Trade Coffee review 2019: How a subscription works & what it costs

“Put your mug’s fate in our hands with over 2,000,000 happy coffee matches — and counting!” may reek of gimmick, but we tried Trade Coffee Co.’s matchmaking service, and I, for one, have nothing but good things to say for the brand. Why? Never has a coffee buying experience ever led me through six web pages of consultative questions in order to pair me with a bag of coffee. After the folks (or algorithm) at Trade presented me with a suggestion, I took it. Now, here I sit, feet up, sipping from a soupcon that is surely delivering me ever closer — with each shot — to a time and place where I can confidently claim that I am, indeed, living my very best life.

Okay, I might be taking you for a bit of a ride here, but if you want to learn how to profile your ideal cuppa (and maybe self, while you’re at it), there may be no better way than with the help of Trade Coffee. Depending on your profile, Trade may match you with The Classics, which is their best value plan at $25 for two 12-ounce bags. Then there’s The Hookup for those seeking something “surprising and unconventional” at $15 to $22 per 12-ounce bag.

The process, intimidating at the outset, perhaps, is so thoroughly yet tidily detailed that it’s a breeze.

What we like most about the selection and customization process is how unassuming it is. You don’t feel like you’re diving in headfirst with a sommelier who’s just out to make you feel uninformed. Instead, you get a clean page layout with four options to identify your level of java snob-hood: from newbie to nerd.

Then it’s on to your preferred brewing method, which, depending on how much you care, could dictate the roast level and/or type of bean you want to be buying and why that might matter. And if you’re using a pod machine, a support team is ready to chat whether you use a Keurig, Nespresso, or apparently, any other type of pod machine.

Next, you’ll select what, if anything, you add to your coffee, because they’ve decided to factor in even that.

Then there’s your preferred roast level. This is a common question, of course, but again, like wine, maybe something we don’t all necessarily understand. Trade also offers a little explainer about roast levels and how each roasting brand uses its own “scale” while Trade scores all coffees on their own scale so that there’s no confusion within their service.

And this is where it all might get a little tricky. Just the same, though, don’t overthink it; you can always try more. Be bold.

Do you buy ground, whole bean coffee, or both? This is fairly self-explanatory, though Trade makes a point to push grinding your own coffee for the best brew you can get, and we’re with them. If we can offer a single piece of conjecture, to you, dear reader, let it be this: If you’re going to invest in good coffee, grind it yourself or you are missing the point of luxuriating in this splurge altogether.