Trade Coffee Review: This Subscription Is the Little Treat I Look Forward to Every Morning
Updated: Mar. 29, 2024
Mornings have been easier since I started getting quality, freshly roasted coffee beans shipped directly to my door. Read on for my honest Trade Coffee review.
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As a “zillennial” (AKA a late 90s baby caught between the crosshairs of two generations), I’m influenced by my fair share of TikTok trends. I’ve caught myself making girl dinner a few too many times and adding viral products to my Amazon cart. But my all-time favorite craze? Little treat culture.
Yep, there’s a whole generation on the internet who feels the need to reward themselves after the slightest inconvenience or discomfort. Long work meeting? Excuse me while I grab a cookie after. Went to a dentist appointment? Well, I’m stopping for flowers on the way home. In short, these little treats are a way to make the mundane rituals of life a little more rewarding.
In my home, my latest little treat obsession is a quality cup of coffee every. single. day. No more waiting for special occasions to splurge on the good stuff.
As Taste of Home’s Senior Shopping Editor, I’ve had the privilege of testing and reviewing all sorts of gear and gadgets, from coffee gift baskets to my ride-or-die Burr grinder. But at the end of the day, the most crucial component is the coffee itself—and that’s where a Trade subscription comes in.
What is Trade Coffee?
Trade is an online coffee marketplace that matches coffee enthusiasts with fresh beans from across the country. You can buy bags one at a time or opt for a subscription. It’s a great way to try independent brands with a single account. I enjoyed coffees from Michigan, Virginia, Kansas, Tennessee, Massachusetts and New York. I even spotted some local roasters from my neck of the woods in Wisconsin—shout out to Anodyne!
Trade also makes it easy to identify your flavor preferences and choose the perfect grind for your brew method (or opt for whole bean, of course). They also sell coffee tools and gift boxes.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Trade Coffee Subscription
Get ready to explore the wide world of coffee! Enjoy fresh beans delivered straight to your door.
How We Tested It
To see if Trade is worth its salt…err, grounds, I tested a subscription over the course of two months. I sampled six bags in total, delivered bi-weekly.
Introductory Quiz
Before you reach for your French press, you have to make a Trade account. This process sets up your initial flavor and brewing needs, so don’t breeze through it. (Of course, you can always amend your preferences later, if desired).
The quiz starts with a lot of the usual suspect questions: How do you take your coffee? What roasts do you typically buy? Do you want whole bean or ground coffee? You’ll then get into slightly nicher asks, like how adventurous you are with coffee flavors. The quiz closes with selections around bag size, shipment frequency and whether you’d like to pre-pay or pay as you go.
It’s definitely one of the lengthier coffee quizzes I’ve encountered, but the thorough process sets you up for success with your very first shipment. And, if for some reason you don’t love that first pick, Trade offers a “first match guarantee” that sends a second bag for free if you’re not happy.
Delivery and Freshness
Soon after ordering, my Trade coffee arrived in my mailbox in a bright red bag. After opening, I did a double-take at the roast date—it was just a few days prior! As someone who typically buys grocery store beans or organic coffee from Amazon, I was impressed. Typically, I’m checking that the expiration date isn’t coming up soon! I was very happy to know that the beans hadn’t been roasted and stashed in a warehouse for weeks (or even months) before showing up at my door.Â
Now, while researching, I had read some reviews saying Trade coffee bags can be a little skimpy, so I measured each bag on my coffee scale. In my experience, each bag weighed in right around 11 ounces, which matches the 10.93-ounce standard bag size Trade advertises.
Brewing and Taste
I was matched with Sparrows High Five Blend for my first order. Followed by Red Rooster El Salvador Finca Hungria, PT’s Flatlander Signature Blend, Common Voice Heirloom, Broadsheet Line Street Blend and Joe Amsterdam. All six bags fit the “classic, smooth medium roasts” identified via the onboarding quiz.
To prep, I tried each bag using my go-to methods: Pour-over and French press. I also made a carafe in the Keurig K-Duo I’m testing for our best Keurigs lineup.
Every bag of beans lived up to my expectations. The freshness really made a difference, and I appreciated that the selections were tailored to my taste. Of the six, PT’s and Joe’s were my favorite. While I did have to supplement with additional coffee between deliveries, I loved knowing that I could bump up my cadence whenever I wanted.
That said, the one downside to Trade (that I could find, at least) was that there wasn’t an obvious option to add decaf selections into your subscription. Maybe I missed it, but I couldn’t find a way to mix caff and decaf bags, which would have been helpful as my husband is trying to cut down on his caffeine intake.
Pros
- Custom coffee experience
- Incredibly fresh
- 450+ coffees in their online store
- Easy to re-order your favorites
- Ability to choose desired cadence
- Multiple bag size options
- First match guarantee
- Ability to pre-pay or pay as you go
- Easy to pause or cancel
Cons
- On the pricey side, especially for an 11-ounce bag
FAQ
How much is Trade Coffee per month?
It depends on the subscription, but most coffee bags cost between $15 and $20.
Does Trade Coffee offer free shipping?
Yes—if you pre-pay for your coffee subscription. Otherwise, orders incur a nominal (about $2 per bag) shipping fee.
Is Trade Coffee freshly roasted?
In my experience, yes. Every bag I received on my Trade subscription came with a roast date within mere days of ordering. This is truly some of the freshest coffee you can order online.
Product Comparison
I’ve tested many coffee subscription boxes, and Trade stands out as the best of the bunch. It gives you total control of your coffee selections—and there are hundreds of brews to choose from! This differs from other services, like Atlas Coffee Club, where there’s only one new blend each month. I also love that you can easily add (or remove) coffees from your queue, which sets it apart from a more curated service, like Bean Box.
Final Verdict
If you enjoy trying new coffee, a Trade subscription is the best way to experience beans tailored exactly to your tastes. In my testing, I was most impressed with the attention to detail, freshness and flavor. Trade makes it easy to upgrade your day. Plus, it makes a wonderful gift.
Where to Order a Trade Coffee Subscription
You can sign up for a subscription on the Trade website. Plans start at around $20 per bag. While pricey, yes, the quality and convenience make up for it—and it’s still cheaper than a daily coffee shop run. Plus, remember, it’s OK to treat yourself.Â
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Trade Coffee Subscription
Get ready to explore the wide world of coffee! Enjoy fresh beans delivered straight to your door.
Originally Published: March 29, 2024
