Trade Coffee has built the reputation of being probably the most trusted specialty coffee subscription in the States. Trade Coffee is often considered the gold standard, whether the criterion is coffee quality, service standard, or breadth of choice.
In this article, we will delve into this coffee subscription service and see whether the reality reflects the reputation.
About Trade Coffee
Trade Coffee has been operating since 2018 as effectively a distributor of high-quality coffee beans across North America. They operate under the mission to help you discover and make better coffee at home.
Unlike many other coffee subscription services, however, they are not actually coffee roasters. Instead, they collaborate with over 50 specialty coffee roasters across the States to give a wide variety of both blends and single-origin coffees.
Each of the over 450 different coffees offered through Trade Coffee is first evaluated and tested by a skilled team of coffee tasters before being incorporated.
How Trade Coffee Works
Trade coffee is unique among subscription services in that they seek to not only supply you with coffee but actually help you find the coffee that you will most enjoy.
This is accomplished via their coffee quiz. This is a short quiz of eight questions designed to find which coffees best suit your situation and palate. The questions include your preferred brewing method, overall skill level, roast preferences, taste preferences, and whole bean vs. pre-ground.
Based on your answers, Trade coffee will suggest a bag of coffee to suit your preferences. In fact, they are so sure of the system that they promise that if you don’t love the first chosen bag, they will replace it for free!
From here, you can set up a subscription and, over time, further add what you love and don’t like, favorite tasting profiles, and other things so that they can better pick coffees you will enjoy.
The strength of this system is that regardless of skill and experience level, you will be able to find coffee to suit you. If you are a specialty coffee geek, you can get high-quality small lots of rare single-origin beans, or if you are just a beginner, you can get some beans that are pretty forgiving to use. Because of the wide variety of roasters, they can offer a wide range of over 200 blends and over 200 single origins.
Alternatively, if this isn’t your thing and you already know what you are looking for, you can simply browse their coffee selection and choose the beans you are looking for.
From this point, having either done the quiz or chosen your preferences, you can customize subscriptions regarding frequency, amount of coffee, and whole bean vs. pre-ground. From then, Trade Coffee will send you your beans on a regular basis.
Trade Coffee Plans
Trade coffee offers three plans to suit any budget; Standard, Premium, and Big.
Standard
The standard bag costs about $7.88 per week. Trade has partnered with a range of roasters who offer their most popular coffees. This plan offers a smaller collection (around 200) of classic coffees, mostly medium or dark roasts. The standard plan is a good match for coffee lovers who prefer a more traditional flavor profile.
Premium
The premium bag costs $9.75 per week. This plan includes the entire 450+ collection of coffees.
As the name would suggest, the premium plan offers some of the finest beans, including rare and unique blends and single-origin coffees. This is a great way to explore craft coffee, focusing on light and medium roasts.
Big Bag
The big bag is a 2lb bag of coffee that costs $5.83 per week. This is their best value plan as is often the case with bulk. With the Big Bag you save on packaging and more money goes to the local roasters to support them.
Price and Shipping
Affordability and shipping consistency make or break most coffee subscription services.
Regarding price, per-bag prices range from relatively cheap, $15, to slightly more expensive $22. These bags are fairly standard 12-ounce bags. The exact price depends on the coffee being shipped, but it is affordable and only slightly more expensive than buying direct from many specialty coffee roasters.
In terms of shipping, Trade Coffee has got a sound system. The coffee beans are shipped directly from the roasters to your home to ensure optimal freshness. The coffees are always shipped within 24 hours of being roasted and will usually take 2-5 days to arrive, depending on where in the States you live. At present, they use either USPS or UPS. Trade coffee offers free shipping for their coffee subscription, but if you buy one-off bags, you will have to pay the shipping fee.
Who is Trade Coffee For?
Trade Coffee is coffee subscription par excellence. They use only high-quality coffee roasters and have now gained the status of a tried and true subscription service. Some of their strengths include the diversity of coffees offered, hand-picked coffee to suit your preferences, good customer service, and an easy-to-navigate website.
Trade Coffee is great for those looking for convenience and variety in their coffee. A subscription service like Trade Coffee is an excellent way to try lots of different roasters and flavor profiles without hassle. Whether you are just beginning your coffee journey or are an experienced veteran, Trade is a great way to spice up your coffee drinking ritual and routine.
If you sign up for a Trade Coffee Subscription today you can get $25 off and free shipping!
