Coffee Beans As A Service

At EFTM we have written about plenty of things you can sign up for as a service (here). Today we’re here to tell you about a new service we tested recently, coffee.

Joe Merchant & Co is an Australian company which sources beans from around the world, roasts and even grinds (if you choose to) before carefully packing and sending to you each month.

EFTM tested a bag of their beans during the recent testing of the Breville Oracle and we were pleasantly surprised. Initially when the machine came in we purchased a bag of Vittoria beans and got started. Once our delivery from Joe Merchant arrived was when the surprise really set in.

It wasn’t the beautiful packaging, the welcome letter or the wine-like description of the beans on the beans bag that we loved the most. It was the flavour of the coffee we received from our first brew. The difference between this bag of beans compared to the off the shelf beans from Vittoria was like comparing chalk and cheese. We aren’t coffee snobs but we certainly felt like it after giving this a whirl. The difference was welcoming and rather scary actually.

Joe Merchant & Co work with many companies to source your bag of beans each month. Not everyone will receive the same bag either, during the sign-up process you will have a number of questions to answer so that Joe Merchant & Co can get to know your desires better. Knowing whether you have your coffee as an espresso or as a flat white for example is something they will put into consideration when choosing your beans for the month. With fathers day coming up soon we actually think signing up your dad to a service like this is a great gift. Each month a bag of beans is delivered, each with a new story and flavour.

It is worth noting – we did ask about Nespresso compatible pods and while this isn’t available yet – it is potentially coming soon.

While we shouldn’t compare these beans with the Vittoria beans we initially bought, we must highlight that the cost of this service is higher than the average bag of beans from Woolworths. A 250g bag will set you back $22.50 or the better value 500g bag will cost you $35 delivered. It is a higher price to pay but like anything – quality over quantity.