*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on an affiliate link and making a purchase helps me to support my family at no additional cost to you. I received a 3-month subscription to Bean Box in exchange for my honest review of the product.
It’s really not a secret that I have a strong coffee addiction. One of the hardest things about being pregnant, other than not being able to drink wine and the 3rd trimester discomfort, is having to cut back on my coffee consumption. Even now, because I’m breastfeeding, I have to be mindful about the number of cups of java I enjoy since baby bodies are not able to metabolize caffeine. That said, I was really excited when I was offered the chance to review Bean Box in exchange for receiving a 3-month subscription to the service.
About Bean Box
There are two main subscription options for Bean Box. You can choose to get a Bean Box sampler, which comes with four 1.8-oz roasts for each month for $18, or you can choose the coffee of the month option, which features a different 12-oz bag of coffee each shipment for $23 per shipment. Here’s where it gets cool: If you choose the 12-oz bag option, you can also choose how often you would like to receive your bag of coffee. If you would like more frequent shipments, you can choose to get one bag every two weeks or you can choose to get a bag each week. Bean Box offers discounts for these options.
I received the coffee of the month subscription option. The roasts I received were:
- Broadcast Coffee Roasters’ Columbia Tunia
- Slate Coffee Roasters’ Cream and Sugar
I have one more shipment I’m looking forward to in the next couple of days.
Tasting Coffee
Just as there is with tasting wine, there is an art to tasting coffee. If you’re new to the idea of tasting coffee and thinking about the nuances of flavor, I strongly suggest reading Bean Box’s blog post: “How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro.” To taste coffee at home, we use a Capresso brand burr grinder. Using this type of grinder as opposed to other types of coffee grinders helps to preserve the beans’ oils, and thus helps to bring out the nuances of taste. We used a French press when brewing, and for tasting purposes, we kept the coffee unadulterated by milk or sugar.
Broadcast Coffee Roasters’ Columbia Tunia
Broadcast Coffee Roasters is owned by Barry Faught. His three Seattle cafes have attracted a good bit of attention- and for good reason. He has specially sourced his beans through travel, and takes a lighter roasting approach to preserve the unique qualities of each bean. Wining Husband and I were really impressed with their Columbia Tunia flavor that we received in the May box. I never thought I’d taste apple in coffee, but I did. This coffee had hints of crisp apple, smooth caramel, and chocolate. While we had this coffee, we didn’t need any sugar or cream – it was perfect as it was!
Slate Coffee Roasters’ Cream and Sugar
Slate Coffee Roasters is a newer Seattle coffee scene member. The family opened their business in 2012 in Ballard, Washington. Like Broadcast, Slate features single origin coffees. A visit to their coffee shop is a real treat as you can order a flight of coffee – much like you would if you were to go to a wine tasting. Like Broadcast, Slate prefers to veer on the side of the lighter roast to bring out the flavor of the beans. I’ll be honest, I normally do not like lighter roasts – but I found that I loved their Cream and Sugar roast. It was smooth and nutty. I could really taste the almond and caramel notes in the coffee, and really liked it.
I’m really looking forward to what July’s box brings, and we’ll be continuing our subscription to Bean Box. We love sampling coffees from different roasters, and it really makes for a nice treat.
All new Bean Box subscribers receive a 10% discount on their first box when signing up for the Bean Box newsletter.
What’s your favorite coffee? Post your thoughts in the comments.
