My Nguyen Coffee Supply Review
Is This Vietnamese Coffee Subscription Worth Trying?
If you're a seasoned coffee drinker, you're probably used to seeing beans from Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, and Costa Rica lining the shelves of your local roaster. These countries (and their Arabica coffee beans) are often considered to be the best of the best, so you might be surprised to hear that the second-largest producer of coffee in the world is actually Vietnam! There are plenty of Vietnamese farmers that grow Arabica beans, but the #1 coffee grown in Vietnam is Robusta- a stronger, more caffeinated bean that's often overlooked by the American market. Nguyen Coffee Supply is a coffee subscription service on a mission to introduce subscribers to the world of Vietnamese coffee.
There are currently three different coffees available from Nguyen Coffee Supply, and when you sign up for a subscription you'll choose which you'd like to receive, as well as your preferred grind, how frequently you'd like to receive shipments, and how much coffee you'd like in each order. You can brew the beans using your go-to method (French press, drip, Chemex, etc.), or if you'd like to brew your coffee the traditional Vietnamese way, you can pick up a phin filter in Nguyen's online store. In this review, I'll talk about the subscription options, give you my honest opinion on the beans, and walk you through how to use a phin filter. Ready to explore the world of Vietnamese coffee with Nguyen Coffee Supply? Let's go!
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 10% off your first 3 shipments
CODE: REUPCREW10
Pros & Cons
The Pros
- Nguyen Coffee Supply introduces subscribers to the world of Vietnamese coffee.
- Beans are grown on the farm of a 4th generation farmer in Vietnam's Central Highlands.
- Coffee is roasted weekly in Nguyen's coffee production facility in Brooklyn, New York.
- There's a lot to feel good about with this company: Nguyen is woman-owned, works directly with farmers, and supports sustainable coffee practices.
- You can brew Nguyen's coffee the traditional Vietnamese way with a phin filter, or you can be your own barista and use your brewing method of choice.
- Want to try the coffee before committing to a subscription? No problem. You can place a one-time order in the Nguyen Coffee Supply shop.
- It's easy to cancel your subscription online.
The Cons
- Nguyen Coffee Supply sells 3 different coffees: Loyalty, Moxy, and Truegrit. If you're the type of person who likes to drink the same thing every morning, this might not be an issue for you; however, if you prefer to regularly mix it up and change what you're brewing, you might prefer a subscription with a wider variety of options.
- If you want the full Vietnamese coffee experience, you'll need to purchase a phin filter (which you can do in Nguyen's online store).
- All of the beans you'll receive are roasted by Nguyen Coffee Supply. If you want to sample a variety of roasters, another subscription might be a better fit.
- At around $20.00 per shipment for a 12 oz. bag, this is not the cheapest way to get coffee.
Is It Worth It?
- Do you love Vietnamese coffee or want to give it a try? Are you okay paying a little bit more for high-quality beans shipped to your front door? Then, yes, I think it's definitely worth it!
About Nguyen Coffee Supply
With Nguyen Coffee Supply, you can sign up for a subscription or place a one-time order in the online store. (If you don't yet own a phin filter, I recommend buying one in the online shop and then signing up for a coffee subscription to make sure you always have fresh beans available.) Now, regarding the subscriptions, there are two different ways to sign up. I found this a little bit confusing at first, so let me walk you through the process.
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You can sign up for a subscription either by navigating to the "Subscriptions" tab in the navigation header OR by visiting the individual coffee listing page in the shop and selecting "Subscribe & Save." The confusing part of this is that pricing differs depending on which you choose. Prices found in the "Subscriptions" area include shipping, while signing up on the item page using the "Subscribe & Save" button will add shipping at checkout. I'm located in Louisiana, and I found that it was marginally cheaper for me to "Subscribe & Save." This might vary based on shipping location, but it's worth pricing out both options to see which offers the most savings.
Images via Nguyen Coffee Supply.
If you check out using the "Subscriptions" funnel, you'll decide which coffee you'd like to receive (Nguyen has three different types to choose from), whether you prefer whole bean or ground, how many bags you'd like per shipment, and how frequently you'd like to receive deliveries.
Images via Nguyen Coffee Supply.
Your preferred coffee with be shipped out at intervals of your choosing. The price varies based on which coffee you select and how many bags you want to receive per shipment. Let's look at the specific price breakdown for this option:
The Cost
The Subscription: Nguyen Coffee Supply
Coffee Subscription Cost:
- 12-ounce bag: $19-$21.00 per shipment + Free Shipping*
- Two 12-ounce bags: $33-$37.00 per shipment + Free Shipping*
- Three 12-ounce bags: $47-$53.00 per shipment + Free Shipping*
*Signing up for a subscription through the "Subscriptions" funnel will include free shipping. If you "Subscribe & Save" by signing up on the coffee listing page in the shop, shipping will be assessed separately. As I mentioned above, it was marginally cheaper for me to "Subscribe & Save."
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 10% off your first 3 shipments
CODE: REUPCREW10
Shipping:
- Ships to the U.S. and Canada.
- Shipping is free when you sign up for a coffee subscription or spend $50.00 or more in the shop. (Additional charges apply for shipments to Canada.)
- Shipping timelines are 5-10 business days.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
My Nguyen Coffee Supply Delivery
Before I dive into this review and show you what I received in my Nguyen Coffee Supply delivery, let me tell you a little bit about my personal experience with Vietnamese coffee. Going into this review, Vietnamese coffee was definitely on my radar. I'd had it a handful of times in restaurants, but I'd never made it at home before, and I didn't know much about the brewing process. So before my box arrived, I did a little bit of research on the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans, how to brew using a phin filter, and how Vietnamese coffee is traditionally prepared (spoiler: with sweetened, condensed milk!). Armed with this knowledge, I was ready.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply sent me this shipment at no cost for the purposes of this review, and they were kind enough to send me everything I needed to sample the full range of coffees and brew them the traditional way. I received three different phin filters and three bags of coffee. All of the items I received are available to purchase in the online store. You can also sign up for a recurring subscription for any of the coffees.
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I received an info card outlining different "brew tips" that also provides step-by-step instructions for using the phin filter.
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Phin Filters- $15.00 for a 4-ounce, $18.00 for a 12-ounce, $24.00 for a 24-ounce, or $52.00 for all three
As I mentioned above, Nguyen was kind enough to send me three different phin filters, but you really only need one to get started. The 4-ounce phin brews one small cup of coffee, the 12-ounce is perfectly sized for two or three people, and the 24-ounce is large enough to serve a small group. I'll walk you through how to use them in a minute.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply Moxy (100% Arabica)- $16.00 ($15.20 with a subscription)
Nguyen Coffee Supply currently has three different coffees in their repertoire, and this first one is 100% Arabica. If you're like the average American coffee drinker, Arabica beans are probably the ones you consume most of the time. They have a smooth, sweet flavor and are often described as chocolatey and fruity. Robusta beans, on the other hand, have a stronger flavor that's higher in caffeine content. Many American roasters will only purchase Arabica beans and dismiss Robusta as being "less refined" and "inferior," but Nguyen has set out to dismiss this classification. Of their three coffees, this is the only one that does not contain Robusta beans.
Variety:
100% Single Origin ArabicaNotes:
Wild Berries, Chocolate, Cherry, HoneyRecommended brews:
Drip, French Press, Pour Over, Espresso
Flavor-wise, this coffee was definitely the most familiar of the three. The flavors of chocolate and red berry were delicious and reminded me of some of my favorite beans. I brewed these in my standard drip coffee maker, and I was pretty impressed. They definitely make a solid cup of coffee.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply Loyalty (Robusta + Arabica)- $15.00 ($14.25 with a subscription)
Next up, I tried "Loyalty," which is a blend of both Arabica and Robusta beans.
Variety:
Single Origin Arabica & Robusta coffee beansNotes:
Cacao, Pomelo, Almond, Smoked CaramelRecommended brews:
Phin, Drip, Espresso, French Press
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For this taste test, I took the phin filter for a spin. I decided to use the 4-ounce phin, and I followed the instructions closely. To use, you place the phin filter on top of a cup, add ground coffee (1:2 ratio coffee to water), level out the grinds, place the gravity press on top, fill with water, and cover. After a minute or two, your coffee is ready! This style of brewing makes a very concentrated cup of coffee, and I LOVED it (for me, this was the best coffee of the three). The flavor is bold, nutty, and strong, but also surprisingly smooth and a little sweet. Vietnamese coffee is traditionally served with a little bit of sweetened condensed milk, but I wanted to try this black to get the full flavor of the coffee. 10/10 I would recommend.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply Truegrit (100% Peaberry Robusta)- $14.00 ($13.30 with a subscription)
The third bag of coffee, "Truegrit" is 100% Peaberry Robusta, and after the first two coffees, I was ready and excited to try the pure Robusta experience.
Variety:
100% Single Origin Peaberry Robusta
Notes:
Scotch, Grapefruit Zest, Bitter MelonRecommended brews:
Drip, Phin Filter, French Press
As you can probably glean from the tasting notes, this coffee is sharper and more bitter than the other two. It also has the highest caffeine content. Again, I brewed these beans using the hot phin method (note that you can use a phin to make iced coffee as well), and I'll be honest: I didn't love this coffee as much as the "Loyalty". That said, after trying this coffee black, I added some sweetened condensed milk, and it was like night and day. "Loyalty" had lended a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of smoothness from the addition of the Arabica beans, but adding sweetened condensed milk to "Truegrit" produced a similar effect. It smoothed out the bitter edges of the 100% Robusta, and yielded a fabulously delicious cup of coffee. The sweetened condensed milk transformed this coffee into something truly great. I usually prefer to start my day with a cup of black coffee (so I'm not sure I'd reach for these beans first thing in the morning), but I would happily serve "Truegrit" in the evening alongside dessert.
My Verdict
One of the perks of my job is that I get to sample a lot of different coffee subscriptions, and Nguyen Coffee Supply is unlike any I've tried before. First of all, it was eye-opening to learn about the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans, and I enjoyed trying all three of Nguyen's coffees side-by-side. I really do feel like I'm walking away with a better understanding of how their flavor profiles differ. It was fun learning how to brew Vietnamese coffee using a phin filter, and I'm happy to report that I'm now officially a fan. I'm also a fan of the company behind the cofee and their ethical approach to production. I think it's great that Nguyen sources beans directly from a fourth-generation Vietnamese farmer, and I like their dedication to sustainability and freshness. It's always great when I find a product I enjoy, and can feel good about the company too. But what about value? Well, it probably won't come as a shock to hear that a subscription to Nguyen is not the cheapest way to get your coffee fix. Picking up beans at the grocery store is always going to cost less. That said, they won't be this fresh, they won't be delivered to your door, and they (likely) won't be single-origin beans, which of course cost more. Looking at similar coffee subscriptions like Mistobox ($14.95 per bag with $5 shipping) and Trade ($15-$25 per bag with $2 shipping), Nguyen's price is in the same ballpark. Comparing to my favorite local roasters, French Truck ($14-$20 for a 12-ounce bag of single-origin coffee) and Congregation ($17-$19 for a 12-ounce bag of single-origin coffee), the prices are also on par. If you want to try Vietnamese coffee that tastes great from a company you can feel good about, I highly encourage you to give Nguyen Coffee Supply a try. I think it's a great choice for adventurous coffee lovers interested in trying Vietnamese specialty coffee.
Want to know more about the Nguyen Coffee Supply?
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