Trade Coffee Cold Brew is a subscription that sends coffee matched to your taste profile on a schedule that you choose. Sign up to receive one or two bags and get ready to breeze through summer with iced coffee in your hand without having to leave your home. Price will depend on number of bags you choose and shipping frequency – get one bag every 1, 2, or 3 weeks; or get 2 bags every 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 weeks. You can expect to pay about $15 for one bag, once every 3 weeks but it depends on the coffee sent.
DEAL: Get 30% off your first bag + 20 FREE Cold Brew Bags! No coupon needed, just use this link to subscribe.
Start by filling out their survey that has questions about your experience level, tastes, do you add anything to the coffee, etc. Most of the questions also let you let Trade Coffee choose for you. You can choose a decaf option if you need less stimulation from your drink. Then decide if you want to add cold brew filter bags, one or two bags of coffee (with price per bag dropping), whole beans or ground, and shipping frequency.
Everything in my box!
The red shipping bag is even compostable! I compost so this makes me happy.
This is my first ever coffee from Trade Coffee Cold brew! Tasting notes were on this page but the coffee bag itself has even more info.
You can cold steep the coffee grounds the old fashioned way, with filters and sieves, but it can be a hassle. I received a separate shipment of Cold Brew Bags, which are eco-friendly and super simple to use.
Trade Cold Brew Bags ($7.50) come with 20 bags per order, or get the bags for free (pay $2 for shipping) when you order a cold brew subscription.
Instructions were on the back and the ratio of coffee to water is about 1:8; 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of ground coffee to 8 ounces of water. You can adjust the amount of coffee up or down however you like.
The bags are like giant tea bags and have a drawstring closure. More on how to use them shown later in this post.
My very first coffee was The Overnighter by Joe Coffee ($16 for 12 ounces). Flavor notes include chocolate, cinnamon, nuts, and cherry.
Info on the brand was on one side of the bag. Trade Coffee works with independent coffee roasters that are fair trade and follow sustainable practices.
More info was on the other side.
The back discussed the actual coffee shop and had the roasting day.
The bag is resealable, which is helpful too.
Oh the smell, it’s so rich!
Cold brew coffee uses a coarser grind than what you would use for drip coffee. My husband made this in his drip maker and said it was lighter than what he normally drinks. You can order a traditional coffee subscription from Trade Coffee here, and again, you can choose the grind for the machine and brewing style that you prefer.
Time to cold steep my coffee! I used a glass bowl, the coffee, a brew bag, and bottled water.
I followed the directions and used 3 ounces of coffee to 24 ounces of water. I placed the grounds in the bag and then pulled the string, and also tied it around the neck of the bag.
I placed it in the bowl of water and then covered with a lid. I let it sit on the counter for about 16 hours.
In the morning I removed the bag and placed it in my compost bin. I put the coffee concentrate in the fridge for a couple of hours so it could chill.
Time to make my drink! You could just mix the concentrate with some cold water and pour over ice and call it a day, but I’m making a sweet drink that usually costs tons at the coffee shop. Yeah, they’re going to miss me. I placed a tablespoon (possibly 2 tablespoons, shh!) of sweetened condensed milk in the glass and then added some milk. Also a splash of half and half. I’m pretty sure the coffee shop uses straight up cream so I’m still saving calories here.
You could also use flavored syrups, sugar, flavored coffee creamers, and so on. I added about 1 cup of the coffee concentrate and then filled the rest of the glass with ice. Green straw is optional. You could also blend this up with even more ice and call it a frappe.
Finally, I went outside and enjoyed my drink and laughed at how simple and inexpensive it was. I even sipped from a green straw and thought the flavor was better than the coffee at a national (well, international) chain. There was no bitterness at all (and not just because of all the sugar and milk, but because SBUX is bitter).
I enjoyed my very first shipment from Trade Coffee Cold Brew Box! I’m not a hot coffee drinker but I enjoy an iced coffee or blended beverage every once in a while and instant coffee just doesn’t do it for me. I appreciate that the mailer and cold brew bags are both compostable, and I think it’s great that Trade sources its coffee from 50 independent roasters throughout the United States. The quiz asked just the right kinds of questions to discover my taste in coffee, and I’m happy with the coffee I received. Best part? The subscription pays for itself after about 3 cups, based on a $5 cup of coffee from a chain. Score!
Any thoughts about our Trade Coffee Cold Brew box?
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