How to Choose a Coffee Subscription UK: Beans, Grind & Quantity

A good coffee subscription should suit how you brew, how much coffee you use and whether you want familiar flavours or something different each month. This guide explains what to check before choosing a UK coffee subscription, and how Northside's Roaster's Choice works.

Choose between a favourite coffee and a rotating selection

If you have found a coffee you love, a regular delivery of that coffee can make mornings simpler. A rotating subscription is a better fit if you enjoy discovering new origins and flavour profiles. At Northside, Roaster's Choice features a coffee selected by our roastery each month; the product also offers a separate four-coffee selection option.

Explore Northside's coffee subscription options.

Match the coffee to your brewing method

For espresso with milk, look for sweetness and enough body to come through in a flat white, cappuccino or latte. Chocolate and nutty flavour notes are useful starting points. Espresso does not have to be dark roasted: the right choice depends on your taste and how you brew.

For filter coffee, consider whether you enjoy clean, balanced flavours or brighter fruit and floral notes. Fruity coffees can also make excellent espresso, particularly if you enjoy drinking it without milk.

Choose whole beans if you have a grinder or a bean-to-cup machine. Otherwise, check that the grind option suits your equipment. Cafetiere, AeroPress and pour-over do not all need the same grind size; ask the roaster if you are unsure.

Need help choosing? Read our coffee selection guide.

Close-up view of freshly roasted coffee beans in a burlap sack

Eye-level view of a coffee subscription box with various coffee bags and brewing accessories

Choose a quantity you will use

Work from the amount of dry coffee you use for each brew. For example, one 18g espresso dose each day uses approximately 540g over 30 days. Two such doses a day use around 1.08kg. These are planning examples, so adjust for your recipe, household and days away.

Roaster's Choice currently offers 2 x 250g, 1kg, 1.5kg and 2kg options, plus a 4 x 250g selection of four different coffees. Whole bean, espresso grind and filter grind options are available.

Check the full cost and the terms

Compare the quantity of coffee, recurring payment and delivery charge rather than the headline price alone. Read the subscription terms before paying, and check how cancellation works. Northside's subscription page states that plans continue until cancelled and can be cancelled at any time.

Subscriptions differ between roasters. Do not assume that every plan offers weekly deliveries, pause controls, roast-level choices or prepaid gifting. Check the actual options offered by the subscription you choose.

Check sourcing and packaging claims

Look for information about the producer, origin and processing method for the coffee you will receive. If certification or packaging disposal matters to you, check the specific coffee and bag rather than assuming the whole subscription carries the same certification or is home-compostable.

Read about Northside's coffee sourcing.

Try Northside Roaster's Choice

Roasted in Northumberland and delivered across the UK, Roaster's Choice is for home coffee drinkers who want to explore our featured coffee each month. Choose your quantity and whole beans or a suitable grind, then select the monthly subscription option.

Choose your Roaster's Choice coffee subscription.