Best Coffee Subscription Boxes for 2020

BEST FOR: The ones who get through a lot of coffee

There is quite a bit of choice available, and a lot of catering to your own tastes. Choose a traditional or discovery blend, your method of brewing, and then in the third step, you can select the particular coffee you want to try.

Coffees are chosen from the information you provide, and there are notes about each one to help you find which will suit your taste buds.

You can pick to have 1, 2, 3 or 4 250g bags delivered each time, so no matter how much coffee you drink you will never run out. Four every week would be perfect for a large office environment, or a large household where the coffee is always on tap.

Available as a monthly gift, which can last for 3, 6 or 12 months, and you can select the exact start date.

Read more about Rave here

BEST FOR: When you want Tried & Tested

Struggle to find your favourite coffee? Sick of drinking the same old every month? Want to move away from the big brands but no idea where to start?

BATCH has pretty much ticked all of those boxes and answered your prayers.

They have 15 years of combined experience in the industry and are *obsessed* with finding the best coffee in the UK. They get sent coffee every month, which they then spend hours tasting themselves, working out the flavour notes and how they are best brewed. In the box goes their two favourites, which you are then sent. So, there will be no disappointment from you.

The coffee comes from independent roasters too – they are determined to support the ‘small guys’ – and they will let you know all about the coffee vis the scannable code on each bag in case you want to learn something or buy it again.

Read our full Flavour Of The Month Review here

BEST FOR: The ones who have a pod machine

Trading directly with farmers around the world, Pact doesn’t only offer great coffee but are also highly ethical.

They use the information you provide, such as your preferred roasting level/coarseness/strength etc., to choose the coffee blend sent to you.

Choose from a 250g bag or a box of 40 pods (which should fit any machine that doesn’t need a barcode). There are three blend options to suit your particular palate or budget, and you can select the exact one you receive in your first box.

The customisation is what makes Pact stand out. You choose the delivery frequency between every 1 and 60 days, and you can pause or cancel at any time. They email 48 hours before each delivery to make sure you still want it, so you can make any changes if needed.

BEST FOR: Those who love Cold Brew coffee too

You are able to create your own custom delivery every single month, using freshly roasted beans which are roasted every week.

All of Carrington’s coffee is specialty, 100% Single Origin Arabica of the highest qualities, fully traceable, ethically packaged and roasted fresh in small batches. Offerings can change monthly depending on crop availability, but you will always be informed of any changes, and you can make changes yourself too. Just email them, and they can help if you want to try something new.

Regardless of any changes, they will always have an espresso, a medium roast and a decaf coffee available to send to you. They’re great for anyone who wants a mix of coffee, as you can include a little note of what you need. Select the main grind, but you can also ask them to include a mix of grinds if you use various methods.

But the best thing which will catch some of your eyes? They have a new cold brew blend available, which you can also add to the subscription.

We reviewed this service as part of our Flavour Of The Month spotlight

BEST FOR: No-fuss lovers

Your coffee was grown at this height, by this person, with these taste notes, and on this farm, in this country.

Whew.

It is pretty overwhelming to learn about coffee these days. If you literally care about how to make it and whether it can give you a caffeine boost, and not much else, WAH is for you. You choose the subscription which best suits your method, and they send you the best coffee for the job.

Sound rather mysterious? Don’t worry – we tried it and can tell you now that putting so much faith into their hands is a good thing to do. 10p from every bag sold goes to the marvellous charities ‘Missing People’ or ‘Gendered Intelligence’, which is also a pretty good thing to do.

Bags are £8.50 and you can choose weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or bi-monthly deliveries. They can post to your home, work address or even internationally, too.

Read our review of We Are Here.

BEST FOR: The ones who stick to their favourite

Perky Blenders don’t only have a fabulously punny name but also do fabulous, hassle-free subscriptions.

You get one 200g bag with every box, pre-ground to your particular preference or left as whole beans. They roast it the day before it’s sent out, so it is as fresh as can be when it gets to your door.

The four choices are Blend of the Month, Forest Blend, Single Origin or Decaf. You can either stick to what you know with the latter three options or have a monthly surprise with the former, where Perky Blenders curate a unique coffee.

Your boxes are £6.50 for a 200g bag, or you can buy them in bulk without subscription. If you are outside the E17 postcode, there is a small postage fee. Available as a gift, with a personal message as an added touch.

BEST FOR: The ones who are loyal customers

These guys take you on a coffee-based voyage. Handpicked and personally sourced from 17 countries then tested, beans are roasted in the UK before sending.

Their most popular option is the six month subscription box, but they also offer three month options and one-off bags or boxes. Each box contains 3 x 155g bags of fresh coffee, with info regarding roasted-on date and origin cards. It can be prepared to suit the ground you need for your particular machine and roasted to your preferential degree.

Delivery is free in the UK and non-mainland, £2.75 to Europe and £3.45 to everywhere else. They come in a sleek, letterbox-suitable package. Available as a gift, with the option to have it delivered on a certain date and with a note.

BEST FOR: The ones who like to learn

Has Bean’s ‘In My Mug’ subscription service has seven pre-set plans and is more of a book club than a personalised gift box. Perfect for those who like variety and want an interactive experience.

It’s £30 for 4 coffee deliveries (weekly for 1 month or fortnightly for 2 months), £71 for 12 (weekly for 3 months, fortnightly for 6 months or monthly for a year) and £250 for 52 (weekly for a year). Pay in a lump sum or Direct Debit. Delivery is free in the UK and from £3 to Europe and elsewhere.

Now here’s the standout – they create an informative video magazine alongside the service, and the Friday before the video is recorded is when you are sent the coffee. The idea is that you sit down to watch the video with your brew in hand, learning as you drink.

For this reason, every subscriber gets the same coffee. Thoughts can be shared between all members of the community in a forum.

BEST FOR: The ones who want to find their favourite blend

Can’t decide or want a surprise? There’s a Roaster’s Choice option, where you can choose the Discovery Pack of 2 125g bags of different blends each month which lets you try the range in half the time or the Classic Pack of one 250g bag.

Find one which you could never do without again? Simply log in to your account and choose to receive it going forward. If you already have a favourite, you can select the Classic from day one for consistent delivery.

Delivery is free to mainland UK, and if you are based elsewhere, the charge will be worked out accordingly when you get to the checkout. You can pause or cancel at any time, and there are gift boxes available.

BEST FOR: Those who love an extra treat

With a Rise subscription box, you don’t just get a bag of coffee every month. You get recipes, unexpected gifts and roasters stories too.

Choose from whole bean or ground, and there is free delivery as well as two bags of coffee every month. Choose from a 3, 6 or 12-month delivery, and you will get a different handpicked independent roasted coffee every time.

They aim to be sustainable and eco-friendly in all they do, and as a bonus it is all packaged very nicely.

BEST FOR: The ones who like a surprise

Weanie Beans select their personal favourite coffee every month and send it out to their subscribers in the grind level and bag size formerly picked. The blend is a complete surprise.

This makes it perfect for anyone who is entirely open to the coffee they will be drinking for the next month.

Price wise, the £7 is for the recurring monthly 250g bag selection. Or, you can pay upfront for a year, where you will receive a 250g (£78) or 500g (£150) bag each month. They also have an office delivery service at different prices. When you reach the checkout stage of the purchase, postage will be calculated based on weight.

Deliveries will occasionally come with a gift as well, and nobody knows what it will be to add even more surprises to the occasion.

BEST FOR: The ones who like eco-friendly and ethical produce

Django offer coffee with low environmental impact, sourcing green beans from around the world. They then roast them in small batches for a true personalised taste. It’s their mission to provide information regarding the journey of every single bean from farm to cup.

There are several set delivery options to choose from, including a rolling subscription for a bit more customisation.

You get a 250g bag with each delivery and can choose what you will be sent or leave it as a surprise. Changes can be made by sending an email.

The idea for Django came from Melbourne’s bustling speciality coffee scene. The coffee is all about discovery, the people who produced it and the culture it comes from while keeping environmental impact at a minimum. Plus, they have recently teamed up with One Tree Planted.

BEST FOR: The ones who want to explore the world

With each month’s Discovery programme delivery guaranteed to be from a different country, this box is for anyone who wants to be taken on an international excursion of tastes.

Based in East London, Cafè Direct work with micro-lot farmers to make this possible.

Choose from a filter or espresso method of brewing, and a 250g or 1kg bag. You get tasting notes with every blend, as well as information on where it is from and the entire provenance.

The Destination programme is for anyone who knows what they’re after, but the Discovery one is so adventurous that it would be our personal pick.

There is a referral programme which will see you get £4 off your next order, and they’ll also get their first month for £1, which is a nice touch.

BEST FOR: The ones who want to try before they buy

With the aim of absolute freshness, Union Coffee roast and post on the same day, to maximise the taste once it reaches your door.

You get two 200g bags with every delivery, and there is the option to upgrade for an extra £2 per month to receive fine and rare blends that aren’t available anywhere else in the UK.

Either let them exclusively pick your coffees every month, select your favourite broad flavours so they have a bit of guidance, or choose the precise blends you will get.

They are also keen on people discovering new blends they perhaps wouldn’t try otherwise. If you are unsure whether to subscribe or are new to coffee, a Discovery Pack is available for £5 and comes with four individual single-serve samples so you can get a bit more accustomed before you order.