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DoC009

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Good Day Everyone

Coffee Subscriptions are a huge thing in places like America where there is tons of choice and value for money.

There is a coffee subscription service here in SA bu the choices are limited and website hardly ever updated.

Would anyone consider a coffee subscription in SA?
And what would be the pricing suggested?
R350 for 3 bags of coffee per month?
Also beans? or ground?
what machines do you guys use?

Coffee is LIFE.
 
I will give this thread a follow, also a coffee snob in our home.


Those are two subscriptions that I have seen online, never tried them personally.

Coffee Club also looks awesome!

So, I use a Bodum French Press at home with my Woolies Mocha Java beans. Definitely want to try out a new bean as soon as my 1kg is empty.

@Anth0ny @dotnerd
Maybe you guys can give some feedback from your sides?

I think my biggest downfall is my grinder... It is an electronic blade grinder, so nothing fancy but does not grind the beans fine enough and you left with a few chunky parts, even if I shake it while grinding.

The Burr grinder looks awesome but not willing to pay R900 for it as yet, maybe on my birthday. Looking at getting a manual hand grinder. My uncle uses one for his espresso machine, made fully out of aluminium and just adds to the whole coffee-making experience!
 
I have been considering starting a coffee sub here in SA.

It's for sure a lossibilty. What what you guys think about me doing it?




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Well nothing wrong with beanboxclub. Just I find that there is not enough choice.
especially since there are tons of roasters in South Africa.
The current machine I’m using is a breville barista express. The all in one solution. Providing the grinder as part of the machine.
I get the freshest coffee I can ask for with amazing falvour. I also enjoy the tinkering with the machine to get the best out.
Reason for starting this is to see if there a place for a coffee subscription service in South Africa
 
Well nothing wrong with beanboxclub. Just I find that there is not enough choice.
especially since there are tons of roasters in South Africa.
The current machine I’m using is a breville barista express. The all in one solution. Providing the grinder as part of the machine.
I get the freshest coffee I can ask for with amazing falvour. I also enjoy the tinkering with the machine to get the best out.
Reason for starting this is to see if there a place for a coffee subscription service in South Africa

I have been through all the Breville Barista express machines at home. I currently have the touch and my coffee absolutely loves the machine. Especially my blend.


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Finally, a thread about coffee!

I would subscribe for sure, mainly to see what roasters are up to. I do however expect to find some overlapping "Tribeca-esc" profiles though. And it is in my opinion not necessarily the fault of the roaster but more that of the consumer. As that is more or less what the soccer mom drinks and what we are used to when we get takeaway coffee.
You can hide anything in frothed or steamed full cream milk :)

I digress.

For roasters including their coffee in a subscription I think that it must really be daunting to not know how the recipient of this coffee will be preparing it, storing it and consuming it. You may put an expensive tri-region or single origin through a blade grinder (thats you @Andrew_Smith !) and find that it is too watery and completely write off that roaster. And thats the thing, there is hardly a specialty coffee movement in SA, well not yet. So the coffee source, preparation and consumption knowledge among consumer is still developing and I think that getting a box full of coffee every month with some insane marketing this could change. People would try and produce what they have seen before, maybe atleast get to the point where they can taste the difference between stale and fresh coffee.

Anyways, ill support this initiative. In fact, I still have my business plan, company name, domains, everything for exactly this. I just shut it down because I travel so much.

My two cents on equipment
- Burr grinder or BUST. Blade grinders are inherently inconsistent which results in uneven extraction and a sad coffee experience. The Baratza Encore is a unit many people start out with and keep for years. Conical burr grinders are not that expensive and last a lifetime. have a look at the Rancilio Rocky, Letit, Eureka, Mazzer grinders. It can get pricey though and some have really annoying retention as they are based on commercial models with high use.
- You do not need a commercial espresso machine at home, the power usage is nuts and the preheat is annoying. There are plenty E61 options for consumers these days. Have a look at Rancilio Silvia, Brewtus IV, Letit Bianca, Rocket Evo/R58 (expensive), Profitec 500 (expensive) These all pretty much do the same, some look fancier and may have proprietary pre-infusion type options. It is debateable if you need all that. usually only handlebar moustache people think they do. Should you prefer a grinder + machine in one the Breville lineup is solid. Just refraind from putting very oily beans in there too often as it can ruin the grinder.
- If you like black coffee, or coffee flavored coffee then have a look at the V60 brew method or if thats too much work then a Technivorm Moccamaster is absolutely amazing. hand grinding with a R500 Hario grinder is more than ample for this, or get preground from roaster.
- And probably the best advice anyone can give you. If you buy something coffee related. Use it, exhaust it, dominate it before you buy anything else. It is easy to hoard coffee gadgets :)


I have a Elektra Sixties T1 Delicioza and a Eureka Mignon grinder for espresso. Then Hario V60 setup and Hario V60 grinder (electric) for pourover. I go through about 1kg coffee a month and do not keep coffee past 21 days from roast, so have 2 trips to roaster or overnight it to my office.
 
This is a wonderfull idea I wouldnt mind supporting it there are plenty of coffee drinkers around keep the variety balanced and you could see this blossom
 
I've been contemplating starting a coffee subscription service for a while (I'm already a coffee supplier). That said, we do offer some awesome rates for real Italian coffee if someone is willing to (softly) commit to some volume. Pay as you order though. Not sure if the forum allows this but if anyone is interested in more info feel free to contact me - jeremy@willowbrew.co.za or 0685448384 or www.willowbrew.co.za (Admin please advise if this is not allowed).

I also think coffee lovers tend to enjoy trying new things, but also we like what we like...so finding a roaster, or a brand, or a blend that you like is important...because isn't it all about what you like at the end of it all.

To answer some of the questions, had I not had my own coffee, I would consider a subscription just for convenience.
I think R350 for 3 bags is cheap, but I'm not sure what coffee it is, and if it's locally roasted, etc.
I find that many home users use ground coffee because it's a cheaper, decent alternative to beans.

About equipment, personally I'm a fan of Bean to Cup machines. I don't think anything out there can compete in terms of bang for buck.
Nespresso is convenient, but also expensive (per cup) and not always the greatest quality because of the low dosage per capsule....but that's just my personal opinion.
 
Oh, I forgot to say that sometimes I make my coffee with my Moka Pot just for the journey and romance of sitting by the stove and trying to get the heat perfect...not to mention Moka Pot coffee is actually really nice.
 
Having a look at the comments and the feedback from the post.

There is alot of coffee enthusiasts to make this a viable option in South Africa.
However, the main section would be a pricing model.
what would be the minimum amount of bags supplied and then the pricing attached to this as a customer.

personally, a per month subscription for me would be amazing.
Especially since i go through alot of coffee per month.
 
Having a look at the comments and the feedback from the post.

There is alot of coffee enthusiasts to make this a viable option in South Africa.
However, the main section would be a pricing model.
what would be the minimum amount of bags supplied and then the pricing attached to this as a customer.

personally, a per month subscription for me would be amazing.
Especially since i go through alot of coffee per month.

What have you got to lose besides time and money vested > any business must start from somewhere :) ...
 
I am sure that for that money it should be OK but it doesnt seem to have a wide range of grind settings.

I would rather look into a hand grinder for that money as the next step up for something half decent electric is already R3500 ish.


Is an example, unless you want to pay R2000 for a porlex. Also, it wont take up counter space and is super easy to clean.
 
I use an old Bosch filter coffee machine. I can't find anything online, so if anyone is interested in seeing it and helping to find it on the Internet, I'll post another comment with pictures of it. It's about 25 or so years old. I also have a 1-cup plunger.

I am currently using a Mellerware blade grinder. I love coffee but not nearly as much as most of you. I do want to get a burr grinder but can't justify that much. The Delonghi caught my eye though, cheap with good ratings.

I'm interested in a subscription, if the price is competitive and the quality is comparable to that of Woolworths 1kg bags. They sometimes go on special and then I buy 3.

On that note, I don't like that as the beans get old. I don't notice it that quickly though. If I go away, then I put my beans in the freezer to preserve them, then I leave them there. I will then only take out the bit that I will immediately grind and use. I noticed that they are pretty terrible if let to thaw.

I'll send a DM to those who advertised their subscriptions.
 
If anyone is placing an order on Cape Coffee Beans for a bag of coffee, use this code to get 15% off.

COLD-BREW-BEANS-2020

Expires 16 Feb
 
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So, where are the subs at?

Looking for stuff thats been roasted locally 4x 250g /month, roast date within reason, no artificial flavors, fine balanced blend for straight espresso/tall black/americano. (atleast 30% Yirgs gets me moist!)

Coffee's I do not like: Anything from Ciro, Lavazza, Illy, Woolqorths, Tribeca, Vida'e, Anything from Cape Coffee beans
Coffee's I do like: Father, Motherland, Seattle, Heavenly Coffees, Espresso lab
 
So, where are the subs at?

Looking for stuff thats been roasted locally 4x 250g /month, roast date within reason, no artificial flavors, fine balanced blend for straight espresso/tall black/americano. (atleast 30% Yirgs gets me moist!)

Coffee's I do not like: Anything from Ciro, Lavazza, Illy, Woolqorths, Tribeca, Vida'e, Anything from Cape Coffee beans
Coffee's I do like: Father, Motherland, Seattle, Heavenly Coffees, Espresso lab

Have you tried my coffee yet?


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So, where are the subs at?

Looking for stuff thats been roasted locally 4x 250g /month, roast date within reason, no artificial flavors, fine balanced blend for straight espresso/tall black/americano. (atleast 30% Yirgs gets me moist!)

Coffee's I do not like: Anything from Ciro, Lavazza, Illy, Woolqorths, Tribeca, Vida'e, Anything from Cape Coffee beans
Coffee's I do like: Father, Motherland, Seattle, Heavenly Coffees, Espresso lab

Interestingly, I actually enjoy my Woolies coffee (I used the Mocha Java, and now using the Italian Blend & Breakfast blend which I mixed) for now but I would definitely change to something else later.

Here is one brand that I would like to test: https://nagalandcoffee.com/
 
Bumping this post. I'm flogging coffee now. Delivery at a good rate. Coffee roast is REALLY fresh. To give you an idea, I got a delivery on Friday that was roasted that Monday afternoon. That's about as fresh as you're going to get it. See my thread on coffees here: [Sale] - COFFEE! Something we all need during lockdown | Other

PS the coffee is great. Doesn't taste like your regular supermarket brands and beans.
 
with the travel restrictions in place, i have had to forgo my preferred coffee brand - the espresso beans from nairobi java house [1] - which i routinely stock up on, for friends and family, when i transit through NBO. if, like me, you're a lover of the dark roasts, then i've found that locally, woolworths has a continental dark roast [2] that is quite ok. i mention this only because woolies is so easy to find, and a 250g bag - even if it's not as fresh - will be gone in a week. peacock's castinette [3] is nicer, imo (but i'm avoiding malls) oddly, i usually don't like blends, but this works.../shrug.

i prefer my french press, leaving this to sit for 15min. coffee is generally hand-ground from my porlex j-30 which i've had for years, and travels very well! also works well during load-shedding ;-) or if i have company over, a hario v60 grinder (just the grinder - no, i do *not* do pour-overs, and do not understand why that was ever a "thing).

to the OP, i think that if you could offer:
# easy to understand, no-nonsense service
# sufficient information on the type/tasting notes of each coffee
# minimise the "fuss" of purchase and/or delivery

.. i think that you could easily find enough participants.

i would heavily suggest adopting the "unix philosophy" which loosely put is: "do one thing, and do it well" .. before trying to do more.

good luck.

--m.

[1] JAVA HOUSE

[2] Continental Espresso 100% Arabica Coffee Beans 250g | Woolworths.co.za

[3] Espresso Castinette
 
After much time and deliberation
we have started a coffee subscription service
Link pasted below

SA Coffee Map

We have facebook and instagram as well
Please make sure to like and follow for exclusive offers

Really appreciate the support
 

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