How we rate coffee subscriptions
Every coffee subscription on this site is scored on the 6 criteria below, weighted to 100 points. This page is generated from the same rules that produce the numbers, so it cannot describe a system we are not using.
Each criterion says what it measures, why it carries the weight it does, and what the evidence actually is — which is often the more useful half. A score read without knowing that grind consistency comes from burr geometry rather than a measured particle distribution is a score taken on faith.
Cancelling, Skipping & Getting Out
24 of 100 pointsScored directly from published figures.
1 of the 5 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 4 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 24 of the category's 100 points.
- Cancel online3 of 10
- present
- 3 pts
- Skip a delivery2 of 10
- present
- 2 pts
- Pause1.5 of 10
- present
- 1.5 pts
- Notice requirednot scored here
Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.
- none
- 2 pts
- up to 3
- 1.5 pts
- over 3, up to 7
- 1 pt
- over 7, up to 14
- 0.5 pts
- over 14
- 0 pts
- Minimum commitment1.5 of 10
- 1 or less
- 1.5 pts
- over 1, up to 2
- 1 pt
- over 2, up to 3
- 0.5 pts
- over 3
- 0 pts
10 of 10
Cost Per Bag, and Per Kilo
22 of 100 pointsScored directly from published figures.
The 4 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 22 of the category's 100 points.
- Cost per bag4 of 10
- $12 or less
- 4 pts
- over $12, up to $16
- 3.2 pts
- over $16, up to $20
- 2.4 pts
- over $20, up to $25
- 1.5 pts
- over $25
- 0.6 pts
- Cost per kilo3 of 10
- $45 or less
- 3 pts
- over $45, up to $60
- 2.4 pts
- over $60, up to $80
- 1.7 pts
- over $80, up to $100
- 0.9 pts
- over $100
- 0.3 pts
- Shipping included1.5 of 10
- present
- 1.5 pts
- First box discount1.5 of 10
- present
- 1.5 pts
10 of 10
Freshness & Roast Dates
16 of 100 pointsScored directly from published figures.
2 of the 3 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The one that remains scores this criterion out of 10 between it: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 16 of the category's 100 points.
- Roasted to order4.5 of 10
- present
- 4.5 pts
- Roast to despatchnot scored here
Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 3.5 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.
- 1 or less
- 3.5 pts
- over 1, up to 2
- 2.8 pts
- over 2, up to 4
- 2 pts
- over 4, up to 7
- 1 pt
- over 7
- 0.3 pts
- Roast date printednot scored here
Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.
- present
- 2 pts
10 of 10
Choice & Personalisation
16 of 100 pointsScored directly from published figures.
The 4 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 16 of the category's 100 points.
- Roasters offered3 of 10
- 1 or less
- 0.6 pts
- over 1, up to 5
- 1.5 pts
- over 5, up to 20
- 2.4 pts
- over 20
- 3 pts
- Grind choice2.5 of 10
- published at all
- 2.5 pts
- Roast choice2.5 of 10
- published at all
- 2.5 pts
- Matched to taste2 of 10
- present
- 2 pts
10 of 10
What Actually Arrives
12 of 100 pointsScored from figures that predict it, because the thing itself is not published.
1 of the 4 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 3 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 12 of the category's 100 points.
- Specialty grade3.5 of 10
- present
- 3.5 pts
- Single origin offered2.5 of 10
- present
- 2.5 pts
- Roasters named2.5 of 10
- published at all
- 2.5 pts
- Direct tradenot scored here
Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 1.5 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.
- present
- 1.5 pts
10 of 10
Delivery & Straight Answers
10 of 100 pointsScored directly from published figures.
The 3 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 10 of the category's 100 points.
- Where it ships4 of 10
- published at all
- 4 pts
- Frequency options3 of 10
- published at all
- 3 pts
- Price shown upfront3 of 10
- present
- 3 pts
10 of 10
What nobody in this category publishes
4 inputs are published by fewer than one maker in four here. An input almost nobody states measures the market rather than the product, so its weight leaves the total instead of being guessed at, and scores in this category are out of less than 100 because of it. It switches back on by itself the moment enough makers publish it.
- Roast to despatch
- Direct trade
- Notice required
- Roast date printed
How we rate everything else
- Accessories
- Bean-to-Cup Machines
- Coffee Bags
- Coffee Beans
- Coffee Pods
- Drip Coffee Makers
- Espresso Machines
- French Press
- Gift Sets
- Grinders
- Immersion Brewers
- Instant Coffee
- Kettles
- Moka & Stovetop
- Pod & Capsule Machines
- Pour Over
- Scales
- Turkish Coffee Machines
- Turkish Coffee Pots
The rules that apply to every category, where specifications come from and why blanks stay blank, are on how we score.