![]() ![]() (The site asks a few practical questions, too, like whether you drink it caffeinated or decaf and if you want whole or ground beans.)įrom there, Trade matches you to a bag of beans - with more in your queue for later. The very first thing to do on the company’s site is take a quick quiz which asks how much of a coffee newbie you are, whether you add anything to your brew (like cream or sugar), the shade of roast you most enjoy (light, medium, or dark), and if you like classic coffee flavors or want something unconventional. roasters working with about 450 different coffees. Trade makes it easy (and not overwhelming) to access a massive range of U.S. Variety | Personalized preference quiz, personalized coffee ratings, delivery-management dashboard | 12-ounce bags of beans only For the sake of consistency, all prices listed below are for a 12-ounce bag of beans.īest overall | Best less expensive | Best for single-origin coffees from around the world | Best for Latin American coffees | Best for learning about beans | Best for expert advice | Most reliable | Best simple Still others ship beans as flights, so you get four or five bags in one delivery. Some subscriptions offer to ship your coffee in smaller bags - usually between six and eight ounces. ![]() But if you don’t drink that much coffee, or if you live alone, you might want a smaller bag to ensure freshness. If you drink two cups per day, a 12-ounce bag is about what you’d need per week you can scale up based on how many coffee drinkers are in your household. Here, I’ve noted these features to show how user-friendly the different interfaces are.īag size: Most subscriptions mail out 12-ounce bags of beans, which makes somewhere around 16 cups of coffee if you make them at 12 fluid ounces each (or a Tall size at Starbucks). They include quizzes on which roast levels you like, how you plan to brew the coffee, and which popular chain coffee you enjoy - all in hopes that the feedback guides the website’s recommendations for you. Some purveyors do more hand-holding than others to help newbies find the right coffee. Ideally, you can go to the website, see your order history and the next shipment headed to you, and make changes on the fly - like pausing delivery when you’ll be on vacation. User experience: Like with your favorite streaming platform, you want an easy-to-use website or app to help control a coffee subscription. Below, I’ve noted whether each subscription is best for consistency or variety. But if you want variety, having access to a network of independent roasters is a plus. If you prize consistency, those who roast their own beans have more control and likely an easier time delivering the same flavor month to month. This depends on whether the purveyors sell beans they roast themselves (like Blue Bottle Coffee and Craft Coffee) or deal in beans provided by smaller roasters (like Trade and MistoBox). ![]() Some let you order the same bag of beans while others ship you new flavors each month. variety: Coffee drinkers tend to fall into one of two camps: You either find a coffee you like and stick with it or jump from one roast to another. Here’s what I learned about each.Ĭonsistency vs. All of these subscriptions deliver a better cup of coffee than pre-ground or even whole-bean options from the supermarket. I’ve tested a lot of different coffee beans and makers in my career as a journalist (with stints at Serious Eats and Men’s Journal), and overall, I was impressed with the quality of the beans and service. I brewed each brand’s offerings using the pour-over method with a coffee-to-water ratio spelled out by the Specialty Coffee Association, then I sipped it black and took notes. I tested eight popular coffee subscriptions that choose bags of whole beans and send them right to your door tailored to your taste and timing preferences. This is why a better morning brew starts with good coffee beans. Brewing good coffee is like cooking: Quality ingredients often trump fancy equipment.
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