The Best Coffee Subscriptions to Fuel Your Mornings (According to a Pro)

Picture this: It’s early and dark, and you groggily wander into the kitchen to get the day started. You throw open the cabinet and see the worst possible outcome possible—an empty coffee bag. But what if it didn’t have to be like this? What if coffee magically showed up at your door exactly the moment you ran out? Okay, maybe that’s a little far-fetched. But with a little foresight, a coffee subscription can keep your cupboard stocked and make sure you never spend another commute undercaffeinated again. 

There are lots of coffee subscription options out there—multi-roaster samplers, rotating roaster’s choice picks, standby blend boxes—and it can be tricky to know which to choose So, we’ve rounded up the 10 best coffee subscriptions to guide you towards ones that’ll match your taste and price point.

The Best Coffee Subscriptions, at a Glance

Why It’s Great

Specialty coffee can be intimidating to jump into, and that’s why Trade’s coffee quiz is ideal for anyone who wants to up their coffee game without knowing where to start. After selecting a price tier ($15.75 or $19.50 a bag), Trade asks you how you like to brew, if you take your coffee with milk if you have roast preferences, and four more questions to home in on a personalized recommendation from over 50 specialty coffee roasters around the United States. Trade lets you customize the quantity and frequency, and offers discounts and free shipping for pre-paid options, too. It’s the most thorough coffee quiz we’ve taken, and when we tried it, Trade nailed its recommendations spot-on. But Trade isn’t just for newbies: Their recommendation engine is primed to pick out the best coffee for any skill level and taste preference. We particularly like their shipment management page, too. If you don’t think you’re going to jive with the next coffee in your queue, you can always swap it for something else. And since every bag is drop-shipped directly from the roaster, your coffee is always fresh. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces
• Price range: $15.75 to $19.50 per bag
• Frequency: 1 week, 1.5 weeks, 2 weeks
• Shipping info: Free if you pre-pay for 3 bags at a time, $1.95 per bag otherwise

Why It’s Great

Bean Box’s Coffee Sampler gives you four 1.8-ounce sampler bags (enough for two to three pourovers or one larger batch of drip coffee) from four roasters every month. It’s a great gift option for any coffee fanatic (they’ll get to try numerous beans without having to open a full-sized bag). It comes in three-, six-, and 12-month packages that all ship for free, or you can purchase a single month to try it out. It’s not just for gifts, however. If you’ve been on the hunt for a new favorite roaster and are iffy about committing to full bags, the Coffee Sampler box is a great way to expand your palate without deflating your wallet. Bean Box also offers a recurring subscription.

Good to Know

• Bag size: 4 x 1.8-ounce bags
• Price range: $24 to $258
• Frequency: One-time, 3, 6, 12 months
• Shipping info: Free for 3-, 6-, and 12-month packages

Why It’s Great

Mistobox was launched in 2012, making it one of the oldest multi-roaster subscription options out there. They feature over 600 coffee options from more than 60 roasters. If that sounds intimidating, you can always take their brief coffee quiz to be paired with a coffee that fits your preferences. They also feature discounts if you pre-pay for multiple bags at once—buying six bags at a time will save you 10%, while 12 bags shave 15% off their per-bag price. They have two pricing tiers: $14.95 or $17.95 per bag, and you can choose between four frequencies to dial in exactly how much coffee you need and when. But the best feature is their coffee queue. If you know exactly which coffees you want, you can build your custom subscription easily by creating a favorites list that will automatically ship on your preferred schedule. With new and seasonal coffee options arriving weekly, it’s the best coffee subscription service for anyone who’s already a high-end coffee convert.

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces
• Price range: $14.95 or 17.95 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks
• Shipping info: $5 per bag

Why It’s Great

Crema.co has a great home subscription service, but their office program is where they truly stand out. Their brief coffee quiz helps steer you towards some choice selections, but they also offer custom tools that let you set budget limits and invite team members to join the account so everyone can suggest their favorite coffees for the next shipment. Because of their office program, however, Crema.co also offers five-pound bags of coffee for their home subscriptions (along with sampler sets of multiple bags, too). It’s a great way to snag a discount on bulk coffee if you’ve got a household that’ll blow through 12-ounce bags. Plus, since you can customize your frequency, you don’t have to worry about overdoing it. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces, 5 pounds
• Price range: $20 to $115
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks
• Shipping info: Free shipping

Why It’s Great

If you’re a home espresso enthusiast, Beanz has the best selection of coffees for you. Started by Breville to help support people who have purchased their espresso machines, Beanz ships two bags of each coffee at a time so that you’ll have plenty of coffee to dial in the perfect shot before your next shipment; plus all subscriptions ship free. You can either take their coffee quiz or roll the dice with their Barista’s Choice, which automatically sends you coffee based on your previous preferences. And keep an eye out for perks if you’re thinking of becoming a Breville espresso machine owner—Beanz runs promotions for free bags of coffee from time to time. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 10 ounces, 12 ounces
• Price range: $16 to $21 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks
• Shipping info: Free for subscriptions, 

Why It’s Great

Counter Culture Coffee’s single-origin subscription is a favorite of senior culinary director Daniel Gritzer who says, “They send different beans each month, almost always either African or from coffee-growing zones in the Americas, so I get some variety without having to think about it.” Their subscription offerings also cover a rotating five-pound office subscription, a blend sample box, or any of their year-round blends. You can customize your delivery schedule up to every eight weeks, too, so you never have to worry about bags piling up on your doorstop while you rush to finish your current bag. They’ve got a little something for everyone, including a wide range of roast options, and since it ships directly from Counter Culture, every bag is fresh. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces, 5 pounds
• Price range: $18 to $95
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 weeks
• Shipping info: Free over $30

Why It’s Great

Stumptown is another staff favorite coffee roaster, but what we love about their subscription is how simple it is. You can choose a roaster’s choice, a rotation of their blends, or pick your favorite coffee to get on repeat. They also have a wide variety of perks for subscribers, including 30% off your first shipment, free shipping, pre-sale access to special coffees and merch, and exclusive access to limited-release coffees. If you’ve got a standby coffee that you love but still like to branch out to snag unique offerings, Stumptown has you covered.

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces
• Price range: $16 to $25 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks
• Shipping info: Free with a subscription

Why It’s Great

Intelligentsia offers 16 coffees available for subscription, but you can also subscribe to their two instant coffee options, or their canned, ready-to-drink cold coffee, as well. Whether you’re looking for rotating seasonal espresso blends or a certified organic breakfast blend, Intelligentsia’s subscription options have you covered. You can also select five-pound bags for each of their coffee blends in case you need to stock up, and all subscriptions come with free shipping, too. It’s a one-stop shop for all your coffee needs, and every bag is roasted to order.  

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces, 5 pounds
• Price range: $16.50 to $137 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks
• Shipping info: Free with a subscription

Why It’s Great

Yes Plz was founded on a simple principle: It’s more important to have excellent coffee than a variety of options. At any given time they only have four options: a blend, an espresso blend, a single-origin coffee, and a decaf. But that doesn’t mean you’ll get bored—each week, the blends are updated with new coffees to bring fresh and vibrant flavors to the mix, and their single-origin offering rotates as well. If you love delicious coffee but hate making decisions, Yes Plz is the perfect choice. Their coffees ship free and come in either 8-ounce or 12-ounce bags, and subscribers save two dollars off of every bag. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 8 ounces, 12 ounces
• Price range: $20 to $26 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks
• Shipping info: Free

Why It’s Great

Vignette is a small start-up roaster in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is a favorite of mine (former commerce writer Jesse Raub, here!). My standby is their Rose Glass Blend for a lighter body espresso, but I love being surprised by their roaster’s choice subscription for my morning pourover. Their subscription offerings include a variety of blends and rotating coffee options, and long-term subscribers unlock a 10% discount after their fourth shipment. Combined with free shipping, Vignette’s subscriptions are a steal—especially if you like variety and go through a lot of coffee at home. 

Good to Know

• Bag size: 12 ounces, 2 pounds, 5 pounds
• Price range: $16 to $91 per bag
• Frequency: 1, 2, and 4 weeks
• Shipping info: Free

FAQs

How do coffee subscriptions work?

There are a few different models for online coffee subscriptions, but most follow the same basic principle: you pick the coffee you want, choose the frequency you’d like it delivered, and your coffee arrives right at your front door. Subscriptions direct from coffee roasters are usually roasted to order, but plenty of multi-roaster retailers also drop-ship coffees directly from the roaster meaning bags are typically fresher than what you’d find in a store. 

Are coffee subscriptions worth it?

Coffee subscriptions are a great way to sample a variety of coffees from roasters around the United States. They also typically offer bonus perks, like free shipping, while ordering a single bag usually has an additional shipping cost. 

Do coffee subscriptions save money? 

Many coffee subscriptions offer free shipping, which can save you money if you tend to order coffee online frequently. Some subscriptions also offer a cheaper per-bag price or a discount that’s applied after a certain number of shipments, so if you’re looking to save money you might be able to find a subscription that works for your budget. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Jesse Raub was Serious Eats’ commerce writer and spent over 15 years working in the specialty coffee industry. 
• He was our in-house coffee expert and regularly tested coffee gear for this site including coffee scales and espresso grinders.