What's the best coffee subscription? 10 of the best to know about

Selected for their flavour, quality of service and ethical creds

Wondering where you'll find the best coffee subscription? We've got you. If coffee is the first thing you think of when you wake up, hard relate.

Whether you need an espresso hit before a morning sweat sesh on your stationary spin bike or your fave mocha smoothie before you even contemplate heading to the gym to lift weights, checking out the best coffee subscription for you will mean you'll always have some fresh coffee to hand in order to brew up something delicious.

Honestly the wins that come from finding the best coffee subscription for you are more plentiful than you might think. Not only do these schemes help support small businesses, but they also allow customers to discover different varieties beyond what you are picking up at Pret every day.

A subscription reduces the risk of that bleary-eyed 7am realisation that you’re out of beans, plus with peppy packaging, they are sure to put a spring in your step… or is that the caffeine talking?

Knowing where your coffee comes from and how it's impacting the world should be just as important as how your coffee tastes.

From a waste limitation POV, look for coffee companies that use recyclable packaging and compostable pods.

It's also important that you do your research to ensure that the best coffee subscription company you're signing up to subscribes to ethical practices and trades fairly with its suppliers (almost exclusively based in the global south).

One sign that a coffee subscription is ethical? That the organisation works directly with farmers. You can also check if companies are fair trade certified or if they work with farmers that grow their coffees sustainably - meaning it has been grown in a way which helps and not hinders nature. Remember: kind to people and planet is the goal.

If you've got a 6-a-day coffee habit it's not going to help fuel your workout, but a couple of flat whites a day have been said to boost your energy and your metabolism.

Earlier this year, researchers published the results of the world’s largest study into coffee effects on overall health, which means we could be one cappuccino closer to knowing the impact of a daily brew.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at coffee effects, specifically the relationship between drinking coffee and the risk of early death, in over half a million adults.

After ensuring no other lifestyle factors (say, smoking or fitness levels) could affect results, scientists focused on coffee effects and found people who drank a least one daily coffee – no matter how you take it – tended to live longer, and were about 12% less likely to die from cancer, stroke, heart disease or diabetes than non-drinkers.

If they knocked back three cups a day, the risk dropped further, to 18%.

Studies have also suggested that your daily habit can help protect against cell damage and illness, there’s never been a better excuse to get your fix.

'Coffee can absolutely form part of a healthy diet — as long as it’s consumed in moderation. The caffeine may help with alertness, productivity and sports performance, and coffee also contains other micronutrients and antioxidants which can promote general health,' says nutrition and fertility expert Ro Huntriss (@dietitianro).

'We should aim to limit our consumption to no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (which equates to approx four cups of coffee) as a high intake can negatively affect heart and mental health,' she adds.

But, there's a caveat.

'Remember, we find caffeine in other things too — such as tea, energy drinks, diet drinks and chocolate — so bear this in mind when considering your overall intake,' warns Huntriss.

Delivered straight to your door, a coffee subscription means you're in charge of when and where you receive coffee (for example, weekly, fortnightly, monthly).

While if you're a coffee novice they will often ask questions about your taste preferences and chosen coffee machine or brewing method, to find the beans which are perfect for you.

GRIND is the first in the world to use micro-bacterial fermentation (aka PHA) to create eco-friendly coffee pods that fully decompose within 26 weeks.

An extortionate 29,000 single-use coffee pods go to the landfill every minute. Yet, with Grind coffee pods, no matter where you put them, they can fully decompose.

Once you subscribe you'll even receive a free Grind tin to keep your coffee fresh - which, for a limited time, is a very special, limited edition, blue and white design from Henry Holland.

Their coffee and pods are a favourite at Soho House member's clubs and hotels around the world. Choose from their pods, ground coffee or beans and various blends including a dark blend and a Brazil edition.

Starting from £9.95 a month Grind Coffee

Fancy something a little different to your normal coffee hit? Ueshima delivers Japanese Coffee Culture straight to your door. The subscription is as flexible as you want it to be - and you can mix and match your favourite blends.

Choose from their Tokyo Roast, Fuji Mountain and House Blend. While you can brew your favourite coffee without the guilt as all their coffees are 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance Certified while its packaging is 100 per cent recyclable.

From £7.22 for two pouches every month Ueshima Coffee

If you've ever visited a Caravan restaurant in London you'll know their coffee is on point. Caravan uses 100 per cent Arabica craft coffee which has been carefully selected and responsibly sourced before being expertly roasted in London.

Available in pods, beans and ground coffee - their pods are 100 per cent compostable so you don't have to worry about your impact on the environment. First-time subscribers also get a free gift worth £25.

From £14.25 per month Caravan coffee

Lost Sheep started in 2012 and was inspired by the owner's time spent in Melbourne Australia. All their coffee is speciality graded, meaning it is from the Top 5% in the world for quality and all hand-roasted in small batches in the seaside town of Whitstable.

Choose from their espresso, pods or beans - and amazing blends including caramel or crisp chocolate. We highly recommend their bold chocolate blend - which smells and tastes delicious.

Lost Sheep work very directly with their farmers all over the world and also offset 15 tonnes of CO2 every month, while their packaging is either curbside recyclable or compostable - so you can sip on your espresso safe in the knowledge your coffee addiction is giving back to the environment.

From £7.55 every two weeks or month Lost Sheep

You know you're in good hands with John Farrer & Co, as they've been roasting artisan coffee in the Lake District for well over 200 years.

Every month the ‘Signature’ subscription features highly sought-after coffees. If you prefer to know exactly what you're getting choose from their selection, which are all letterbox friendly and available in their coffee grind or whole beans.

The company also makes sure to source single-origin coffee from small-scale farmers, linked to education and sustainability projects in the country it originated from.

Subscriptions start from £11.99 per month John Farrer & Co's

Fancy trying a new coffee every week or month? Chimney's Discovery coffee subscription, where you get a brand new different coffee that comes from a unique place, blend, process, or origin, can help you expand your coffee taste buds.

The coffee roasters, who are based in Surrey, also offer espresso and single-origin subscriptions, plus compostable pods.

Their blends come from all over the world, including Brazil, Kenya and Colombia. With sustainable packaging Chimney also formed a charity partnership with Re-Cycle in 2020, donating some of their profits to support their work across Africa.

Subscriptions start from £7.65 Chimney Fire Coffee

If you're bored of your coffee tasting, well, a little bland, Pact could be the coffee subscription for you - simply input your flavour preferences and the coffee genies at Pact will pair your profile to beans from its rotating selection.

Pact Coffee operates with a direct-trade model to pay farmers significantly more than the Fairtrade base price while delivering freshly roasted speciality coffee to us - win, win.

From 10.95 per delivery Pact Coffee

Ready to rave about your coffee subscription? Not only do they have very cool (recyclable) packaging, but they'll send you a brew guide too with your coffee - which includes heaps of information; from the origin of your beans to a thorough brewing guide.

It’s a smaller subscription (250g should make around 12-20 cups, depending on strength and brew style), which is ideal if you’re a one-coffee-a-day kind of drinker, though you can ramp up to weekly (or even bi-weekly) deliveries if caffeine cravings come on strong. Choose from traditional or discovery blends and let them exactly how you want your coffee to be prepared.

Rave has also committed to giving 1% of their sales to environmental causes, while they also support local farmers and have planted 5800 trees since their inception.

From £7.95, with free delivery Rave Coffee

Blue Coffee has a commitment to only selecting ethically sourced, single-origin coffees, while they also pride themselves on having 100 per cent compostable packaging.

Going cold turkey? Opt for the decaf subscription. Whole household of coffee drinkers? The bi-weekly box will ensure you’re never without your fix.

Plus, the taste guarantee means that if the coffee isn’t to your liking, it will be replaced entirely free of charge. A real bonus when experimenting with new brews.

From £8.49 per month Blue Coffee

There are many reasons why coffee doesn’t make it to the market - and Odd Coffee Co wants to change this broken system.

Odd Coffee works with the best and most prestigious coffee brands to help reduce their waste and achieve their mission of reducing all waste in the coffee industry.

If you want to help them with their mission you can subscribe for 100 pods, ground or bean coffee.

From £22.39 (including free shipping) for 100 pods Odd Coffee Company

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