support the communities at the source. Every single bean is then hand-roasted in small batches right here in Berlin-Neukölln.

Yes, 100%. For every coffee we offer, you can trace exactly which region in Colombia (like Fusagasuga) it comes from, the specific farm it was grown on, the altitude of the estate, and the family who put their hard work into cultivating it.

We roast our coffees weekly in small, precise batches in our Neukölln roastery, and every bag features a stamp with the exact roasting date. Freshly roasted coffee needs time to release trapped carbon dioxide gases—a process called degassing. Clean, washed coffees are ready to enjoy after 2 to 3 weeks and maintain their beautiful, vibrant flavor peak for up to 3 months. In contrast, highly fermented (like anaerobic) and natural process coffees take much longer to degas. They actually reach their absolute flavor sweet spot between the 2nd and 3rd month after roasting, as their complex sugars and heavy gases settle, fully opening up their unique fruit profiles.

Once you break the seal and open the bag, exposure to oxygen accelerates the aging process. To enjoy the full spectrum of delicate specialty aromas, we highly recommend finishing the bag within 4 to 6 weeks after opening. While it remains perfectly safe to drink for months, the vibrant floral and fruity notes will slowly begin to fade after the first month.

Keep your coffee in our original pouch—it features a special one-way valve that lets CO2 escape but keeps damaging oxygen out. Store it in a cool, dark place at room temperature. Please do not store your coffee in the fridge, as it will absorb moisture and unwanted food odors!

Always choose whole beans if you have a grinder at home! Coffee releases its most delicate aromas within minutes after being ground. Buying whole beans guarantees ultimate freshness. Choose pre-ground only if you don't have a grinding setup yet—we will happily grind it perfectly for your specific method.

• Fine ➡️ Espresso, Moka pot

• Medium ➡️ V60, Chemex, AeroPress

• Coarse ➡️ French Press, Cold Brew

👉 Browse Brewing Equipment

📦 Category: Shipping & Orders

We ship within Germany and to selected European countries. You can find all shipping rates and destinations at checkout or on our Contact page.

Within Germany, it usually takes 2–4 business days after dispatch. Please note: Since we roast in short cycles to ensure maximum quality, please allow an additional 1–3 days for roast preparation before your order leaves our roastery.

Please contact us immediately via our Contact page. Since we process and pack quickly, changes or cancellations are only possible before the fulfillment or specific roasting process of your batch has started.

We are so sorry to hear that! Please contact us immediately via our Contact page and include a photo of the package. We will resolve it and get your fresh coffee to you as quickly as possible.

We’re working on a coffee subscription system, and special coffee boxes are coming soon. Sign up for our Newsletter to be the first to hear when they launch!

Ready to dive deeper into the world of coffee? Explore our Coffee Courses, come visit us at our Café LULO in Berlin, or read more about our philosophy on our Our Roastery page.