The 7 Best Coffee Subscription Boxes and Clubs of 2023
Coffee subscription boxes have grown in popularity over the past few years. As a result, there are an overwhelming number of companies offering an online coffee subscription. While some of these offer excellent coffee, there are many others that are thinly veiled cash grabs. As a result, choosing the best coffee subscription can be a time consuming process, especially if you care as much about your coffee as we do. Luckily, Homegrounds has done the hard work for you. We've subscribed to more than 100 of the top rated coffee subscription services and have summarised the best coffee subscriptions below.
Different coffee subscriptions cater to different coffee drinker types. So before choosing one, you must know what type of coffee drinker you are. Do you want to try exotic new coffee every week? What way do you like to brew coffee? Do you prefer light or dark roasts?
Buckle up as we take you on a tour of the best coffee subscriptions that ship to Canada. As a bonus, we've managed to secure some unique discount codes for HomeGrounds readers.
The Best Coffee Subscriptions
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Level Ground |
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Parachute |
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The Roaster’s Pack |
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Atlas Coffee Club |
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Driftaway Coffee |
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Craft Coffee |
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Peet's Coffee Subscription |
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We promise you'll find the perfect coffee subscription service for you. How? In our buyer's guide, you'll learn what type of coffee drinker you are. You'll then know how to choose the best coffee subscriptions for you from our curated list below. So, keep reading to find the perfect coffee subscription box, tailored to your personal preferences.
1. Level Ground
“Best for locally roasted, ethically sourced coffee”
How it works: Level Ground top our list for being both ethically sourced, and located in Canada. Their Vancouver Island roastery means that you’re going to get fresher coffee than if you order from any US subscription service. Their subscription beans (and everything in their store) are not only Fair Trade, but also certified organic.
The Level Ground subscription falls somewhere between a curated subscription and a choose-your-own coffee situation. On offer are the Best of Origins pack (4 different blends and single origins), a Half Caf Pack (2 x decaf and 2 x regular), and Single Origin pack (1 x Ethiopia, 1 x Peru, 2 x Columbia). Or you can choose multiple packs of the same coffee as 4 x 300 g bags, or 2 x 2lb packs. For offices or businesses, you can also get a 5lb pack subscription which allows you to choose your roast. All of these are available as a choice of whole bean or round coffee.
Details:
- 300g, 2lb or 5lb packs
- 15% discount for subscribers (5% for 2lb and 5lb packs)
- Set your delivery every 4, 6 or 8 weeks.
- All coffees are Fair Trade and organic.
- Prices start at $46.75 for 4 x 300g.
- Shipping to Canada only.
2. Parachute Coffee
“Best for those who want flexibility but don’t want to be overwhelmed by options.”
How it works: Parachute Coffee, based in Canada, roasts and ships fresh coffee each week. They offer three choices for your subscription, either a dark roast, a medium roast, or a seasonal single-origin coffee that changes each month. All their coffee is ethically sourced and Direct Trade.
The subscription offers a lot of flexibility. You can choose delivery every 2 or 4 weeks. And you can decide between 1, 2, and 3 bags per shipment, with more bags netting you a better deal. All your choices can be easily modified at any time, and you can also choose to skip a month or cancel as needed with no penalties.
You also get to opt for whole bean or pre-ground coffee. If you select pre-ground, you’ll be happy to hear that it is ground fresh to order.
Details:
- Choose from dark roast, medium roast, or a seasonal single-origin that changes monthly.
- Roasted and packaged by hand and shipped the same day.
- Top quality Direct Trade coffee sourced from premier growing regions.
- Prices start at $19 CAD per 10 ounce bag.
- Shipping to Canada and the U.S.A.
3. The Roaster’s Pack
“Best for coffee or espresso lovers looking to discover new specialty roasters.”
How it works: You can choose to tailor your subscription for filter coffee, espresso, or decaf. Then, with each shipment you’ll receive a tasting flight of three different coffees from top Canadian roasters. Each coffee is roasted specifically for your order and shipped (for free!) within a week of roasting.
The Roaster’s Pack is another Canadian coffee subscription, highlighting some of the best roasters in the country.
Each shipment comes with a detailed guide to the coffees, which includes tasting notes, brewing tips, and a deeper look into the story behind the coffee. Special extras are also included with your subscription. Expect things like exclusive contests and discounts on coffee gear.
Details:
- A new tasting flight of three coffees each month from top Canadian roasters.
- Tailor your subscription for filter, espresso, or decaf coffee.
- Includes a detailed guide to each coffee.
- Prices from CAD$26.95 per month.
- Ships free to Canada and the U.S.A.
4. Atlas Coffee Club
“The best choice if you're looking to try exotic, single origin coffees that you can't find almost anywhere else”
How it works: Choose a shipment size, delivery frequency, roast type, and grind size (or whole bean). They then send you the best single-origin coffees from all over the world, along with a postcard, tasting notes and brewing tips. You'll never get bored.
Atlas Coffee Club gives you a “world tour” through your coffee cup. They are connecting you to the farmers and varietals that you’re passionate to know more about. Their single-origin coffee beans are some of the most exciting out there.
THE Perfect Gift For A Coffee Lover.
Atlas feels like an educational experience. Each coffee bag features custom designs reflecting the culture and environment of the origin (1). The postcard teaches you about the region and its coffee, and you a handy little card revealing tasting notes, flavour notes and best ways to brew.
If you want more of the juicy details read our full Atlas coffee club review here….or check out a video breakdown on why we feel Atlas is the best coffee subscription:
details:
- Amazing, rare micro-lot single-origin beans sourced from all over the world
- Feels like you're on a guided tour of the world of coffee beans
- Prices start at US$9
- Shipping locations: USA and Canada.
5. Driftaway Coffee
“Best for those who prioritize freshness and personalization“
How it works: Start with a tasting kit and based on your feedback they curate your shipments to fit your flavour profiles. They have even developed an app that lets you rate and review the coffees they send you. This gives the company more data to help select the right beans for your subscription.
Driftaway promises single-origin coffees sourced directly from farmers. Coffees are roasted for you in-house less than 6 hours before delivery. Moreover, they now offer an office subscription option (bringing the price down to $10/pound) plus brewing and equipment support. Read our full review of Driftaway Coffee here.
Best for the coffee reliant, the foodie folks, or to give as a gift. Basically, it’s simple. You like coffee? Driftaway brings you really good coffee.
details:
- Personalized – Provide preferences and feedback, and they do the rest
- Shipped within 6 hours of roasting
- Fair trade, direct trade and Rainforest Alliance-certified sourcing, with heavy farmer support and feedback
- Prices start at US$21
- Shipping locations: Many (see the list here)
6. Craft Coffee
“Best for value seekers”
How it works: Take their survey to get a recommendation for the right coffees to start your coffee subscription, or try their famous 3-variety sampler pack; a gateway to the world of specialty coffee.
Craft Coffee is all about bringing you high-quality, freshly roasted coffees that are new to you, without costing you more than you’d pay at the grocery store. They roast it all in-house and ship your coffee box within 72 hours of roasting. Read our full Craft Coffee review here.
Details:
- Amazing value for such high quality coffee
- Fresh: shipped within 24 – 72 hours of roasting.
- Offer a price match guarantee
- Prices start at US$12.99/bag
- Shipping locations: USA, Canada, and most other locations (via USPS)
7. Peet's Coffee Subscription
How it works: It's simple to make the right choice. In my opinion, that's where Peet's excels. When choosing coffee, you either know exactly what you want, or have no idea. Peet's make it easy; either choose what you want, add some variety, or take the quiz and get matched pronto! Read our full Peet's Coffee Subscription review.
Peet's coffee may not be a new brand to you. However, their new subscription service might just be. Peet's coffee is a household name in the North American coffee delivery space – and they are well known for coming up with amazing blends, and delivering fresh coffee at lightning fast speeds.
Details:
- A few different options available: Small batch series, single origin series, or signature blend series.
- Answer a quiz and have coffee curated to your tastes; or choose what you know you like.
- Roasted after you order for maximum freshness.
- Prices start at US$18.95
- Shipping locations: USA, CA and international (shipping fees apply)
How To Choose the right coffee of the month club
You're probably wondering if coffee subscriptions are worth it since there's a lot to consider before signing up for one. Today if you look for a coffee subscription online you'll be overwhelmed but the number of options. Here are a few pointers that will help you navigate the landscape of coffee subscriptions available, so you can choose the right one:
Does the Coffee Subscription fit your desires?
As a coffee drinker, the first thing you should consider is, naturally, the coffee itself. What coffees does the coffee subscription offer? Where do the coffee beans come? How do they source their coffee beans?
In terms of your desires, there are two different approaches you can take:
- If you like trying lots of different coffees, look for a coffee subscription box that ships you new coffees (new to you) each time.
- If you already know what you like, look for a coffee of the month box that offers subscriptions for the type of coffee you know and like it.
Before choosing, make sure you're clear on what you want. Is your priority freshly roasted coffee? Coffee delivered quickly? Or a service that will help you find your favourite coffee? Each coffee subscription box has a strength, and it's your job to match your order with that strength.
How much can you customize? (And do you even want to?)
The best coffee subscriptions allow you to customize your experience while others offer fixed options. These are curated by professionals but often fairly inflexible.
Want to be active in choosing? Look for a coffee of the month club that tells you what types of whole bean coffee will be sent to you in advance, and will allow you to pick and switch varieties or roasts. Some services will tell you what’s coming in the mail, but won’t allow you to make changes.
Want the company to decide for you? Choose a service that curates coffees and roast types based on your preferences/feedback to a sample box. This is the best way to try beans that the coffee professionals at each coffee box company believe are truly great. You should also consider if you want them to grind for you or not.
How will it be delivered?
Obviously speed is of the essence, because freshly ground coffee is better.
Consider the frequency of coffee delivery: the better companies offer a few different schedules (e.g weekly, bi-weekly or monthly coffee deliveries). If you want a new bean delivered straight to your door every week, but the service offers monthly shipments, it ain't going to make you happy.
How much coffee do you need per week? Look for a company that will get you as much as you need, but no more. There’s no point in getting a delivery each week if you take two weeks to get through a bag of coffee. Conversely; few things are as annoying as running out of coffee.
Do they sell Fair Trade Coffee?
Most coffee-of-the-month clubs on this list emphasize paying farmers fair prices for coffee and supporting sustainability all along the supply chain. Paying farmers fairly means supporting them to grow better coffee and improve practices, but exclusively fair trade subscription services aren’t the only model (3).
Some companies on this list view fair trade prices as too low to support farmers.
This is of course up for debate, but many companies that are not technically fair trade coffee subscriptions instead verify the farms’ practices first hand and pay them directly. This also allows companies to ensure the coffee is of the highest quality.
It also goes without saying that you should consider quality – you want coffee better than what you'd find at the grocery story. but that's a given.
The Bottom Line
Good coffee starts with good beans. Sure, starting with a list of great coffee beans can work, but the above coffee subscriptions make choosing great coffee even easier.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to selecting the right coffee subscriptions. The market is saturated and unfortunately, they are not all great offerings. This list has been curated by coffee lovers, for coffee lovers, and we update it a few times a year.
FAQs
A coffee subscription is a service that delivers coffee to your door in a quantity and at a frequency of your choosing. Some coffee subscriptions just deliver your chosen coffee on a set schedule, ensuring you never run out. Others offer a curated experience. They choose the coffee for you based on your preferences, helping you explore new roast levels and origins.
You subscribe to a coffee service by visiting the website of the coffee company that interests you and signing up. In most cases, you will need to answer a series of questions in order to tailor your subscription to your needs. This will ensure you get coffee beans you enjoy and that you get the right amount delivered to fit your coffee drinking habits.
The best coffees to subscribe to are the ones that taste best to you and that fit with your preferred method of brewing coffee – though high-quality Arabica beans are always a good bet. When signing up for a coffee subscription, if you’re not choosing a specific bean, you will get to choose your preferred roast level. Many services also offer a subscription for espresso lovers.
Yes, most coffee subscription service companies offer holiday deals. Check our Black Friday, National Coffee Day, and other deal pages to learn more.
References
- Rosenacker, J. (2017, July 11). Our Coffee Bag Designs – Atlas Coffee Club. Retrieved from https://club.atlascoffeeclub.com/coffee-bag-designs-atlas-coffee-club/
- Grambush, J. (2017, October 23). A Brief History of Coffee in Seattle. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/washington/articles/a-brief-history-of-coffee-in-seattle/
- Baggini, J. (2015, February 23). Why are foodies turning their backs on Fairtrade? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/feb/23/foodies-fairtrade-sales-quality-ingredients-terms
