Is Der Hoffskeller Coffee Good? What It Is, What Buyers Say, and Who It Is Not For
By its reviews, yes, if you like a classic medium-dark cup. Der Hoffskeller is one coffee: 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica, roasted in cast iron in our family's barn in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Our reviews page shows 263 reviews; 118 of the 123 with stars are five stars, and the word reviewers use most is smooth. It is not for you if you want decaf, flavored coffee, pods or a light roast.
We are the family that roasts it. This is the plain summary we would want from a small roaster, complaint included, checkable on our reviews wall and FAQ.
The coffee in one table
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica, single origin. Supremo is Colombia's grade for the largest beans by screen size. |
| Roast | Medium-dark, German Norwegian style: one roast that releases beans at different points, so each batch holds a spread of roast levels. |
| How it is roasted | In a cast iron drum roaster, in small batches on a regular schedule. It ships within days of roasting in nearly all cases. |
| Taste | Customers describe it as smooth, bold and low in acid, and good black. |
| Grind | Whole bean or ground. Ground is one medium-fine grind that works for every brew method, espresso included. If you grind at home, order whole bean. |
| Sizes and prices | Seven sizes, 1/2 lb ($15) to 20 lb ($250), about $11.50 to $30 a pound. |
| What we don't make | No decaf, no flavors, no pods, no light roast. |
| Shipping | USPS to US addresses only, free on orders of $50 or more. Orders typically go out within a few business days (an estimate, not a guarantee). |
| Where it is sold | Online, at our barn, at Wisconsin farmers markets, two shops and a cafe. |
| In the box | Your coffee and a printed copy of the Der Hoffskeller Times, our family newspaper. |
What reviewers say
Each of the 263 cards on our reviews page shows a name, a date and a source, and 207 link to the original post.
| Source | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Verified buyers, left on our site | 55 |
| 47 | |
| X | 16 |
| Etsy | 5 |
| Facebook comments | 140 |
| All sources | 263 |
Of the 123 reviews with stars, 118 are five stars, three are four, one is three and one is two. The Facebook cards are comments on our posts, so they carry no stars.
The taste word that comes up most is smooth (38 cards), with delicious close behind (37). Bitter comes up in 13, each time as something the reviewer did not taste. Three that say it well:
“Don’t have to cover up bitterness with milk or creamer. This is really well balanced coffee.”
bark andre furry, X, September 2026
“I just ordered a couple of two pound bags. I was gone when they arrived, and my husband called me to say, ‘Oh my gosh! That smells so good!’ We brewed our first pot and are completely over the moon.”
Karyn H, X, September 2026
“Superb! You guys have hit the ball out of the park. Reminds me of my grandmother and the coffee she made when I was a kid.”
Matthew, verified buyer, August 2026
The complaint on the wall
We keep unhappy reviews up. The two-star and three-star ratings have no comments. The plainest written complaint:
“I think I got a bad batch. I even purchased a new percolator, and it made it taste better than the coffee maker, but it still barely had any flavor, and I let it percolate for 10 minutes.”
John R, Facebook, March 2026
We roast to the same finish every time, though green coffee is a crop and small seasonal differences happen. When a cup comes out thin, we first ask about the dose: our FAQ starts at two tablespoons per six ounces of water, and too little coffee is a common reason a cup tastes flat. One four-star reviewer found our ground coffee a little fine; if you prefer it coarser, order whole bean and grind it the way you like.
If a bag disappoints you, tell us. As our FAQ says, "We want to hear it either way." Roasted coffee is perishable, so we do not accept returns, but if an order arrives damaged, ruined or incorrect, email us within 7 days of delivery with photos and we will replace it (see our return policy).
Who it is for, and who it is not for
It suits you if:
- You like a classic, full-bodied medium-dark cup rather than a bright, fruity one.
- You drink coffee black, or would like to (see coffee you can drink black).
- You brew a pot every morning in a drip machine or a percolator.
- You go through enough coffee that 2, 7 or 20 pounds at a time makes sense.
- You miss German coffee. Several reviewers who grew up with it, or lived in Germany, say it is the best they have found here.
Look elsewhere if:
- You need decaf or want flavored coffee. We make neither, and a roaster that specializes in them will serve you better.
- You love light, bright single-farm coffees. Our FAQ says it plainly: "If you want single lot micro roasts with tasting notes, we are not that."
- You want K-Cups or pods. We do not sell them, though our ground coffee works in a reusable pod.
- You live outside the United States.
What it costs
The links open a one-time order of whole bean; switch to ground on the same page.
| Size | One-time | Per lb | Subscription | Per lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Hoff, 1/2 lb | $15.00 | $30.00 | $14.00 | $28.00 |
| The Hoff, 1 lb | $25.00 | $25.00 | $22.00 | $22.00 |
| Big Hoff jar, half gallon (24.8 oz whole bean, 30.2 oz ground) | $35.00 / $42.00 | $22.58 / $22.25 | One-time only | n/a |
| Big Hoff Bag, 2 lb | $34.00 | $17.00 | $30.00 | $15.00 |
| Queen Hoff, 3.5 lb | $60.00 | $17.14 | $52.00 | $14.86 |
| King Hoff, 7 lb | $105.00 | $15.00 | $95.00 | $13.57 |
| Bulk, 20 lb | $250.00 | $12.50 | $230.00 | $11.50 |
Shipping is free at $50 or more, so every Queen, King and Bulk order ships free. Bulk is the lowest per pound, then the King. Each extra Big Hoff Bag of the same grind in an order is $4 off, and each extra Queen or King $10 off. Subscriptions come weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly, with a two-delivery minimum, managed online through a secure emailed link (see is a coffee subscription worth it).
That is about $0.33 to $0.86 per eight-ounce cup (an estimate, assuming 35 cups per pound). Average grocery store ground coffee was $9.33 a pound in September 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), about $0.27 a cup, so ours costs more.
Where to buy it
- Online: every size, guest checkout with no account, paid by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe, from the size links above.
- The barn: 1040 Sherman Rd, Cedarburg, Wisconsin, open every day 9 to 5, with a free cup and self checkout. See hours and directions and our coffee barn.
- Farmers markets: around southeast Wisconsin, with samples on the table. The market calendar shows where we will be next, and our Milwaukee-area guide lists the markets around the city.
- Shops and a cafe: Main Street Market and The Purple Turtle carry it (stores), and LemonZello serves it (cafes).
- Etsy: we have a listing there, but our website has every size and current prices.
Who we are
Der Hoffskeller is a family farm stand and coffee shop on the ground floor of our 100-year-old barn in Cedarburg. The farm was part of an early German settlement in the 1860s, our family descends from German and Norwegian immigrants, and the barn has been in the family since 1944. The name joins "Hoff," Old Norse for farm, with the German rathskeller, a repurposed cellar: our coffee room is in the barn's lower level.
We started roasting in a cast iron pan, built cast iron stovetop roasters, and now roast in a cast iron drum roaster. We are a state licensed coffee roaster; Section 17 of our Terms of Service lists our commercial kitchen license (542676-F2) and FDA registration. More in what makes Der Hoffskeller coffee different.
Der Hoffskeller coffee questions
Is Der Hoffskeller legit?
Yes. We are a family business with a barn you can visit at 1040 Sherman Rd in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and a state licensed coffee roaster. Payments go through Stripe, so we never see your card, and our 263 reviews show names, dates and sources.
Where is Der Hoffskeller coffee roasted?
On our family farm in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, in a cast iron drum roaster. The green coffee is 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica, bought through a licensed importer.
Is Der Hoffskeller coffee low acid?
Customers describe it as smooth and low in acid. We do not treat the coffee chemically to lower acidity, and we cannot make a medical claim. For roast and acidity in general, see is dark roast less acidic.
Does every order come in a Mason jar?
No. Online, only the Big Hoff comes in a half-gallon glass Mason jar; the other sizes ship in coffee bags.
Do you ship outside the US?
No. We ship by USPS to US addresses only, including Puerto Rico and military APO, FPO and DPO addresses.
The easiest way to decide
Taste it. The Little Hoff is a half pound for $15 plus shipping, about 18 eight-ounce cups (an estimate at standard strength). Or try a free sample at a farmers market or a free cup at the barn. For more on choosing and brewing, see our coffee guides.