Coffee Club Comparison: Trade Vs. Peace Coffee

Becoming part of the coffee fandom is easier than ever thanks to the proliferation of coffee clubs. Also known as coffee subscriptions or boxes, these clubs introduce you to great coffee beans from around the world without all the hard work on your part.

There's no need to seek out specific roasters or read volumes on how beans grown in Ethiopia differ from those produced in Madagascar. You can simply sit back and enjoy the seamless delivery of new varieties to try every month or even more often than that. Customization allows you to get blends that fit your tastes or a larger volume of coffee so you can share it with friends and family. The key to finding the right coffee club for you is considering more than just the monthly cost or varieties available.

Trade Coffee is one of the most popular coffee clubs available today, but so are the subscriptions available from Peace Coffee. Figure out which one of these top-selling brands is right for you with this in-depth exploration of their individual benefits. No matter which one you choose, you're likely to enjoy the results since both offer top-quality coffee.

Comparing the Costs

Trade starts out charging $15.75 per 10 ounce bag, or offers a plan for $19.50 per bag that allows you to enjoy larger bags and more control over the specific blend or single origin bean. They also have a one-time starter pack deal that includes up to two free bags of coffee.

Peace Coffee starts out around $15 per 12 ounce bag, allowing you to order as many or as few bags as you want each month. They also have bulk deals that are around $80 for five pounds of coffee delivered monthly.

Both companies charge almost the same for their most affordable monthly subscription options, but the prices on individual blends or beans may come out cheaper at Peace or Trade depending on the deals they offer.

If you're looking for something specific, search for the variety on both sites to see which company currently offers the best deal on it. Otherwise, Peace is slightly cheaper on average for the majority of their subscription options.

Selection and Variety

Both Peace and Trade Coffee offer a mix of blended coffees and single origin beans. This means you can sample specific varieties and explore their nuances or find an everyday blend that suits your taste buds. Many coffee clubs focus on one or the other, but both of these subscriptions are flexible enough to include a variety of single origin beans and blends.

If you are only looking for single origin products, you may want to go with a different service that focuses on them exclusively or order without a monthly subscription from Peace or Trade. Their standard subscriptions tend to focus primarily on blends with the occasional single origin bag mixed in. If you're looking for coffee in a wide range of sizes, consider Peace Coffee over Trade. They'll supply you with a five pound bag every month at a great price if you fall in love with a specific variety. They also sell 20 ounce, 12 ounce, and sampler bags to help you get just the right amount of grounds.

Speaking of grounds, both Trade and Peace offer the option of keeping the beans whole or grinding them just before shipping. You can set the grind density with both services to ensure it best fits the coffee making device you rely on.

Fair Trade and Ecological Concerns

If you're looking for naturally processed beans and options for organic production, consider sticking with Trade Coffee. However, you'll find that Peace Coffee focuses on fair trade agreements and sustainable agriculture as well. This means that it's up to you which better aligns with your personal values.

Trade Coffee supports over 400 local roasting companies that are located across the US, while Peace makes partnerships with independent growers and coffee processors around the world. Either one is a good choice when it comes to giving back to the environment and supporting better wages for the people involved in picking, processing, and roasting coffee.

Grounds vs Whole Beans

Unlike some coffee clubs, both Peace and Trade Coffee offer plenty of control over the form of coffee you receive. You can find almost all of their varieties in whole bean form if you prefer to keep each cup as fresh as possible with last-minute grinding. If you decide to select pre-ground coffee, both companies will allow you to choose the specific grind texture.

Trade Coffee states that each bag is roasted and ground right before shipping, while Peace Coffee guarantees whole beans are only ground when the order is ready to go out. Both focus on quality and freshness, so you should get good results when you choose grounds or beans. If you change your mind often or prefer a mix of both, Peace Coffee has a slight edge when it comes to the ease of changing your preferences.

Delivery Options and Fees

Trade Coffee used to offer free shipping, but now they charge a $1.95 shipping charge for each order. That's the same whether you order multiple bags as part of your subscription or just one. Peace Coffee also charges a $6 shipping fee on small orders, but their subscriptions include free shipping. Any order of $40 or more from Peace Coffee also qualifies for free shipping.

Aside from fees, consider how often you want to receive coffee and if you need volume options. Trade Coffee focuses on making one delivery per month unless you order manually. Peace Coffee allows for two shipments a month, weekly deliveries, or even deliveries every other month. You also have more options for choosing different volumes of coffee when subscribed to the Peace Coffee club.

Packaging

Peace Coffee packages are durable and tightly sealed to keep the beans or ground fresh until you're ready to use them. While they have a cute design that's definitely modern and tasteful, every package is basically the same except for the variety details and a small area of customized art. Trade Coffee uses unique full-package designs for each variety, giving you an artistic display on your counter or in your cabinet after a few months. Their packaging is also durable and tightly sealed to maintain freshness.

If the amount of art you get is a tie-breaking factor for you, Trade Coffee definitely has an edge. However, most people will be more than happy with the packaging provided by Peace Coffee, especially if they prefer to transfer their grounds to another container. When it comes to shipping, both companies use low-waste bags and boxes that protect your coffee while minimizing unnecessary materials going into the landfill. Ordering five pounds of coffee a a time from Peace Coffee also reduces unnecessary packaging by ensuring you get as many beans as possible in one bag.

Freshness

Both Trade Coffee and Peace Coffee focus on keeping the beans as fresh as possible before they reach your kitchen. Trade Coffee prides itself on working with roasters that keep the beans green until an order is placed. This means you'll taste all the delicate flavors that are absent from grocery store coffee brands since they've sat for months before you can purchase them.

Peace Coffee guarantees that the beans aren't ground until they're packaged for shipping to you and only if you've requested grinding. For the peak of freshness, Trade Coffee is likely your best choice. Yet for the average coffee drinker, there won't be any noticeable difference in the freshness between Trade and Peace Coffee varieties. It largely depends on how much you value on-demand roasting, which is more of a determining factor for fans of dark roasts than light ones.

Decaf Coffee Varieties

Decaf coffee has been a part of the rotation at Trade Coffee since its inception. Club members rave about how smooth and full-bodied these caffeine free varieties taste. Yet Peace Coffee is catching up in this category with the addition of two new decaf varieties that can be included in the subscription arrangement. Since the company only has so decaf options, it's unlikely you could only choose those varieties for an entire year's subscription.

Peace Coffee provides a better variety of choices for the caffeinated coffee fan. Trade Coffee will happily provide only decaf beans for your subscription if that's what you choose during the intake quiz. You can also contact them and switch to a mix of both full-caf and decaf options or decaf only if you need to in the future.

Other Coffee Products

Both Trade and Peace Coffee offer a wide range of other products to go along with their coffee club subscriptions. You can order any variety you enjoy in larger quantities, including up to five pounds at a time from Peace Coffee. Mugs, brewing equipment, and souvenirs related to coffee are all available along with your club subscription.

Trade Coffee tends to throw in small gifts if you sign up for their premium package. If you're looking for a coffee gift, the company also offers a one-time starter package that is easily customized to the preferences of the recipient. No need for a long-term commitment if that's not your style.

Coffee Education

Peace Coffee has plenty of videos and written guides on brewing coffee and treating it with care, but they also aim to offer an education on the deeper issues that surround coffee growing, agriculture, and fair trade. They discuss the history of coffee-growing areas around the world and highlight the needs of the people responsible for getting the coffee to your home.

Of course, you can access all of this educational content even without signing up for their coffee club. Only the company's in-depth classes on mastering the methods of brewing coffee at home require an additional fee.

Trade Coffee also has a wide range of educational resources to share about brewing coffee and serving it. The team's coffee experts can also answer any questions you have about specific varieties or brewing methods. For most newcomers to coffee, either company offers a great experience and plenty of educational opportunities.

Matchmaking with Different Blends

When you first sign up for Trade Coffee, you'll go through a quick quiz that gathers information like your preferred roast level, grind settings, and coffee brewing methods. This helps the team of experts match you with the perfect blend each time. If you're buying a coffee subscription as a gift for someone else, you may need to do a little covert information gathering in their kitchen before placing the order.

Peace Coffee gives you plenty of control over your preferences and allows you to update them at any time. They'll also happily guide you to the right varieties with a quick chat with one of their coffee experts. If you prefer specific roasters, Peace Coffee has more information about the companies and makes it easier to select varieties from them. Trade Coffee displays plenty of information about the coffee itself but may or may not list the specific roaster.

A subscription to either Peace Coffee or Trade Coffee will make a great gift for yourself or someone else. If you need to regularly change delivery details, consider Peace Coffee. For the freshest possible coffee and new art with each delivery, go with Trade Coffee. Either way, you'll end up enjoying some amazing beans from around the world and expand your knowledge of the drink at the same time.