If you’ve looked around our coffee cover, you know we take our brews pretty seriously. From pouring over to espresso machines and from roast beans to brewing strength, we have a strong opinion on this. This week, Wirecutter is all about coffee.
My ideal workday morning: I sneak up to “my” table in the local artisan monastery, nod to my friends behind the counter, lean back, check slack and wait for my perfectly made pour to arrive. But that’s not my everyday reality, and it probably isn’t like yours either. If you want exceptional coffee but can’t get it – or if you just hate shopping for IRL – online coffee subscriptions can scratch that particular itch. There is a wide variety of choices, some offering beans from a specific roaster, some sorting them out from a variety of national micro-roasters, and still others focusing on specific regions or styles of coffee. Many of us at Wirecutter use them. Here are some of our favorites.
MistoBox
WHO: Melanie Pinola, employee
How: Bonavita BV1900TS 8-cup thermal carafe coffee maker with one push of a button or Bonavita Wide Base porcelain immersion dripper
When: biweekly
Why: “I’ve been using MistoBox for about three years and I’m happy with the variety they send. The tasting notes and descriptions are usually accurate, and I love that you can see what coffees are coming your way so you can update your queue (choose from over 500 different types of coffee from roasters in small quantities in the US) . You can also postpone the shipment for any date. “
Tinker coffee
WHO: Nick Guy, executive officer
How: OXO Brew 9 cup coffee maker
When: Previously biweekly, now more unpredictable
Why: “My wife and I subscribe to Craft Coffee because I like good coffee, but it’s also pretty cheap. Craft coffee is perfect to maintain. I’ve found it to be far better than grocery store beans, although it doesn’t have the wow quality of some (more expensive) micro-roasters that I like. It’s freshly roasted, although it seems like they’ve postponed their roasting process for the past few months, and it takes me a few days longer to get the beans than it used to. It’s the kind of coffee I can enjoy in the morning without thinking about what is really all I need most in the morning. “
intelligence
WHO: Thorin Klosowski, editor
How: Bonavita BV1901TS Kenner, AeroPress or Clever Coffee Dripper
When: biweekly
Why: “I’ve tried different services, but Intelligentsia’s web backend is simply the best I’ve used. It’s super easy to change deliveries, skip deliveries, and do other weird things like dropping shipments. B. two bags every two weeks and one bag once a month on the same day as one of these other deliveries. Of course, you’re only limited to Intelligentsia beans, which may be boring for some, but I think their coffee is good enough and especially tasty with the bonavita. It also tastes much better if you don’t have to deal with the baristas in their shop windows. “
Tandem coffee roaster: the good
WHO: Alex Arpaia, staff writer
How: OXO Brew 9 cup coffee machine or Kalita Wave 185 dripper
When: monthly
Why: “This coffee sub is not for everyone, but it gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It costs $ 35 (including shipping) for a pound of beans and a record of Tandem’s choice each month. It may seem stressful to have someone else send you records, but their picks are often classics like Coltrane, Nina Simone, or Stephen Malkmus – things that most people can probably get along with. The bean tandem ships usually come from a rotating cast of their options with one origin. It is a pleasure to wake up Saturday morning, set the latest record, and brew an overdose. “
Yes zip
WHO: Daniela Gorny, Associate Managing Editor
How: Hario V60 Coffee Dripper, Chemex Six Cup Classic Series or French press
When: biweekly
Why: “Even if I no longer subscribe to Yes Plz (I’m trying to save money and reduce my subscriptions in general), it would be me if I had money to spare. I love that they send a little zine with your coffee and live in Los Angeles where I live. The zine is actually very good! Yes, Plz coffee is only available online, and you don’t get a traditional 12-ounce bag – it’s a bit smaller, 250 grams, or around 8 ounces -. So keep this in mind when planning your broadcasts. A weekly delivery should be perfect for two people. And if you find yourself (like me) needing to make adjustments or cancel, using the site is a breeze. “
(In addition to tandems “The Good Thing”, the employee author Alex Arpaia also supports Yes Plz. She drinks way too much coffee.)
Blue bottle: origins
WHO: Justin Yost, senior software developer
How: french press
When: weekly
Why: “Blue Bottle coffee is always delivered on time (including public holidays), and the price is very reasonable compared to the prices for whole bean coffee from local roasters here in Las Vegas. Quality is solid in the pretty decent to excellent range, amateur coffee snob in my own opinion; I’d say it’s at least six on a 10-point scale on a regular basis, and generally about eight. “
Driftaway coffee
WHO: Sam Morrison, program manager
How: Hario V60 coffee dripper, AeroPress, Chemex Six Cup Classic Series
When: biweekly
Why: “Driftaway ships as soon as possible after the fry. Since I live in Canada and my beans have to cross an international border, I get my coffee at the ideal time five days after frying for the freshest brew. Driftaway has a flavor profile tool that I keep updating so they send me the best bean and roast profile. “
Phil & Sebastian
WHO: Sam Morrison, program manager
How: espresso
When: weekly
Why: “Phil & Sebastian is an Alberta-based monastery that ships to both Canada and the United States. They offer three subscriptions: espresso, filter, or a little bit of both. I use them for their espresso. You have a couple of different espresso beans that are going crazy. I’m a heavy espresso drinker, so I get a pound delivered every week. This is one of the nicest espressos I’ve ever had. I’m not a barista so I can’t always get the perfect shot. It doesn’t really matter with the beans I get from Phil & Sebastian. At the same time, I enjoy the variety of beans, optimizing my machine from week to week. Great coffee from the caffeine buddies up north. “
verve
WHO: Erin Price, community leader
How: Chemex Six Cup Classic series, Hario V60 Coffee Dripper or Kalita Wave 185 Dripper
When: weekly
Why: “I used to use (and loved) the Verve roaster’s single origin subscription, which sent me a different single origin coffee every week. You can also focus your subscription on a specific region, get espresso roast only, try different blends, or just get sachets of the same house blend each time. Subscription management is a breeze, and Verve sends a free reminder before each broadcast in case you need to make changes. “
