tHE CREMA COFFEE REVIEW: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

This Crema coffee review digs deep into their subscription service.

Not all coffee subscriptions are created equal. You want a company that cares about YOU as a person – and about delivering you high-quality coffee beans perfectly suited to your taste.

Crema.co is serious about the entire coffee process, from the farm to your cup. To them, the idea of a coffee “subscription” is a full-blown coffee experience, not just beans on your doorstep. Find out what that ethos means for your membership in my detailed Crema Coffee subscription review.

How To Choose The Right Coffee Subscription

Before we jump into the review, let’s review some of the basics of a good coffee subscription.

A subscription can teach you what you like in a coffee and expand your palate. But it’s most effective when you begin with some preferences in mind. Think about the roasts and flavor profiles you enjoy and whether you favor single origins or blends. Some coffee subscription boxes – like the Moustache Coffee Club, which features light roast single origins – focus only on certain types of coffee.

It’s worth brushing up on your “coffee knowledge” before diving into the subscription hunt and ensuring you have a good brewing method and recipe to treat your beans right.

Some Practical Considerations:

• Frequency – How often will you need more coffee? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly? How much coffee do you want to receive per shipment?
• Costs – All artisan coffee subscriptions cost more than bargain-basement grocery store brands, as they should. But there are still notable price differences between them. Keep your budget in mind; a few dollars a shipment can really add up over time. 
• Shipping – Keep a sharp eye out for any hidden shipping costs. Often, a price looks too good to be true… because it is! A $5 shipping fee can add up quickly on something as small as a 12-oz bag of coffee, especially if you go through more than one a month.

Now that our heads are in the right place, let’s get into the Crema.co coffee subscription review!

How I Rated It

• Coffee Selection
• Membership Options
• Unique Features
• Overall Experience
• Price

4.5

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The Full Crema.Co Coffee Roaster’s Subscription Review

Crema.co launched in 2015 through a successful Kickstarter campaign and has since operated out of artisan coffee hot spots like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. This immersion in the specialty coffee scene has made the company one of the top online coffee subscriptions (​1​​​). 

From their massive selection of premium coffees to their fun coffee subscription “playlist,” this company knows how to get you amazing coffee.

Coffee Selection – 5/5

Crema has the largest coffee selection of any subscription service I’ve reviewed. They currently work with 60+ artisan roasters to offer over 1000 premium coffees. That includes blends, single origins, and decaf options at all roast levels. 

It might seem overwhelming, but they do a lovely job of helping you find your favorites. You begin your coffee journey with a simple quiz, asking about your preferred brewing methods, roast level, adventurousness, flavor notes, acidity level, origins, and how you take your coffee (cream, sugar, black). You can also rate how highly you value equitable trade practices and sustainability, something I wish more modern subscriptions would highlight (2). 

Each step is illustrated and explained. It took me about 2 minutes to finish. At the end, you can choose whether you want to subscribe or buy beans “A La Carte.” 

The Coffee Playlist

The quiz finishes with five coffees that meet your criteria. You can order one or more or add them to the Brew Queue. As long as your subscription is active, they’ll send you the coffees in the order you have them in the queue – like you’re listening to a playlist. And just like a playlist, you can reorder things anytime as the mood strikes.

You can easily browse their complete product list, but they showcase their most popular coffees of the last 30 days and recently added beans. It’s an excellent way to get a feel for what others are drinking, plus broaden your coffee horizons. Don’t feel confined to only the suggested coffees. Crema’s massive selection is part of its appeal.

Once you start receiving the coffee in the mail, you can personalize your coffee selection further by rating each coffee in detail in the “Brew Log.” It helps narrow down what beans you liked most and why to help with future selections.

Sample Packs

Crema’s sampler packs are another low-commitment way to determine your coffee preferences. They bundle small bags of three or four coffees into a single, reasonably priced shipment. Many samplers have a theme, like a specific roast level or flavor profile.

Membership Options – 4.5/5

Once you sign up, you’re in charge of what coffee you receive and how often – though you can always repeat the quiz for more guidance. You can pause, cancel, or update your subscription at any time.

You can receive coffee every 3 days, 5 days, week, 10 days, 2 weeks, or month. For someone who drinks a lot of coffee, the higher-frequency options are a great way to ensure your coffee is always fresh and varied compared to a subscription that forces you to buy 2 pounds of beans every two weeks.

The amount of coffee you receive per shipment is divided into small (less than 12 oz), medium (12 oz – 3 lb), and large (5 lb). This keeps things simple because Crema works with so many roasters, each with their own bag sizes.

At this stage, you can also choose between whole beans or one of three grind sizes (fine, medium, coarse) and set a preference for decaf.

Coffee For The Office

Crema.co stands out from other subscription services by offering workplace-focused memberships. You can use Slack to sign up the entire office, starting with a similar but less detailed quiz about preferences. The pricing is simple and straightforward, and when bought in bulk, it’s cheaper than buying that old (and awful) office staple, K-cups (3).

The frequency for office shipments is anywhere from once a week to once a month, and you can get as much as 50 pounds of coffee a week. Employees vote for which coffee to try next and rate it once it arrives. It’s not just delicious coffee; it can quickly become a fun, team-building opportunity.

Unique Features – 4/5

One of Crema.co’s prime features is their coffee menu playlist, known as the Brew Queue. Although it’s no longer as unique as it once was – MistoBox uses the same strategy – it continues to be my favorite aspect of this service. It’s fun plotting which coffees I want to enjoy in what order, just like it’s fun to craft the perfect musical playlist.

When your playlist is ready, all you have to do is hit the play button, which also doubles as a pause button if you ever need to put the subscription on a temporary hiatus. Once your playlist is “playing,” your selected coffees will arrive one shipment at a time – always freshly roasted. 

The upper half of the playlist is coffees you selected, while the lower half is Crema’s suggestions based on your taste. Once the upper half of the list is empty, you can either fill it up with fresh selections, hit repeat, or let Crema take charge.

This system makes a Crema subscription great for coffee experts and beginners. If you know what you like, you have thousands of coffees to browse for your favorite origins and varietals. If you’re a total novice, Crema will take the reins. Even if you have the knowledge to choose your beans, the element of surprise can be its own delight.

Why You Won’t Find Crema.Co On Social Media

It’s rare to find a business with no social media presence, but Crema opted out after conferring internally and with customers. They decided to refocus that energy into delivering better value for customers. It has been a huge hit with existing members, though it does make the company a little harder to track down. Luckily, you found this review!

Overall Experience – 4.5/5

If I could describe my experience with Crema.co in a word, it would be “friendly.” Despite being stocked with a large selection of coffees from highly respected roasters, it doesn’t feel like a community of judgemental coffee nerds. It is truly a subscription for everyone.

One example? When walking through the introductory quiz, helpful notes explained the difference between a coffee’s flavor notes and a flavored coffee and what acidity means in reference to coffee (4). The Brew Queue is another example. Modeling it after a music playlist feels approachable and fun.

It’s easy to pause or cancel your subscription, shipping is always free, and the pricing is totally transparent. There are no hidden fees or price increases if you don’t buy a certain volume of beans. 

It feels like a company run by coffee lovers. They just want to make it easy for more people to drink good coffee – a mission I can get behind!

The only reason I took off a half point here is that the coffees don’t arrive with much additional information beyond what’s printed on the bag. Of course, there is more on the Crema website, but I’m a fan of the info-packed cards that come with subscriptions like Atlas and Driftaway.

Price – 4.5/5

Crema’s homepage advertises it as the “lowest priced coffee subscription.” In my experience, that distinction actually goes to Craft Coffee. But Crema’s coffee selection and quality are far superior, so that’s hardly a comparison worth making. The pricing is certainly among the most reasonable in the industry, and you get half off your first order.

Because Crema.co works with so many roasters, coffee prices vary considerably. Generally, they fall between $20 and $25 dollars for 12 ounces. The most expensive offering on the site right now is a rare single origin from Colombia that costs $36 for 8 ounces.

What I really appreciate about Crema is that there are no hidden fees. You don’t need to commit to a long subscription to enjoy discounted rates. In fact, you don’t need to commit at all. Pricing is the same whether you sign up or prefer to order “A La Carte,” and shipping is always free. 

Check this subscription against other options in the USA:

	Reviewed Subscription
Coffee Company	Crema Coffee	Angel's Cup	Atlas	MistoBox	Driftaway	Volcanica	Bean Box	Trade	Blue Bottle	Craft Coffee
Subscription style	Coffee marketplace	Coffee marketplace	Roaster	Coffee marketplace	Roaster	Roaster	Coffee marketplace	Coffee marketplace	Roaster	Roaster
Coffee options	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Decaf	Blend, Single Origin	Single Origin	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Decaf	Single Origin, Cold Brew Blend, Decaf	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Decaf	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Decaf	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Decaf	Blend, Single Origin, Espresso, Instant, Cold Brew, Decaf	Blends, Single Origin
Roast options	Light, Medium, Dark	Light, Medium, Dark	Light/Medium, Medium/Dark	Light, Medium, Dark	Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Medium-Dark, Dark	Light, Medium, Dark	Light, Medium, Dark	Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Medium-Dark, Dark	Light, Medium, Dark	Light, Medium, Dark
Curated	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Coffee quantity options	7 oz - 5 lb, depending on coffee	12 oz	6, 12, 24 oz	12 oz	8, 12, 16 oz, 2 lb, 5 lb	16 oz, 3 lb, 5 lb	12 oz, 24 oz	11 oz, 32 oz	12, 24, 26 oz	one to six 12-oz bags
Delivery frequency options	Every 3 days, 5 days, week, 10 days, 2 weeks, month	Every week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks	Every 2 weeks or 4 weeks	Every week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks	Every week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks	Weekly or monthly	Every week, 2 weeks, or monthly	Every week, 10 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, or 6 weeks	Every week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks	Every week, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 weeks
Number of coffees	1000+	Hundreds	1, rotates monthly	600+	10, rotates monthly	150+	100+	450+	30ish, rotates twice monthly	11
Special features	Workplace subscriptions	Blind tasting kits	Information postcards, microlot coffees	Coffee curator, two membership tiers	Guided tastings, sustainability		5% back in credits, special member gifts	Two membership tiers	Early access to new releases	Super inexpensive
Pre-ground available?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only for espresso	No	Yes
Pods available?	No	No	K-cups and Nespresso capsules	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Prices start at	$20	$16.99	$9	$12.71	$14.40	10% off regular price	$20	$15.75	$21	$7.99
US shipping fees	Free	flat $5 to US, $20 to Canada	Varies by location	flat $5	Free to US	flat $6.95 or free over $60	Free to US	$1.95 for one bag. Free if you sign up for 3+ bags.	Free	Free to US
Ships to	US only	US and Canada	US and Canada	US only	Worldwide	Worldwide	US and Canada	US only	US only	US only
	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE

Crema Not For You? Check Out These.

Crema.co is a wonderful coffee subscription, but the coffee marketplace style of sourcing from dozens of different roasters isn’t for everyone. Here are a couple of options that take a lot of the decision-making out of your hands.

• The Atlas Coffee Club – Atlas Coffee Club takes your taste buds on a trip around the world. This coffee subscription roasts a different micro-lot artisan coffee each month and then ships it with an informative postcard about the origin, flavor profiles, and best brewing methods. Read a full review of Atlas coffee club here.
• The Angels’ Cup  – Each Angels’ Cup subscription box contains blind tastings of various artisan coffees. Use their app to record the details and personal notes of each tasting, learn about each coffee choice as you respond, and become part of a larger coffee community of Angels’ Cup members. Read a full review of Angels Cup here.

The Verdict

What’s my verdict on Crema.co’s coffee subscription? I give it two thumbs up! They’re passionate, devoted to excellence, and deeply knowledgeable. 

I was charmed by the Brew Queue playlist and wowed by the huge selection of specialty beans. But most of all, I fell for the friendly atmosphere of the company. From helpful hints to transparent pricing, it’s clear that pairing people with good coffee takes precedence over profits.