In this post I would like to share some useful information I have found relating to subscriptions that deliver gourmet coffee every month. Going through a bunch of websites and articles can take a lot of time. I have already done that so that you can have access to some top choices quickly and effortlessly. Some of the things I look for when I’m evaluating whether or not I can trust the advice of the authors / reviewers / companies:
- Do they have a good understanding of what separates gourmet coffee from the rest?
- Are they providing information that will be useful to me personally
- Can I trust that they don’t have “hidden agendas?”
This post has four sections:
- Top Customizable Gourmet Coffee Subscription
- Top Gourmet Coffee Subscription That Offers the Best Selection
- Top Gourmet Coffee Subscription That Offers the Best Value
- Top Gourmet Coffee Subscriptions For Those Just Finding Out About Premium Coffee
Top Customizable Gourmet Coffee Subscription
TRADE COFFEE
“Coffee Delivery on Your Terms.” Need I say more? Not really, but there’s plenty more that can be said. To me, everything is just perfect here. Not just the coffee. They have really done something amazing the way they easily and effortlessly guide you through the selection process.
Trade Coffee will guide you through a series of 7 steps, but believe me: the experience flows fantastically. You’ll be done in no time. Their first step takes your preferred method of preparing coffee into consideration (coffee maker, french press, etc.). Then you get to select what your overall coffee experience level is. I suspect that “I’m a total coffee nerd” will apply to many who love this level of detail. Next you get to choose if you like your coffee “straight up,” or if not then you get to specify what you add to “spice it up.” After that, they ask about your preferred level of roast (with even a 4th option of, “hey you’re the experts – you make the call” (or as they call it, “I defer to you”). Regarding your preferred taste, it’s similar to the previous step (3 specific choices you would make yourself, or if not then they’ll fill in the blanks). Here were getting close to that moment we’ve been waiting for. Right before the final step, we get to choose between whole beans, ground, or both. That’s a nice touch, in my opinion. To get the most out of gourmet coffee, fresh whole beans is a must. But since that’s not the only type of coffee they sell, the other two options are nice in general. Finally, we’re there! Choose regular or decaf, and let the fun begin!
Just in case you’re curious, here are the three they suggested based on my choices: Alma Coffee’s San Sebastian (San Sebastian, Honduras), Joe Coffee’s Amsterdam (Minas Gerais, Brazil), Necessary Coffee’s Ethiopia (Southwestern Ethiopia). I’m very happy with those choices. Remember that 3 part test I mentioned in the introduction? You better believe they aced that test! And as I had mentioned, getting these fine recommendations was a breeze.
Top Gourmet Coffee Subscription That Offers the Best Selection
ATLAS COFFEE CLUB
Their claim to fame? More than one hundred thousand coffee drinkers have preferred them over other companies they have purchased from in the past. Pretty impressive.
Even though their process involved fewer steps (4) and all steps were on the first page, I think that Trade Coffee offers a superior user experience. But then again, it’s the gourmet coffee selection that I’m evaluating in this section. Honestly, I felt rushed (by their process) so I didn’t complete it. So I’m just going to go with my simple 3 part test and say they passed it satisfactorily.
I did my homework, and I feel pretty confident that they can be trusted to offer the best variety, gourmet or otherwise. They do offer a decent enough preview of their coffees on the home page in the “Some Past Coffee Journeys” section. And if there ever was a company that was totally transparent about their agenda, it’s this one. They want your business, and they will make sure that you will be off to your first journey with them in no time!
Top Gourmet Coffee Subscription That Offers the Best Value
VOLCANICA COFFEE
Please note the main reasons why I chose Volcanica as the top choice in this section:
(1) A nice variety of 1 pound bags of gourmet coffee under $20 per pound.
(2) Free shipping on orders of $60 dollars or more
(3) A flat rate of $6.95 on orders that don’t qualify for free shipping
I want to be completely candid, so there is a bit of a disclaimer here. They feature 4 and 5 star Trustpilot reviews on their home page. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that (ironically) Trustpilot really isn’t always trustworthy. Let’s just say they’re not always 100% transparent. So if you want to go ahead and check out the reviews, just make sure you read the fine print (“Showing our 4 & 5 star reviews”). Volcanica gets a fair share of positive exposure from main media companies, that’s definitely not fake news. I would say that overall Volcanica deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Top Gourmet Coffee Subscription For Those Just Finding Out About Premium Coffee
BERNIE’S COFFEE
This was the easiest category to evaluate, because to me there was a clear winner. Bernie’s has something in common with all of the top choices above, but it has one important characteristic that the others don’t: It’s all about Bernie’s. There’s only one brand to choose from, the only choice to be made is what type of gourmet coffee to try first. Also, identifying gourmet coffee can be difficult for someone who is not familiar with the criteria used to define the gourmet category. It’s not like all gourmet coffee has something like “hey, look at me – I’m gourmet coffee!” on the label. Bernie’s is one of the few places that makes gourmet coffee easy to identify
Some other things that I like about Bernie’s:
- I think whoever designed their website really had the user experience in mind. It’s easy to navigate, it’s unpretentious, it helps the user get what they want quickly and easily. So this really takes care of 2 of the 3 points I use to evaluate information in one shot (easily provides useful information that I’m looking for and is completely transparent).
- I think Bernie’s provides the best evidence that classy doesn’t necessarily have to be costly in any sense. You don’t need a degree in gourmet coffee, you don’t have to rub elbows with the rich and famous, you don’t have to meticulously research a bunch of brands. If you’re looking for gourmet coffee, shopping at Bernie’s isn’t going to require much more than knowing that some coffees are more than just regular coffee.
