Remember when you had to go to your local coffee shop to get a proper caffeine hit? Not anymore. Now, the best coffee brands have opened up the world of high-grade speciality beans to enjoy at home. You can buy these brands online for convenient delivery, and many offer a subscription service to keep you topped up.
However, the coffee industry has several problems. Many coffee makers have untraceable supply chains, poor wages and treatment for farmers, and low-quality beans, along with numerous environmental issues.
That’s why I tested coffees from a range of independent coffee brands. I included those who have direct relationships with coffee farmers, cutting out the many middle parties that often take the biggest cuts; as well as those who are paying fair wages (often higher than the Fairtrade standard), supporting replanting and eco projects; as well as those making positive changes in their packaging and shipping.
So, put the kettle on, and read on to find the best independent coffee brands around.
How I tested
- Process – For the fullest unaltered flavour, I tested each coffee using a V60 pour-over coffee maker, using the freshest ground coffee. As coffee brewing guides suggest, we poured water over the paper filter first to remove unwanted flavours, put in two scoops (using the deep scoop that comes with the V60) and made a well, then waited at least 30-seconds after the kettle boiled to pour it over the coffee in a circular motion, and stirred.
- Flavour – I considered aroma, body, sweetness, acidity and finish. Each was tasted black a number of times, using the cupping methods (using a teaspoon to sip), as well as drinking a cup both black and with semi-skimmed milk.
Why you can trust us
Emma Henderson is a writer and editor who specialises in covering food and drink, sustainability, and reducing single-use plastics. As the former editor of IndyBest, Emma has written plenty of reviews, from coffee advent calendars to orange wines, to help you find the best products to buy in each category.
The best independent coffee brands for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Redemption Roasters the block: £9.90, Redemptionroasters.com
- Best budget buy – Cafédirect organic mayan gold: £6, Grumpymule.co.uk
- Best for gifting – Kiss The Hippo George Street blend: £12, Kissthehippo.com
- Best for rare coffees – Rave signature blend No.1: £7.75, Ravecoffee.co.uk
- Best dark roasts – Pact Coffee bourbon cream espresso: £9.95, Pactcoffee.com
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Redemption Roasters the block
Best: Overall
Weight: 225g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes
Packaging: Recyclable with plastic bags
Why we love it
- A social enterprise
- Excellent well-balanced fruity coffee
Redemption is both a 13-strong chain of coffee shops across London, and a social enterprise that trains prison-leavers and those at risk of offending with valuable skills in the coffee industry. It does this in its own academies in HMP High Down and HMP Pentonville, providing people with all the new skills they need to be an excellent barista or roaster (the brand's coffee is roasted inside HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire, too), helping them to find work after they leave the prison. This can be in one of Redemption's own cafes or within its network. So far, it's trained almost 500 people in the scheme.
Within its range of coffees, which also includes pods, the single-origin filter coffees change every one to three months. I tested the Anibal Diaz – an excellent stand-out brew with big notes of raspberry, watermelon and dark chocolate, and with aromas of toffee and nuts. Although this particular coffee is now out of stock, Redemption says the Makuriya Wako coffee is a similar fruity coffee with notes of blackcurrant and pink grapefruit and some sweet sherbet-like notes.
From the blended range, I also rate the company’s classic espresso blend, ‘the block’, which is full-bodied, creamy and delicious without any milk. Essentially, anything from Redemption is impressive, and I love the brand's ethics and business approach.
Buy now £9.90, Redemptionroasters.com
Cafédirect organic mayan gold
Best: Budget buy
Weight: 200g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: No
Packaging: Recyclable with plastic bags
Why we love it
- Long-standing positive coffee company
Take note
- The packet isn't resealable like most of the others we tested
As one of the stalwarts of the ethical coffee industry, Cafédirect began life way back in 1991 as a social enterprise, in response to the unregulated coffee industry, which meant farmers were losing money. It runs cooperatives in many coffee-producing countries and, importantly, it invests half of its profits into Producers Direct, its own non-profit that helps farmers improve not only their livelihoods but also the sustainability of their farming.
Coming from the Chiapas region in Mexico, which is often thought to be one of the best coffee-producing regions in the country, the organic mayan blend has an intense hazelnut aroma. Once brewed, in the cup it has a smooth, full-bodied aroma, with lots of sweet flavours, including honey and toffee, along with fruity and citrus notes giving it a decent acidity. It is Fairtraide and certified organic and all of the brand’s coffee is roasted in small batches at its London Fields roastery.
Buy now £6.00, Grumpymule.co.uk
Yallah single origin trust
Best: Runner-up
Weight: 225g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes, 20 per cent off and free delivery over £25
Packaging: Recyclable
Why we love it
- One coffee variety is shipped by sail
Since 2023, Yallah has stood out for shipping one of its coffees from Colombia by sail, using Cornish cargo company New Dawn Traders. As well as this, its cafe and kiosk in St Ives, and second site in Penryn, near Falmouth, don't have a trace of single-use plastics.
Yallah is, of course, just as serious about its coffee as it is about its environmental impact. Each coffee I tried was impressive, with a range to suit different types of coffee aficionados. The house blend, sourced from Nicaragua, is a wonderfully rich and intensely chocolatey coffee with notes of sweet toffee and biscuits. While ‘trust’ has flavours of dark chocolate and almost caramel-like dates, with a creaminess to it. ‘Explore’, meanwhile, is a very juicy coffee with red fruits and lots of acidity.
I love that the brand supports the non-profit 1 per cent For The Planet, meaning it gives 1 per cent of its revenue to be distributed to causes around the world. It's always set itself apart in the packaging department, too, thanks to its signature paper bags (something of a rarity), but, unfortunately, its supplier went into administration, and so it had to change. Instead, it uses recyclable plastic bags like most other brands, but it's still looking for a paper bag company with a fully transparent supply chain. As well as its sustainability efforts, it also partners with Cornwall Rural Community Charity to help train young adults with learning disabilities as baristas.
Buy now £12.40, Yallahcoffee.co.uk
Kiss The Hippo George Street blend
Best: For gifting
Weight: 225g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes, for individual or offices
Packaging: Made from recycled materials and are recyclable
Why we love it
- It has a range of excellent rare coffees
- The brand uses a highly energy-efficient roasting machine
If you've not come across Kiss The Hippo, it's certainly one to add to your list. What started in 2018 as a single coffee shop in Richmond, south west London, has since bloomed into a mini-chain of eight coffee shops across the capital. The coffees are complex, distinct and excellent, ranging from the in-house blend to the Great Taste award-winning pods, and rare and acclaimed special editions.
In terms of sustainability, it is paving the way, after it became the first coffee company to be certified carbon negative in 2021. Working with non-profit On A Mission, the brand captures more carbon from the environment than it creates, through an extensive tree-planting project in Nepal, and the roastery has a Loring Smart Roaster, using 80 per cent less fuel than most coffee roasters. Plus, the brand pays around twice the usual Fairtrade price for coffee and gives back to coffee-growing communities, with initiatives such as saving thousands of acres of indigenous land in Peru from deforestation.
The house (George Street) blend is made up of 60 per cent Colombian and 40 per cent Peruvian beans, and is also certified organic. It has high fruits with hints of berries and a sweetness with butterscotch notes and a delicious mellow acidity, making it one of our favourites on test.
I also tried one of the rare ranges, which comes in a smaller 150g bag and inside a box (so you know it's special). The ‘labrador gesha’ uses beans from Costa Rica and is one of the most vibrant and delicate tasting coffees I've come across, with overwhelming fruity and floral notes, such as green melon, sharp raspberry and peach, with high acidity and a smooth finish. It does have a hefty price tag (£35 for the small bag) but real coffee obsessives will adore this as a gift.
Buy now £12.01, Kissthehippo.com
Rave signature blend No.1
Best: For rare coffees
Weight: 250g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes
Packaging: Recyclable with plastic bags
Why we love it
- Great rare range
- Really helps the consumer understand the flavours and roasts they like
This is a brand inspired by Melbourne's big coffee movement of the mid-2000s. Owner Rob Hodge took what he learned from his time in Australia and brought it back to the UK, where he set up his own roastery in Cirencester.
I love that each pack comes with its own tasting card, so you can note down your own thoughts, which is helpful when you come to re-order. Taking it a step further is the speedy online quiz, which suggests coffees based on what you like flavour- and roast-wise and how you brew your coffee – genius.
The brand's signature blend No.1 is a punchy but super-smooth coffee that's full-bodied and quite a dark roast in flavour and aroma. There are notes of chocolate and hazelnut, and a little sweetness.
As well as its usual roasts, Rave has its own 'rare' range. From this, I tested the Colombia Danilo Pérez coffee (currently sold out) from Colombia's Huila region and grown by the Pérez family. Rave says it's a light roast, but I think it tastes darker than other light roasts I've tested, as it has a much fuller and deeper flavour.
The brand supports 1 per cent For The Planet, Plastic Oceans and Project Waterfall (to name a few); pays significantly higher than Fairtrade prices and is a supporter of World Coffee Research, which works to protect farmers and support climate-resilience.
Buy now £7.95, Ravecoffee.co.uk
Pact Coffee bourbon cream espresso
Best: For dark roasts
Weight: 250g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes
Packaging: Made from 70% recycled materials
Why we love it
- First UK coffee brand to use climate-resistant beans
Formed in 2012, Pact Coffee was set up by Stephen Rapoport in his home kitchen, with the aim of improving the often problematic coffee industry. One of the major feats Pact has achieved is being the first UK coffee brand to use Cenicafé 1, a climate-resistant variety of Arabica beans that means farmers can continue their businesses.
As well as doing this, Pact has also worked hard to offer top-quality and ethically sourced coffee at pretty affordable prices. It's one of the best-priced coffees around, considering its quality, flavour and ethics.
The bourbon cream espresso is one of the brand's signature blends. Using Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia, it's a dark roast and, as the name suggests, features intense biscuity and sugary notes associated with a bourbon, plus a rich and creamy finish. Made from 70 per cent recycled materials, the bags can also be recycled with plastic bags. Their carbon footprint is offset by SeaTrees, which plants sea vegetation to improve the ecosystem.
Buy now £10.95, Pactcoffee.com
Grind house blend coffee
Best: Refillable option
Weight: 227g
Decaf: Yes
Subscription: Yes
Packaging: 100 per cent compostable
Why we love it
- Simple refillable pouches
After rising to fame with its pale pink London coffee shops, Grind has broadened its offering to far more than just an Instagram-friendly takeaway cup of joe. With its East London roastery in Bermondsey, its speciality coffee can be bought online in many forms, from home-compostable pods to whole beans, and from special edition tins to its own swanky coffee machine collab with Sage.
I tested its house blend, using beans from Brazil and Colombia, which comes in a refill pouch, so you don't have to buy the tins each time you need to top up. Grind says the house blend has been specifically designed to make the perfect flat white, which I can attest to from my experience of Grind's takeaways.
Buy now £8.95, Grind.co.uk
Which are the best independent coffee brands?
After many, many cups of coffee, and so many impressive brands doing great things, it was a tough call to make, but I think Redemption Roasters is my top independent coffee brand. Not only does it make excellent-quality coffee, it also uses its coffee shops as a social enterprise, working to help prison-leavers back into meaningful work, and protect those at risk.
Not far behind was Yallah, as I love its variety in great-tasting coffees, as well as its efforts to ship coffee by sail and its social enterprise side. I also loved Kiss The Hippo's special editions.
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