Atlas Coffee Club Review: Is It Worth It?

Experience flavors from around the world from the comfort of your home, delivered straight to your door. Find out our Atlas Coffee Club review.

Gone are the days when you had to stand in line every month at the store, waiting to pay for your pack of specialty coffee. Today, many people can now enjoy using a coffee subscription service with the world’s flavours delivered to their doorstep! An Atlas Coffee Club subscription is one of the best investments you can make this year!

Seriously. It’s that’s good. Atlas Coffee Club provides some of the most robust and most well-traveled specialty coffee blends I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.

They curate some of the best coffee for a subscription service, and it’s almost like taking a world tour in your kitchen. Instead of wasting your money on run-of-the-mill blends and flavored coffees, you can enjoy coffee beans with unique tasting notes and aromas with Atlas Coffee Club.

What Is Atlas Coffee?

Atlas Coffee Club is a subscription service that lets the coffee lover in you try high-quality coffee beans from all over the world. Every month, you’ll receive a shipment of freshly roasted coffee beans (which are roasted to order) from a different country. You can choose to receive either 6oz or 12oz bags, or you can double up your order and opt for 2 bags for a total of 24 oz.

You can also choose between whole bean or ground coffee. I recommend trying the whole beans first to taste fresh coffee in its purest form, but if you don’t have a coffee grinder at home, ground coffee is an acceptable alternative.

As the name suggests, Atlas Coffee provides coffee blends from all over the world. I had the chance of trying their Indonesia, Rwanda, and Nicaragua blends! However, customers will enjoy getting a new country’s coffee beans every month as part of their subscription.

Who Makes Atlas Coffee?

Atlas coffee was founded in 2015 by owner Michael Shewmake, who quit his full-time corporate job to pursue traveling, story-telling, and working with coffee farmers around the world. Together, he and co-founder Jon Miller, a pilot and rocket scientist, decided to pursue coffee-making full-time.

Today, the company works with over 50 different countries to produce and deliver coffee to customers in the United States. They are a small team located in Austin, Texas, where they roast their coffee made to order. The team roasts coffee each morning before it is sent out, often within minutes to hours.

They then ship their coffees to the United States and Canada.

Atlas Coffee Pricing

A monthly subscription starts at only $28/month for 2 12 oz. bags (plus shipping costs), making it one of the most budget-friendly options out there. If you want to save even more money, you can sign up for a longer subscription plan or you can skip a month entirely.

All you have to do is log-in to your account and select the hold for a month option if you don’t want to receive coffee for that month. You can even cancel your subscription at any time, although I doubt you’ll want to after trying their coffee. In addition, you can buy a gift subscription box for a loved one for just $140 for a full half-year’s worth of coffee!

That’s less than $24/month, which is an incredible deal.

Who Is Atlas Coffee For?

I’m the last person that allows myself to be swept away by subscription services. I like the idea of trying new things, but I also like knowing that I can cancel at any time without penalty. That’s why Atlas Coffee is perfect for me, and for a lot of first-time users!

Below are some of the people that can benefit most from their coffee club.

Busy People On the Go

Atlas Coffee is perfect for busy professionals who want to enjoy a good cup of coffee without having to worry about going to the store every month, or for people who want to save time by not having to grind their own beans.

With Atlas Coffee, you can have freshly roasted coffee beans delivered right to your doorstep so that you can enjoy a cup of joe anytime, anywhere. In addition, they also offer grinds and blends specifically made for k-cups! This gives you the convenience of a single-serve cup without sacrificing quality.

Coffee Lovers Who Want to Save Money

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a wish list as long as your arm of all the different coffee beans and blends you want to try. Atlas Coffee is perfect for people like us because it lets you try exotic coffee at an affordable price.

Atlas Coffee is also a great way to save money if you tend to buy your coffee beans in bulk. With their subscription service, you can get your coffee fix without having to worry about storage or going through all of your beans before they go bad. That’s because they also roast every batch made to order.

In fact, Atlas Coffee even recommends waiting at least seven days after receiving your beans before brewing to allow them to reach their peak flavor.

Foodies Who Like to Try New Things

If you like to try new things and experiment in the kitchen, Atlas Coffee is perfect for you. With their coffee of the month club, you can explore different flavor profiles from all over the world without having to leave your home.

Not only that, but Atlas Coffee also offers brewing methods on its coffee profile cards that are specifically designed to highlight the flavors in each of their coffee blends. For instance, if you select a Nicaraguan coffee, a drip method might be recommended to bring out the almond notes, while a French press would be better for a Rwandan coffee with its fruity flavors.

No matter what your coffee preference is, Atlas Coffee has a blend that will suit your taste. And if you’re not sure which one to choose, their experts are always available to help you make a selection. Pretty soon, you’ll know what your favorite coffee is!

People Who Love to Travel

For people who love to travel, it can be hard to find a good cup of coffee outside of your home country. Atlas Coffee is perfect for people who want to experience amazing coffee and flavors from different countries without having to leave their kitchen.

With their coffee of the month club, you can try coffees from all over the world, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, and Peru among others. You also receive a beautiful postcard with each shipment, so you can learn more about the country of origin and the people who grow and roast the beans.

What are the Different Types of Roasts and Grinds Available?

The great thing about Atlas Coffee is that you can choose the roast of your bean, your brewing method, and even all roast types that won’t limit your options. They offer light to medium and dark roasts as well. In addition to choosing whole beans, you also have the option of ground coffee for drip machines.

For help with any of this, learn how to avoid common coffee brewing mistakes.

Keep in mind that drip machines require a medium-fine grind, while espresso machines need a finer grind. If you’re not sure which grind to choose, Atlas Coffee has a helpful guide on its website and lots of helpful resources in their FAQ section. One of the things I like most about their whole bean coffee is that I can grind it up myself into a coarse grind for my French press!

You’ll also notice that the different types of beans are dry and aren’t flavored artificially. That’s right, all of their coffees don’t have any added flavors, meaning you’re getting only the freshest and most subtle, yet pronounced tasting notes in your coffee.

Where is Atlas Coffee Sourced From?

While they are headquartered in Austin, TX, Atlas Coffee prides itself on offering single-origin coffee, meaning your whole-bean coffee will come from one country of origin. Some of the most popular origins for coffee beans are:

• Ethiopia
• Costa Rica
• Indonesia
• Rwanda
• Colombia
• Peru
• Brazil
• Papa New Guinea
• Honduras

Atlas Coffee works with farmers and promotes fair trade, which means the farmers are paid a fair price for their coffee beans. This results in better quality coffee for you and also helps to improve the farmers’ standard of living.

It’s a win-win situation, with coffee farmers having the incentive to provide higher quality coffee and Atlas Coffee being able to provide their customers with the best possible product.

What Are the Benefits of Atlas Coffee?

If you’re new to coffee subscription services, you might be wondering what the benefits are. Here are some of the reasons why I think Atlas Coffee is a great choice:

• It offers a coffee of the month club, so you can explore different flavor profiles from all over the world and not get tired of the same blends.
• You can cancel your subscription at any time, making it a great option for those that want to tip-toe into the world of exotic single-origin coffee.
• Atlas Coffee also offers brewing methods on their coffee profile cards that are specifically designed to highlight the flavors in each of their coffee blends.
• You can choose the roast of your bean, your brewing method, or opt for ground coffee, meaning your coffee is highly customized to your liking.
• Atlas Coffee support fair trade, which promotes better working conditions and higher quality coffee for the farmers
• Its roasters work daily and will only roast your coffee after ordering

How Does Atlas Coffee Work?

Signing up for Atlas Coffee Club is ridiculously easy, almost too easy. You go to their website and sign up for the coffee of the month club under the “subscription” header. After you input your shipping information, you’re given the option to choose your roast (I went with a medium roast to dark roast), preferred brewing method, and whole bean, or ground coffee.

Then, choose whether you want a half bag of coffee or if you want two bags per month. You can also choose between 2 weeks and 4 weeks for delivery. From there, you just have to wait for your coffee to arrive, along with a beautiful postcard and picture card, and then brew to your liking!

Below are some of the features I tested out when trying Atlas Coffee.

Exotic Flavors and Notes

Every Atlas Coffee comes with a small card that gives you information on the best brewing method, flavor profiles, and its origin. When I say I was blown away by how accurate the flavor profiles were, I’m not exaggerating.

From the very first sip of my Nicaraguan coffee, I could taste the cranberries and white peach notes, and could smell them too. There’s something amazing about having this coffee in cold brew form. It was absolutely worth the 18 hour wait and brewing time to get the perfect notes.

Freshness

Atlas Coffee doesn’t vacuum seal their bags because they claim it’s roasted to order. Well, they weren’t kidding. This is probably the freshest coffee I’ve ever had, and it makes sense given that they roast their beans shortly before delivery.

I did end up waiting a couple days before trying it, I think about a week and a half, but I didn’t notice any deterioration in flavor whatsoever.

Brewing Methods

Atlas Coffee offers several brewing methods on its website and brewing tips with every bag. Some coffees are great for pour-over, while others can benefit from Chemex depending on their roast level and flavor profile. But, I decided to try the French Press for my Rwanda coffee.

I decided this was a good method because it was a coarse grind, and was actually really impressed with how well it held up during the process! Do I believe you need to follow their recommendations? Probably not, but it can’t hurt!

Areas for Improvement

I honestly can’t think of anything that Atlas Coffee could improve on, but if I had to nitpick, I would say that their bags could use a bit more work. Will this bag stand up to long-term storage in a pantry? No, but it’s not really designed for that either.

Atlas Coffee Alternatives

Atlas Coffee is just one of many subscription services. Other options include Trade Coffee and Grounds and Hounds Coffee. I think Trade is great for people that want a super-customized experience.

However, I did find their sign-up process was a bit lengthy, and I was recommended a coffee from San Francisco. You probably won’t get exotic and harmonious flavors like you do with Atlas. Overall I think the Atlas platform is more simple and more of a surprise!

Grounds and Hounds Coffee is a great option for dog-lovers. A portion of their proceeds go to supporting no-kill animal shelters, and they have a wide variety of coffees to choose from. I think their packaging is also really nice, and their price point is comparable to Atlas.

What Does Atlas Coffee Taste Like?

I had the pleasure of trying three of the most popular Atlas Coffee blends, including their Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Rwanda blends. By far my favorite was the Rwanda blend, which contains hints of cranberries and white peach. I used this particular blend to make cold brew iced coffee after 18 hours.

The taste was spectacular and incredibly smooth! I could drink it black but preferred to mix it with peppermint mocha creamer. The taste was so strong I could still taste hints of cranberry through the creamer.

I also tried their Nicaragua blend, which was described as having hints of nugget and an almond finish. I did a French press for this blend, and it was incredibly deep and nutty. The Indonesia blend was no different, with hints of black cherry coming out.

It’s tough to say how Atlas Coffee tastes, since all of their blends are unique to their country (and soil) of origin. However, overall, I’d have to say the description of the tasting notes on the card that accompanies the bags of coffee are about 99% accurate.

Atlas Coffee Review Criteria

To review Atlas coffee, I used two methods: French press and cold brew. I felt these methods would give me the best idea of what their coffee was like, and I was not disappointed. Here are the criteria I used to rate Atlas Coffee:

• Exotic Flavors and Notes: These were some of the best-smelling and true-to-flavor coffees I’ve had in a while
• Freshness: Even waiting a bit after delivery to try still provided a bold and worthy cup of coffee.
• Brewing Methods: Of course, not everyone is going to have time to prepare a coffee with a French press or cold brew, but I feel like their suggestions were spot-on.

Atlas Coffee exceeded my expectations in every way, and I can’t wait to continue to try different coffees every month. For $28 a month, everything included in the packaging, and their flavors, I say it’s worth the price.

Why You Can Trust Me

My name is Veronica and I am a writer, former EMT, Navy veteran, and coffee lover! Let’s just say I didn’t start loving coffee for the flavor. I needed it for the boost of energy it gives me, but flavor was an added bonus! For all the hard-working people out there, I hope my reviews can help them begin to appreciate the flavor in their coffee, and help them take a moment out of their busy days to relax and enjoy a cup.

I have been drinking coffee for years, and in that time I have come to learn a few things. I know what a good cup of coffee should taste like, and how to make it stand out. I believe in fair prices, and don’t like products that everyday people can’t enjoy!

Atlas Coffee: The Final Word

With that being said, Atlas Coffee is an exciting development in the world of coffee, and I believe their subscription service is one of the best out there for people that need caffeine but want to have a minute of their day to explore the world in a single sip. Finally, if you liked this review but are hunting for a coffee alternative, check our MUD/WTR review.