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Forbes
Forbes
Lifestyle
Camryn Rabideau, Contributor

11 Of The Best Coffee Subscription Boxes That Help You Achieve The Perfect Cup Of Joe

A really great cup of coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures: the taste, the smell, the feeling of a warm mug in your hand—it’s just all so good. But if you’re getting your coffee beans from the grocery store, you’re missing out on a giant piece of the puzzle: really fresh coffee. Coffee tastes best as soon as it’s roasted, and for up to around four weeks after, so if you’re buying beans that have been sitting on the shelves beyond that, you’re likely not starting out on the right foot. That’s where coffee subscription boxes can come in really handy. Not only do you regularly get fresh coffee to enjoy, you also don’t have to leave the house to get it—that’s what we call a win-win.

Atlas Coffee Club brings you coffee from around the world, including micro-lot coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, Peru and more. Atlas Coffee Club

No matter what type of coffee you like—be it bold and robust or lighter and more delicate—or what kind of coffee maker you use, there’s a coffee subscription box that will cater to your tastes and preferences. If you’re not entirely sure what kind of coffee you like, or you’re open to exploring new roasts, many of these services use surveys to match you with personalized java recommendations. Some offer espresso and cold brew options, too.

No matter what your preferences, these 11 subscription boxes have you covered. From classic single-origin roasts to more adventurous blends to canned cold brew, these are the best coffee subscriptions.

Best Overall Coffee Subscription

A Subscription Service That Takes You On A Global Coffee Tour

Atlas Coffee Club

Atlas Coffee Club

  • Roast Options: Light, medium and dark
  • Frequency: Every two or four weeks
  • Sourcing: Atlas works with farmers paying above the Fair Trade price for coffee

Get 50% off your first purchase of a bag of any size with code FORBES50.

As its name implies, Atlas Coffee Club brings you coffee from around the world, including micro-lot coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, Peru and more. Each month, you can choose to receive 6, 12 or 24 ounces of coffee for $9, $14 or $28, respectively, and there are three roast preferences to choose from, too—light to medium, medium to dark or all roasts. You can select a biweekly or monthly delivery schedule, and you can also opt to have your beans ground or whole.

The Atlas Coffee Club is an ideal option for adventurous coffee drinkers who want to try international varieties that you otherwise might not find. The focus of the subscription is on the coffee, not any particular roaster or brand, so you get to experience the flavor of the beans without any distractions.


Best For Trying New Coffees

A Fun And Whimsical Coffee Subscription Service From Industry Pros

Editor’s Pick
YES PLZ

Yes Plz Coffee

  • Roast Options: Light to medium
  • Frequency: Weekly, every two, three or four weeks
  • Sourcing: The brand sources from smaller importers and exporters who emphasize transparency and long term relationships with growers and mills

Think of this subscription service like ordering the tasting menu at a restaurant: the chef is asking you to trust that they’ll pick the best and freshest ingredients to cook your meal. Likewise, the folks at Yes Plz curate exciting new coffees every week, chosen by Tony (Tonx) Konecny and Sumi Ali combine their years of experience working at places like Intelligentsia Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee and G&B Coffee to bring subscribers the best coffees they can.

Every week, subscribers get a new surprise: either a single-origin coffee or a carefully designed blend all centered around a theme with a companion playlist. You can tell this subscription is run by people who care deeply about coffee—they provide blog posts and a newsletter that details how they approach coffee and invite drinkers to learn and get hyped on coffee. You can opt to receive either 8- or 12-ounce bags (including decaf) every one, two, three or four weeks. New subscribers can get 15% off when they sign up for the newsletter.


Best Coffee Subscription To Sample Small Roasters

A Wonderful Option That Let’s You Discover Independent Roasters

Trade Coffee Company

Trade Coffee Company

  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Every 1, 1.5 or 2 weeks with bundles available for multiple bags of coffee
  • Sourcing: Trade Coffee Company works with roasters across the United States who are sourcing speciality coffee

Often called the “Netflix of coffee,” Trade offers more than 400 types of craft coffees from roasting companies around the country—including top names like George Howell and Merit Coffee. When you sign up for a Trade subscription, you’ll take a quiz that matches you with varieties to suit your personal tastes, and you’ll choose from two subscription tiers—The Hookup, which sends you a wide variety of coffee, or The Classic, which sticks to more traditional flavors. 

The cost of this subscription varies depending on what you order. Each bag of coffee usually costs between $15 and $22, and subscription holders get access to exclusive savings and free shipping. You can also choose how often you want new coffee delivered—from every week to every six weeks—and the company offers subscribers its First Match Guarantee, meaning if you don’t like your first delivery, they’ll give you the next one for free. You also get 30% off your first order. All in all, Trade Coffee is a great option for people looking to learn more about small roasters and eager try out new coffees.


Best Flexible Coffee Subscription

A Service That Offers Small Samples, Full-Sized Bags Or “A La Carte” Options

MOST POPULAR
Bean Box
  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or “a la carte”
  • Sourcing: Bean Box sources coffees primarily from small roasters across the United States

Seattle is home to some of the best coffee roasters in the country, which is why a group of Seattle-based former tech workers decided to start Bean Box. The brand works with roasters across the United States, including Seattle- and Washington state-based roasters including Boon Boona, Bluebeard and Zoka Coffee.

You can choose to receive light, medium, dark, decaf or espresso roasts, or a mix of everything with the “all roasts” option. You can either order a Tasting Flight, consisting of four 1.8-ounce bags of artisan coffee from small-batch roasters, or you can order the Curator’s Choice where you can get full-sized bags. If there’s a particular coffee or roaster you like, you can also order that coffee directly through their website without purchasing a subscription. Plus, you’ll get tasting notes, roaster profiles, brewing tips and an artisan treat with each delivery.


Best Coffee Subscription For Frequent Coffee Drinkers

A Service That Delivers As Frequently As Every Seven Days

Equator Coffees

Equator Coffees

  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Every one, two, three, or four weeks or “a la carte”
  • Sourcing: Equator sources coffee from small farmers

Equator Coffees in the Bay Area have more than three dozen varieties, from a rich espresso to more adventurous options like the Per Se Blend, which combines mixed berries, cherry and dark chocolate flavors. Unlike many of the subscriptions listed above, these coffees all come from the same roaster and explores their single origin and blend offerings.

You can choose from 10 subscription plans, like the Curated Blend—a rotating selection of signature blends—or the Snow Leopard Blend—a subscription of seasonal flavors. Once you’ve decided on the type of subscription, you can opt for one 12-ounce bag, two 12-ounce bags or one 2-pound bag delivered weekly—a great option for people who go through their coffee quickly—or up to once every four weeks. For subscribers, shipping is free.


Best Coffee Subscription For Gifting

A Coffee Subscription Box That’s Great For Gifting

MistoBox
  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Every one, two, three or four weeks
  • Sourcing: Misto Box sources coffee from specialty coffee roasters

Another popular coffee subscription is MistoBox, which offers more than 500 coffee varieties from 50 different roasters. When you sign up for a MistoBox subscription, you’re paired with a coffee expert whose job is to learn your personal tastes and match you with coffee you’ll love. Alternatively, you can select the coffee yourself, and either way, the beans are freshly roasted to order. 

MistoBox offers two subscription tiers based on the average price of the coffee. In the deluxe tier, bags start at around $13, and these are usually large-lot single origins, espresso and medium-roast coffees. The exclusive tier, which includes only coffees that are considered the best of the best, starts just over $15 per bag. If you’d like to gift a subscription to a friend, there are options for three, six or twelve months, or gift a bulk number of boxes for things like holiday presents or staff appreciation tokens.


Best Coffee Subscription For Cold Brew

An Option That Will Delight Cold Brew Lovers

La Colombe Coffee Roasters

La Colombe Coffee Roasters

  • Roast Options: Medium and dark roast
  • Frequency: Every one, two, three or four weeks
  • Sourcing: La Colombe directly sources from farms across the globe

La Colombe offers a lot variety in its coffee subscription services. Like others on this list, you can sign up for a recurring delivery of freshly-roasted beans. Or, you can opt for boxed cold brew, canned cold brew or cans of cold brew lattes that are made from 100% Arabica, single-origin, Brazilian cold brew coffee mixed with a layer of silky foam. You can choose a Workshop Subscription, which includes all current seasonal coffees or the Cornerstone & Alliance Subscription, which rotates through all of the classic blends. Subscriptions start at $14 per bag and you can choose how often you want fresh coffee delivered—every week or up to every four weeks.


Best Coffee Subscription From A Small Roaster

A Family-Run Service That Sources From Women-Owned Farms

Bean & Bean Coffee

Bean & Bean Coffee

  • Roast Options: Light and medium
  • Frequency: Every month
  • Sourcing: Bean & Bean sources from women-run and women-led farms

Bean & Bean Coffee is a family-run operation that is dedicated to working with women-led farms across the globe. Their logo is a sloth, which is another cause they’re dedicated to: they donate 1% of sales to The Sloth Institute, which helps protect sloths affected by deforestation and environmental changes.

Bean & Bean has a wide selection of coffees, including single-origin beans and blends. Unlike many of the subscriptions services listed, you can pay for a subscription for a set amount of time—either three months, six months or a year. Coffees are delivered once a month and you can choose if you’d like a specific coffee or roll the dice with a monthly surprise, which is chosen by Bean & Bean’s roasting team.


Best Personalized Coffee Subscription

A Subscription That Goes The Extra Mile To Cater To Your Tastebuds

Driftaway Coffee

Driftaway Coffee

  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark and decaf
  • Frequency: Every week, every two weeks or every four weeks
  • Sourcing: Driftaway Coffee roasts its own coffees, and includes detailed information from the farms it sources from

Instead of simply having you take an online quiz, Driftaway Coffee takes its matching a step further, sending you a tasting kit that includes four coffee profiles. After you’ve sufficiently assessed each brew, you rate them and add your notes, and Driftaway will use this info to select the best varieties to send in your subscription. You can opt to receive 12 ounces or 1 pound of coffee in each delivery—ranging in cost from $17 to $24—and there are weekly, bi-weekly and monthly shipment options. If you pay for six or 12 months in advance, you’ll save 5% to 10% on the total cost.

But that’s not all! Driftaway also offers a Cold Brew subscription for those who prefer their coffee iced. All you have to do is steep the cold brew bags in water for 16 hours, and you have coffee ready for the week. You can select 12-, 18- or 36-ounce options, costing $19, $24 or $36, respectively, and the same shipping frequencies apply. You can also join virtual tastings with World Brewers Cup champion James McCarthy to learn more about what’s in your cup.


Best Coffee Subscription For Half-Caf And Decaf Options

The Perfect Option For Java Lovers Looking To Skip The Coffee Kick

Peet's Coffee

Peet's Coffee

  • Roast Options: light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Every one, two, three, four, six or eight weeks
  • Sourcing: Peet’s is one of the original leaders of the specialty coffee movement, and source coffees from around the world

You’ve probably heard of Peet’s Coffee, which often makes an appearance on grocery store shelves, and if you’re fond of this brand, you can get it delivered right to your door each month for as low as $15 per bag. You can opt into one of three subscriptions: the Small Batch Series (unique coffees you won't find anywhere else), the Single Origin Series (coffees from around the world) or the Signature Blend Series (foundational coffees that Peet’s was built on). With all subscriptions, your order is shipped within 24 hours of roasting for optimal freshness. You can select custom coffee amounts (between 1 and 3 pounds) and grinds to suit your brewing style. Coffee ships once per month.

More than any of the other subscriptions, Peet’s has a variety of half-caf and decaf options. Many subscription services only offer one or two limited options for adventurous and caffeine-free coffee drinkers, but Peet’s offers both single-origin and blend options in both decaf and half-caf options. Peet’s also makes it easy for you to start a subscription. You don’t need to pick specific coffees—if there’s a coffee you like, you can start a subscription to get it delivered regularly.


Best Coffee Subscription For Fastest, Freshest Delivery

A Service That Delivers Within 48 Hours Of Roasting

Blue Bottle Coffee

Blue Bottle Coffee

  • Roast Options: Light, medium, dark, espresso and decaf
  • Frequency: Every one, two, three or four weeks
  • Sourcing: Blue Bottle roasts and sources its own coffee. According to its website, it only sources specialty-grade coffee and roasts fresh-to-order

Whether you’re into blends, single origins, espressos or decaf, you’re sure to be pleased with a Blue Bottle Coffee subscription. This highly regarded coffee brand has three different subscriptions: single origin assortment, blend assortment or espresso assortment. A standard 12-ounce bag starts at $18 per delivery, but you can also opt for smaller or larger bags, and there are four delivery frequencies, starting at every week and ranging to once a month. Coffees are shipped out within 48 hours of roasting.

If you’ve been meaning to upgrade your brewing supplies, or if you’re new to coffee or buying a subscription for someone else, you might also want to consider the Welcome Kit Subscription, which includes six 12-ounce bags of coffee, a coffee dripper, a 90-pack of filters and a Blue Bottle tote for $119.


Questions to Ask Before You Buy A Coffee Subscription

What Is A Coffee Subscription Service?

A coffee subscription is a way to ensure you get coffee regularly delivered right to your doorstep. If you’ve ever woken up only to discover that there’s no coffee in the house, a coffee subscription might be for you.

As you can see above, coffee subscriptions vary widely. Some subscriptions include a small, but tight, list of available coffees, while some can be sent as frequently as every three days or as infrequently as every two months. Coffee subscriptions are basically like a timer on your phone or a reminder on your calendar: except that you get a new, freshly roasted coffee instead of a notification.

Are Coffee Subscription Services Worth It?

Yes, especially if you drink a lot of coffee, Most subscription services offer bulk rates or discounts when you subscribe, so you’re getting a deal by banking on your ability to get through coffee (which, if you drink coffee a lot, you know you will).

Subscriptions also provide fresh coffee, which unlike non-perishables like canned food or cereal, is best enjoyed fresh, ideally within a month or so after roast. If you buy a bunch of coffee at the beginning of the month, by the end of the month it could taste a little muted and not as vibrant—a subscription service allows you to get fresh coffee whenever you need it.

How Do I Choose A Coffee Subscription?

It’s important to assess your needs. Are you drinking for one or do you have a household full of coffee drinkers? Do you value variety and choices, or do you know what you like and want to stick with it?

Luckily, there are so many coffee subscriptions on the market tailored to meet every drinker’s individual tastes. Most also come with quizzes or assessment tools to help you figure out what you like and can help you choose the right amount to order for your household.

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