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Peet's Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in San Francisco, but you've probably seen their coffee on the shelves of your local grocery store, or you may even have a café in your area. In addition to the cups of joe and grounds you can buy locally, Peet's also offers a coffee subscription. Peet's beans are sourced ethically from the world's best growing regions, roasted by hand in small batches, and delivered fresh.
The last time we reviewed Peet's coffee (in January 2021) they offered three curated subscriptions including The Signature Blend Series and the Single Origin Series. They've since added the Dark Roast Series, Medium Roast Series, Decaf Series, and Seasonal Essentials Series, all which can be found here. But, even more has changed! If you want to explore Peet's coffees outside the confines of their curated subscriptions you can choose your own adventure by building a subscription, Subscribe & Save style. Their newest addition to their coffee selections is the Bright Collection, which features light roasts. If you aren't sure what your coffee preferences are you can take their Coffee Finder quiz.
This is a review of two Peet's Light Roast coffees, which you can subscribe to by building your own subscription.
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! Get 50% off your first 3 shipments of Peet’s Small Batch Series subscription.CODE: PEETSMSA
The Cost: $18.95 per month per bag + free U.S. shipping.
This box ships to the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, and P.O. boxes) for free, Canada starting at $20.25, and internationally starting at $32.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About your reviewer
Peet's coffee has been a constant in my life. There was a Peet's coffee shop on my college campus (13 years ago) and it was the coziest of all the coffee shops for studying. Back then I didn't have coffee preferences whatsoever, I just ordered cafe mochas and the caffeine was buried in my glorified chocolate milk. Now I drink mostly black coffee brewed at home, and I've learned in recent years that my preference is for lighter, fruitier coffees—but my parents and in-laws all prefer dark roasts and buy Peet's at the grocery store. So I've tried many of the dark roasts, as well as some of the Single Origins through this subscription.
When I heard about Peet's new Bright Collection I was intrigued, because I know that Peet's makes a quality coffee with ethical sourcing of premium beans, small-batch roasting, and freshness.
What's Inside
Peet's coffee comes in a branded box with your 2 lb bag(s) of coffee inside. There's a receipt folded underneath. That's it—simple!
The Coffee
Sun Catcher Light Roast, Drip Grind (16 oz) — Retail Value $18.95
The Bright Collection features two specialty light roasts that offer more delicate and brighter flavor than the norm for Peet's, with citrus, berry, or floral notes. I was curious about Sun Catcher because some of my favorite coffees are from Brazilian beans. This one is a blend of Brazilian and Kenyan beans, with a flavor profile of strawberry jam, honeysuckle, and citrus. I've always had to use my imagination to conjure up these flavor notes in my actual experience, but still, it's working.
It's said that light roasts especially lend themselves to specialty brewing methods, like pour-over or Chemex, and most people who take the time to brew with these methods also grind their own beans for optimal freshness. I've lived that life and loved it. I believe in it. I think the coffee made with these methods is spectacular. But now I'm a tired parent who scoops my coffee grounds into my very pedestrian coffee maker and worships the first few sips, then gets distracted and finishes the rest later when it's lukewarm. This is the real test. Can the coffee still be deliciously rewarding even through all that?
The answer is YES. I love this coffee. It can hang with the best of the specialty, small-batch coffees from local shops (of which I've tried dozens) in its body and honeyed-nutty aroma and joyful flavor. Its flavor is richly intricate, with no bitterness. When sipped at a lukewarm temperature, it maintains its flavor but mellowed. It works. I would gladly drink this coffee daily and look forward to it every morning.
Costa Rica Aurora Light Roast, Drip Grind (16 oz) — Retail Value $18.95
This light roast is part of the regular line of Peet's coffees, and look how nice this description sounds: "Greet the dawn of a new day. Costa Rica meets Kenya in this bright, electric light roast." Bright and electric sound very inviting in a cup of coffee to me. While the grounds look similar to the Sun Catcher in these photos, they're a little darker in person, with a deeper smell. I had a feeling this coffee would be a gentler version of a typical bold Peet's cup.
Yep, definitely the darkest light roast I've ever tried. To sip it's smooth and crisp, but at the last moment a bitterness does pop in with a noticeable depth. This would be the light roast I would keep on hand to brew when my dark-roast-loving family members are with us and I want something to please the masses. I think they would know it's Peet's without even seeing the bag. Which is a compliment to Peet's for creating a consistent product that's their own across roasts.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $18.95 per month per bag + free U.S. shipping.
I had fun testing out some light roasts from this reputably dark roast brand. I tried the Aurora from their classic line, and felt is was barely light, but still pleasant. I also tried the Sun Catcher from their new Bright Collection and fell in love with its fruity complexity, and would gladly subscribe to this roast.
Each bag of coffee costs $18.95, and shipping is free when you subscribe. That adds up to $37.90 total for 4 lbs of coffee. For a one-time purchase under $49, shipping costs $9, so that's nearly 20% savings by subscribing. When you subscribe you can choose whether to have your 2 lb coffee bag delivered every week, every 8 weeks, or anything in-between.
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! Get 50% off your first 3 shipments of Peet’s Small Batch Series subscription.CODE: PEETSMSA
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! Or better yet, you can customize it to your own tastes.
What do you think of Peet's Coffee's new Bright Collection? Click below to write a review!
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