Blue Coffee Box Review: Is This The Subscription For You?

Is it time to put a little variety in your morning routine? A coffee subscription such as Blue Coffee box can help you explore new coffees from all around the world, delivered to your door.

We thought this service was worth a look with selections from more than 22 countries and a focus on ethical trade.  Read on to see what we discovered.

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The Blue Coffee Box review

Blue Coffee Box offers two kinds of coffee subscriptions. One in which you get your favourite coffee beans delivered each month so that you don’t run out, and another where you sign up to get a surprise package. Blue Coffee Box is one of the latter – so how did our experience go?

The Blue Coffee Box review

• Coffee selection
• Membership options
• Overall experience
• Unique Features
• Price

4.7

Coffee selection – 4/5

As more of a ‘discovery subscription’, you can’t directly pick your coffee, and you can’t shop online if you’d like another pack of something you’ve had previously. But you will get to try a new coffee each month, which is all part of the fun.

Blue Coffee Box buys coffee beans from more than 22 different countries, focusing on ethical sourcing using the Direct Trade model. Then they roast the beans to your preference at some of the UK’s best small-batch roasters. 

Membership options – 5/5

Subscription options for Blue Coffee Box are straightforward but comprehensive. Signing up is a simple process that guides you through the selections at each step.

The first choice is whether you want a bag or a box. The bag is a single coffee selection, while the box contains two different bags, with some extra goodies (but more on that below). Then you will decide whether this is for yourself or a gift for someone else. 

Whole beans are available, as are different grind options for cafetiere, pour-over, AeroPress or espresso. You also have the chance to select your roast profile.

Decaf drinkers will be pleased to hear there is an option for them, and if you take the box option, you can have a bag of each. 

Whether you are getting one or two coffees delivered, you can choose the frequency – fortnightly, monthly or every two months. The coffee comes in vacuum storage to help it stay fresh between deliveries (1).

Overall experience – 5/5

We chose the box option, which gave us two bags of coffee to try. We ended up with a dark roast from Colombia and a medium roast from El Salvador.

The Colombian beans were sourced from Marulanda in the famous growing region of Caldas. The small village of Monte Bonito sits 1700m above sea level, making it an excellent area for growing Arabica, with these beans coming from the Castillo varietal (2). The flavour profile includes tastes of orange blossom, nutmeg and honey. We had great success using these beans with both a Moka pot and espresso machine, with low acidity and plenty of floral and nutty notes. 

The medium roast is from the Finca San Ernesto in the village of Comasagua near San Salvador. These Pacas beans (3), a type of Bourbon varietal, have been honey washed, and produce a brew with notes of chocolate, maple, orange and toffee.  Due to the beans’ higher acidity levels, it didn’t work so well for espresso but was excellent as a latte (4). These beans would also work well made as a pour-over.

Comparing these two coffees side by side was a great reminder of how different roasts play to their strengths with different brewing methods.

Unique Features – 4.5/5

What we loved about this Blue Coffee Box subscription was the gift box option. 

It’s probably supposed to be for when ordering a subscription for a friend; but it’s just as nice as a present to yourself. As well as a classy presentation box, you get postcards with the coffee details. This rather cute touch gives you information on the growing region, the roasters and the tasting notes.

Price – 5/5

Pricing depends on how many bags you get and how far in advance you want to pay. 

Paying by the month, you can get a single 227g bag for £8.99 or the two-bag box for £16.99. So, it’s on par with many other coffee subscriptions and a fair price for gourmet coffee. Plus, pay up to 12 months in advance, and you’ll get a discount on your order.

To sweeten the deal, delivery to the UK is free for all subscriptions. European residents will need to add an extra £1.99.

Do Not Buy If…

• If Blue Coffee Box doesn’t sound like your cup of joe – there are plenty of others to choose from. Depending on your needs, you might like to try some of these other great services.
• You’ve got a pod machine – Instead try Pact Coffee, which offers subscriptions for whole beans, ground coffee or coffee pods. The coffee pods are compatible with Nespresso machines and are all fully recyclable. Each package contains 40 pods of either a single selection or a mixed box.
• You want to choose your coffee – If you want to know exactly what you’ll be getting each month, try a service like Perky Blenders. Experimenting can be fun, but this is your morning coffee we’re talking about. They offer three house blends, a single-origin coffee and a decaf option. And if you’re still in the mood for adventure, there is a coffee of the month.

The Verdict

If you’re looking to expand your coffee palate, Blue Box Coffee is a great place to start. The surprise element will help you push your boundaries and introduce you to varieties and regions you might never have tried. With reasonable prices, you’re not spending vast amounts on a coffee you might not like. The postcards included with the box option also make each delivery a little bit special.

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