We Put Big-Name Coffee Brands To The Test: Copper Cow Coffee, Blue Bottle, and Nespresso
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Just like music, your taste in coffee says a lot about you. Sugars, cream, types of milk, the list is endless – and honestly, so are the options. Menus read like laundry lists, and we’re speaking in Italian trying to order a venti that we’ll never finish or a grande that just isn’t enough.
As work from home begins to become the norm for most people, making coffee in the kitchen has become a morning ritual for many. However, making coffee yourself isn’t as easy as you might think – especially when it comes to lattes.
To make the decision easier for all the at-home baristas, we’ve decided to put three options up against each other to see who comes out on top: Blue Bottle, Nespresso, and Copper Cow.
Key Similarities:
- All offer unique flavors
- All can be made at home
- Blue Bottle has storefront locations
- All have subscription options
- All have hot and cold offerings
Key Differences:
- Copper Cow doesn’t require any additional equipment
- Nespresso can only be made with their equipment
- Nespresso and Copper Cow offer single servings, Blue Bottle is bagged
- Copper Cow offers flavored coffees, additional creamers, and latte bundles
Copper Cow Coffee
Copper Cow is a female-founded Vietnamese pour-over coffee you can make with no additional equipment. Using individual coffee filters that are placed over the cup, all you need to do is pour hot water over and then stir in sweetened condensed milk creamers to create your latte! Aside from their traditional Vietnamese-style latte kits, Copper Cow Coffee also offers coffee without the creamers. Their flavors Include Classic Black, Vanilla, Churro, Salted Caramel, and Lavender.
They use all-natural flavoring to create lattes like Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla, Churro, Mint, and Lavender. Since each coffee comes with its own pre-filled filter (and a packet of sweetened condensed milk if you go for a latte), these are even an option for popping in your bag and taking on the go – all you need is hot water!
Copper Cow’s beliefs center around highlighting Vietnamese heritage and coffee as a form of self-care. Copper Cow even takes self-care one step further in how they care for their farmers and environment. They source all their coffee from local farmers in Vietnam and pay their workers double the market rate.
While other lattes cost around four or five dollars, Copper Cow is priced at $2.50 per latte ($2 per latte with a subscription), and their packs start at $15 for five lattes. And, since Vietnamese coffee is stronger than regular coffee, all you need is 4-6 oz. to get the same buzz as a venti, so you can save some serious money!
Copper Cow CoffeeAt Home Vietnamese Pour Over Coffee Sustainably sourced, women-owned, all natural flavors Get 25% off of the first month of any subscription with coupon code COFFEEBOX25!
Blue Bottle
Blue Bottle started in Oakland, CA and has several locations nationally – chances are you’ve seen their cups around town; white paper cups with a blue bottle. While they have an impressive menu in-store, they also offer a subscription service to get their bagged coffee mailed to you.
Their beans are sent out within 48 hours of roasting, so the bag is always fresh. Their coffee selection allows you to choose from single origin, espresso, cold brew, and decaf, and they also provide a quiz if you’d like to find your perfect coffee match.
Since they send whole beans, you need to have both a coffee grinder and whatever brewing tools you prefer – Chemex, Aeropress, French Press, etc.. Blue Bottle’s bags are also meant to be brewed in large quantities, so you can’t make a cup just for you without a few leftovers.
Nespresso
We’ve all seen the ads with George Clooney boasting the perfect cup of coffee. To get started with Nespresso, you must first have a Nespresso machine. This already starts you off at a higher price point with machines ranging from $159 to $209 depending on the size.
Their machines run the gambit in sizes as well as styles like espresso and single-use cups. For those traditionally against any type of capsule coffee, Nespresso allows you to recycle the capsules through their recycling bags and dropoff locations.
Their capsules offer a wide variety of flavors and have Barista Blends which feature seasonal drops like Peppermint Pinwheel and Pumpkin Spice Cake.
Verdict:
For the price, flavor, and ease, we’re hands-down going with Copper Cow Coffee. We love that you don’t need anything except hot water and a cup to be able to enjoy their lattes. It’s also a major bonus that we can take their packets on the go!
With Nespresso, you end up paying way more for their machines and lose the ritual of making coffee, and with Blue Bottle single-serving cups aren’t really an option. Copper Cow’s individual pre-filled coffee filters make the perfect cup, every time.
Copper Cow lets us enjoy the ritual of making a pour-over right from the kitchen, all while introducing us to new flavors, Vietnamese culture, and a cup of coffee that’s worth its price.
