RS Recommends: Perk Up Your Morning Brew With These Coffee Subscription Boxes
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Coffee is both a science and an art, and everyone has strong opinions about the best kettle, grinder, or machine necessary to make that perfect cup. But the star of the show when it comes to flavor is always good-quality coffee beans. It’s never been easier to get coffee beans delivered too, especially if you’re not really leaving the house or avoiding packed grocery stores and cafes.
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Reports confirm that 47% of folks say they’re now ordering their coffee online, with another nearly 12% receiving theirs via subscription. Part of this buzz seems to be a hold over from the “stocking up” rush seen in the earlier days of stay-at-home orders. But if you still feel uncomfortable venturing out in public — even for your java fix — you’re not alone. Several companies have been pivoting to deliver everything from booze to meal kits straight to your front door.
There’s something particularly unifying about a good cup of coffee, though—it’s an important morning ritual for many of us, clearly, since more than 2.25 billion cups are brewed globally every day. The best coffee subscriptions can help you figure out the best beans for you, in terms of flavor and strength.
If you want a brew that will power you through working from home, or just want to try something slightly more global than what you’d find at your local supermarket, these subscription boxes have you covered.
What Are the Best Coffee Subscription Boxes?
Bored of your usual cup of joe, and looking to shake up your morning routine? Here are our top picks for the best coffee subscription services and boxes.
1. Bean Box
BEST OVERALL
Bean Box
Your guide to specialty coffee, Bean Box is a single-handedly curating some of the best coffees from across the country with an impressive roster of 50+ plus roasters. Think of Bean Box like a coffee sommelier, as they partner with the nation’s top roasters to bring you exclusive small-batch coffees with seemingly endless varieties. The best part? All your beans will be shipped straight to the comfort of your home for the ultimate coffee-drinking experience.
Brew better mornings with your choice of one or two 12 oz. bags of ground or whole bean coffee, hand-selected by Bean Box’s coffee curation team and delivered on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis starting at $20. Right now, when you subscribe you can get a bonus Coffee Tasting Flight for free, no promo code needed. Bean Box also offers a “World Tour” of 16 curated coffees from the world’s top coffee-producing regions, as well as a coffee and artisanal chocolate bar tasting box, and even Seinfeld-inspired brews. With Bean Box, you’ll never be bored of your brew.
2. Trade
BEST SELECTION
Trade Coffee
Trade is like the world’s best coffee mentor, with an immense catalogue of more than 400 coffees, available from local craft roasters across the states. But you don’t have to be a coffee snob to enjoy their offerings: when you sign up, you can take a short quiz that will algorithmically hone in on what roast profiles you like, and which beans are best for the kind of coffee gear you’re actually going to use (pourover gang, anyone?).
Their unique coffee matching takes all the guesswork out of your morning cup of joe. But if you’re a java aficionado and know what beans suit you best, you can buy an individual bag and have it delivered at any time. Trade also has decaf options, which is big plus if you want the same great flavors from premium coffee without the mid-day jitters.
Trade Coffee’s subscriptions start at around $14 for a 12 oz. bag, but you can customize your order in a lot of ways, from adding your favorite picks, to choosing grind settings, and order frequency between 1-6 weeks.
3. Jot
BEST BEAN ALTERNATIVE
Jot
For those who want no frills, and no taste tests, Jot is the simplest way to get your caffeine buzz. Jot says their Ultra Coffee is the “purest, most concentrated form of liquid coffee in the world”, since a tablespoon is all you need to transform any liquid into a remarkable latte, iced coffee, or straight-up cup of joe.
Ultra Coffee is uncommonly smooth, with a bold coffee flavor that we recommend those who enjoy a very intense taste. Each 200ml bottle holds about 14 cups worth of coffee, and it’s 20 times more concentrated than regular concentrated than regular coffee. You might not get the range of roasting profiles or blends like you would from other subscriptions, but that doesn’t mean the beans used aren’t quality—Jot only uses organic, Fair Trade, and sustainable coffee beans from Central and South America.
Once subscribed, you can fine tune your settings, add an extra bottle, or skip a week at any time. You can get Single, Double, or Triple bottles depending on how many cups a day you drink and how many people are going to be drinking.
4. Blue Bottle Coffee
FRESHEST COFFEE
Blue Bottle Coffee
Nobody loves a stale bag of beans, so if you want your coffee at its peak flavor there’s no better choice than Blue Bottle Coffee’s subscription service—the company promises to ship your coffee within 24 hours of roasting. While they don’t have the most extensive menu of options (they only feature eight blends at a time, not including their Single Origin assortment), you’ll get the freshest beans fast.
Blue Bottle also has a quick quiz they use to pair you with coffees you’ll love, but even if you commit to their pick, you always have the option to go with a slightly reduced six-ounce bags as opposed to the larger 12-ounce normally offered. The questionnaire might not be as thorough, but less is more here— they’re dedicated to showcasing the versatility of the coffees they do have, listing the flavor notes on each featured blend.
Nothing shows their dedication to coffee culture more than their team of experts, which you can email if you have any questions about proper brewing methods and equipment. Blue Bottle Coffee starts at $11 for a six-ounce bag and $18 for a 12-ounce bag, and you can weekly or monthly deliveries of your favorite blends.
5. Atlas Coffee Club
MOST INFORMATIVE
Atlas Coffee Club
Atlas Coffee Club takes a global approach to its monthly subscription service. Every two or four weeks you’ll receive a half bag (6 oz; $9), single bag (12 oz; $14), or double bag (24 oz; $28) of coffee from a different region of the world. You can choose how often you’d like to receive your shipment, whether you prefer light/medium or medium/dark roasts (or like both!), and whether you’d like whole or pre-ground beans.
Each package also contains a postcard, brewing tips, and tasting notes. These are helpful, informative documents that help ensure you’ll have the best possible experience. By catering to both seasoned coffee experts and people who are curious about trying a new brew Atlas Coffee Club is a subscription anyone can enjoy.
6. Driftaway Coffee
BEST CUSTOMIZABLE
Brooklyn-based Driftaway Coffee will make your morning cup of mud feel like an elegant coffee flight. If you’re new to coffee subscriptions, Driftaway starts you off with a “tasting kit” of four different coffee profiles. Rate the beans based on what you like and don’t like, and subsequent deliveries will be matched to your preferences.
You’ll get convenient home delivery of both whole bean coffee and cold brew each month, though you can always add more if needed. Everything roasted and batched to order, with all orders shipping within 12 hours of roasting from their Red Hook facilities. But they’re also incredibly dedicated to sustainability, donating to World Coffee Research for each pound of coffee they roast, as well as packaging and mailing your beans in plastic-free, compostable material.
Starting around $15, there’s new coffees available each month, so you can continue to personalize your experience as you reorder. If you’re looking for an expertly-curated coffee experience, this coffee service will give you exactly what you never knew you needed from your coffee.
Driftaway
7. Peet’s Coffee
BEST SUSTAINABLE
Peet's
Peet’s was forced to close most of its café locations across the country when quarantine orders were put into place. But their company quickly pivoted to online sales, offering both individual bags of coffee for sale, as well as establishing its exceptional Peet’s Subscriptions program.
Their delivery service now aims to “make every month a destination” with their global offerings, the sit stating that they only source from the top 1% of coffee farmers around the world. You can also take a specially-designed coffee quiz to understand your palette better, and what subscription you should choose based on preferred flavors, since Peet’s offers quite a few: they have a Small Batch series, Single Origin series, and Frequent Brewer subscription if you already have a favorite blend you’d like to get every month.
But no matter where your coffee is sourced from, we like that you can always customize the grind as well as the number of pounds you receive per order, 1-3 pounds once a month. Elevate your roasts with one of our favorite, responsibly sourced picks.
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