During these strange times, we all have to deal with new difficulties in our daily lives. Whether it’s working from home, working at a difficult essential job, or not working at all, things have been… stressful, to say the least. However, one constant that may have been helping you through everything — like it has for us — is a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
We know we’re not the only ones who find comfort in the daily caffeine kick. Whether exploring how to brew coffee at home or trying to recreate the viral dalgona coffee, many people are taking another look at the drink they used to just pick up on the way to work.
So if you’ve recently started exploring the world of coffee, or if you’ve been a longtime coffee drinker but now have the time to expand your horizons, you’ll love Atlas Coffee Club, which sources coffee from around the world and delivers it right to your door. And after trying it ourselves, we have to say it’s a must-have for any coffee fanatic.
What is Atlas Coffee Club?
Atlas Coffee Club is a subscription service that delivers a bag (or two, or three, or four) of high-quality, single origin coffee from various countries around the globe. With all that coffee, which is sourced from dozens of nations but roasted in Austin, Texas, to ensure freshness, you’ll be brewing new and exciting cups on the regular. Plus, your package will include a postcard from the country the beans came from and a small notecard with the coffee’s history, tasting notes and optimal brew method.
Everybody who appreciates good coffee is picky about it, and Atlas knows that. So the company allows you to select some personal preferences on its site so you’re sure to get coffee you love in each box.
First, select how many bags you want. If you don’t drink too much coffee, or just want an exotic cup every once in a while, a half bag (6 ounces) or one 12-ounce bag should do it. But if you’re like us and have a moderate to severe coffee addiction, there’s no need to worry. You can receive two, three, four or even more bags every month to fuel your focus. And with pricing starting at just $9 per shipment (not much more than what we’ve been known to fork over for an oat milk latte), you won’t be paying outrageous amounts for your daily fix.
Once you select how much coffee you want, you’ll need to pick how often you want it. Atlas can deliver on a monthly or biweekly schedule. If you choose to get new bags every two weeks, just remember the coffee changes once a month, so you’ll still get the same beans on the second delivery.
Next, you’ll choose your taste preference. You can get light to medium roasts, medium to dark, or you can select all roast types if you want to taste it all. Finally, you’ll pick whether you want your beans to be delivered whole or ground. We recommend getting whole beans, as grinding fresh beans is one of the biggest factors in how good your coffee will be. If you don’t have a grinder, check out our recent testing story, where we found the best coffee grinders on the market. But if you don’t want to worry about grinding every morning, Atlas’ preground coffee will do the trick.
After you’ve gone through these steps, Atlas will do the rest of the work and deliver delicious coffee to you every single month. Plus, if you’re not buying for yourself, Atlas also has gift options which allow you to send three, six or 12 months of coffee delivery to any coffee lover in your life.
Exciting tastes from around the world
All that sounds fine and dandy, but we know the most important thing about coffee is the taste. None of this would be worth it if the coffee isn’t better than what you can get for the same price at a supermarket. So to find out if it’s any good, we decided to get some Atlas coffee and taste-test it ourselves.
After trying out a few roasts, we’ve come to one conclusion: This coffee is great. We got whole beans and ground them up each morning, brewing it in a French press, and also tested the already ground coffee in a regular drip coffee machine.
In both instances, the flavors were strong and it definitely tasted better than your average cup of joe. The tasting notes included with the shipment helped to identify some of the more subtle flavors, but with each new bag we knew we would get a delicious, complex and interesting coffee.
We received three shipments, each with two bags from that month’s country. We got beans from Indonesia, Burundi and Tanzania. The first thing we noticed was the beautiful design on the bags. These geometric patterns are inspired by and celebrate the local landscapes and textiles of the country the beans come from.
We’re not high-level coffee connoisseurs, so unfortunately we couldn’t take full advantage of the brewing recommendations. Atlas suggests different styles for each roast. For example, for the Indonesian medium roast, Atlas suggested a Clever Coffee Dripper, which is a pour-over setup, while the recommendation for the Tanzanian light roast was an Aeropress. It definitely would be exciting to have a full arsenal of coffee makers and break out a different brewing method for each shipment. Maybe one day.
Out of all the beans we tried, our favorite was the Burundian medium roast. It was a full-bodied brew with hints of honeysuckle, raisin and dark cherry (thank you, tasting notes). And if we had to pick a runner-up, it’d be the Indonesian medium roast, which had notes of red wine, prunes and chocolate.
Beyond the flavor, Atlas can provide an entire experience while you sip your cup. Not only did we love the way the Burundian coffee tasted, but we also read the notecard and learned about the rich history of the country. In the 1990s, 2 million coffee trees were deliberately destroyed in a civil war to prevent new rulers from benefiting from the product. Then in 2008, the industry was privatized and it has since become an exciting up-and-comer in the coffee world.
While the Burundian beans were our favorite, every coffee we tried tasted new and exciting. When another box arrived, we couldn’t wait to open it up and see where it came from and what flavors were packed inside. Atlas Coffee Club is really so much more than just a coffee delivery — it’s a fun history lesson that teaches you about regions of the world you might not know about.
The bottom line
Atlas Coffee Club is an easy, fun and delicious way to explore the world of exotic coffees. With delivery right to your door, you don’t have to worry about going out to the store or browsing through unknown beans. You get a personalized roast every month, and Atlas walks you through everything you need or want to know about your coffee.
With pricing ranging from $9 for a half bag to $49 for four bags — only a few bucks more than a supermarket bag of beans — this coffee subscription is a convenient way for coffee lovers and newbies alike to try brews from around the world. So if you’re ready to expand your coffee horizons, there’s no better or easier way than with an Atlas Coffee Club subscription.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailer’s listed prices at the time of publication.
