Coffee Subscription Boxes Explained

Coffee subscription boxes may seem like magic— delicious coffee, curated to your tastes, arrives effortlessly at your front door, right on schedule— but there’s a little more to them! We’re going to break it down for you.

Let’s start with the basics. What are coffee subscription boxes? They’re very similar to those popular grocery or food subscription boxes. You can go online and choose what type of box is best for you, the frequency of shipping, and more. You sign up, and then, like clockwork, specialty coffee beans ship right to your house.

Like many things in the coffee world, there are so many different options on the market today. And many of them are good! Because there are so many choices, you can shop around and find one that suits your coffee-drinking needs very easily.

We prefer subscription services that come straight from the coffee roaster, like ours; that way you know exactly who you are directly supporting. Many excellent specialty coffee roasters are offering subscription services these days.

If there are so many good ones, then how do you choose the right one for you? Great question. We’re going to give you some questions to ask yourself in return. Use these as a guide when you look into subscriptions. These are important points to consider, and they will help you narrow down your search to the perfect subscription service that suits your lifestyle and taste preferences well.

What kind of coffee do you like? Look for something curated to your tastes, whether it’s light roast, decaf, funky, clean. Whatever you prefer to taste in your coffee, it’s out there! For example, we offer a decaf subscription for our caffeine-free friends out there.

How do you brew your coffee at home? This is a very important point to consider before choosing a specialty coffee subscription. If you have a home espresso machine, look for espresso subscriptions or roasters who indicate that their single origins do well on espresso. If you prefer to brew your coffee with a Chemex, chances are you’re looking for a roaster’s choice single origin subscription so you can try new coffees and really experience all those tasting notes.

How much coffee do you need? Many subscription services ship more than one bag to you at a time. Do you drink a lot of coffee at home? Look for a subscription that ships two bags twice a month, like ours, or whatever amount of coffee you calculate that you’ll need in a month.

Does the subscription service charge for shipping? Is this an expense you care about? Many roasters will include free shipping with a subscription. If you don’t want to pay for shipping, check in about that expense before signing up.

What kind of coffee roaster do you want to support? We’ve talked about this a lot here, we know, but the chain of cause and effect in the coffee world echoes all the way back to the farmer who first grew those beans you’re ordering. Does the roaster pay them fair wages? Is the coffee ethically sourced? Do you care? We sure do, and you can read more about why here. We think it’s important to stop and consider before you commit to a subscription service; because this purchase really does influence the lives of those farmers and everyone else along the way.

We hope this helps you in your quest to find the perfect subscription service. Check ours out here— we offer several different types of coffee subscriptions. And let us know about your adventures with coffee subscription services! We love to hear from you!