If you’re like us, you know that the best part of waking up is having high-quality, fair-trade, organic coffee in your cup. You might also be intrigued yet overwhelmed by the wealth of such coffee options available online and in stores.
Whether you prefer to order your coffee with a click or toss it in a cart in-store, Minneapolis-based Peace Coffee should be on your radar.
We had the opportunity to try out three of this company’s coffees, and we’re excited to share our thoughts with our fellow coffee fanatics!
Peace Coffee: “Deliciously Do-Gooding Brews”
Peace Coffee
Peace Coffee is a Minnesota-based coffee roaster that focuses on ethical and sustainable sourcing practices. They work directly with small-scale farmers and cooperatives around the world to ensure high-quality coffee while promoting social and environmental responsibility.
If you’re a coffee consumer who cares just as much about fair trade and farmer-centric practices as you do about incredible flavor, don’t sleep on Peace Coffee!
Peace Coffee sent out its first shipment of 100% fair trade, certified organic coffee in 1996, but its story started a bit earlier.
This coffee company was actually founded by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a nonprofit dedicated to partnering with the farming community to achieve long-term changes in the United States and abroad.
After meeting coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico who struggled to make ends meet, IATP agreed to partner with these farmers to bring fair-trade coffee to Minneapolis.
Today, Peace Coffee has grown and expanded and has been independently owned since 2018. However, their mission hasn’t changed, and they remain committed to forming long-term relationships with coffee farmers and purchasing at fair prices.
In 2017, Peace Coffee became the first coffee company in Minnesota to receive B Corporation certification. This designation is given to companies across all industries that have met rigorous standards for the benefit of the planet and its people.
All About the Coffee
Peace Coffee offers fifteen different coffees for sale online, including their signature blends and single-origin offerings. Whether you’re drinking a pot a day or just a cup here and there, you’ll find purchasing options to match your habits!
The coffee can be purchased in a 12 oz or 5 lb bag, and coffee lovers can have their coffee delivered in whole bean or ground form.
There are four available grind sizes- standard, fine, coarse, and extra coarse. While I prefer to grind my coffee, the option for pre-ground in various sizes is convenient and makes this coffee accessible even if you don’t have a large coffee gear setup.
Peace Coffee also sells Steeped Coffee bags, which are 100% compostable single-serve brewing options that offer a quick, convenient brewing experience not unlike using a tea bag.
This is a fabulous eco-friendly alternative to other popular single-serve coffees, and they’re available in two different single-origin offerings, an espresso blend, or a variety pack.
Light Roast
Peace Coffee - Ethiopia Single Origin
Experience the marvel of Ethiopia with this organic light roast coffee. Being the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia boasts an abundance of wild heirloom tree species, making its organic coffee distinct and unique. Enjoy the perfect balance of bright citrus and caramel sweetness in every cup.
The light roast that I had the opportunity to try was an Ethiopian single-origin, making it a unique and delicious brew. Thanks to its wild heirloom coffee trees, single-origin organic coffees from this country have a flavor that you won’t get anywhere else.
This coffee has a bright, crisp flavor with citrusy and floral notes. It has a delicate body and a light, distinctive flavor, perfect for enjoying as an afternoon treat.
I brewed mine in a pour-over, and Peace Coffee recommends a Chemex for bringing out the many complex and nuanced flavors of these beans.
Medium Roast
Peace Coffee - Birchwood Breakfast Blend
Staying home and making it yourself with a delicious mug of Birchwood breakfast blend. Imagine a stack of pancakes, perfectly cooked eggs, and a pot of this delightfully balanced organic medium roast coffee.
Immediately upon opening my bag of Birchwood Breakfast Blend, a medium roast, I was struck by the nostalgic smell of a fresh pot of coffee. I was excited to get brewing.
The eggs and fruit artwork on the bag of this breakfast blend is perfectly chosen, because this balanced blend is just right for sitting down to a big breakfast or brunch.
It has a smooth body, mild acidity, and tasting notes of bittersweet chocolate, cedar, and honey. There is also a prominent, but not overwhelming, aroma of smoke.
With no bitterness or acidity, this is an extremely enjoyable blend, and the one I’ve come back to the most since I did my tasting- there’s even a mug of it sitting beside me as I write!
Dark Roast
Peace Coffee - Tree Hugger Signature Blend
Tree Hugger is an organic dark roast coffee blend that honors our commitment from day one to organic, bike-delivered coffee, and it’s begging for an adventure with you.
Peace Coffee recommends a French Press for bringing out the rich, smoky flavors of their Tree Hugger dark roast, so that’s exactly what I did.
This dark roast coffee has a nutty aroma with hints of caramelized sugar and tasting notes of smoke, chocolate, and molasses. This was a bold and rich brew that didn’t taste at all bitter or burnt, which is common with some darker roasts.
Despite the toasty, smoky flavor, it had a smooth body and even a note of sweetness!
What We Like
There is a lot to like about this coffee company, from its values to its beans. Let’s look at their good qualities in further detail:
Fair Trade and Organic
As we mentioned earlier, all of Peace Coffee’s offerings are fair trade and certified organic. This shows that the company is dedicated to compensating coffee farmers fairly for their work, allowing them to make a living wage.
The coffee from this company is grown by small farmers who come together in local cooperatives to advocate for their rights.
While I didn’t try a decaf blend, Peace Coffee’s decaf coffee is also organic because it is water processed, a 100% chemical-free process for decaffeination.
Rich Flavor
All of the roasts we tried were flavorful and unique. The dark roast was bold and rich without tasting burnt, the light roast was crisp but not too acidic, and the medium roast offered a balanced cup that made me dream of sitting down to brunch with a steaming pot.
These were all coffees that I was happy to drink black- the flavor stood perfectly on its own and needed no alteration!
Plenty of Size and Grind Options
Some coffee drinkers love to try out different roasts and blends, while others find what they like and stick to it. Peace Coffee makes either option easy by selling 12 oz bags for the samplers of the world and 5 lb bags for those who just love what they love.
We also appreciate that ground coffee is available in four different grind sizes. Not every coffee drinker is ready to invest in a grinder, and this feature makes it easy for everyone to enjoy coffee from this company.
Peace Coffee is also available at certain retailers, including Target and Whole Foods. I can see myself taking advantage of this while on vacation or visiting family.
Subscription Offerings
Who doesn’t love to set it and forget it? Peace Coffee offers a subscription option, which allows coffee lovers to choose a delivery frequency from every two weeks to every three months.
Any of the available coffee offerings can be added as part of a subscription, and you’ll get 15% off of your order as a subscriber.
Prefer a little variety? Try the seasonal offerings subscription, which ships out one of three season-specific blends crafted by the roasters!
Room For Improvement
Fair Trade?
There’s some debate over whether fair trade practices can impact the quality of the final result. Some argue that farmers are incentivized to sell their lower-quality beans through fair trade channels, while higher-quality beans naturally sell for a higher price.
This is an ongoing debate, so whether you prefer fair-trade coffee comes down to personal values and preferences.
Cost
While the whole-bean coffee offerings from this company are reasonably priced in comparison to other quality roasters, their single-serve Steeped Coffee Bags are quite expensive.
If you prefer single-serve coffee, you’ll have to weigh the higher cost against the convenience of this method.
Peace Coffee
Peace Coffee is a Minnesota-based coffee roaster that focuses on ethical and sustainable sourcing practices. They work directly with small-scale farmers and cooperatives around the world to ensure high-quality coffee while promoting social and environmental responsibility.
The Verdict
Peace Coffee is a tasty option for consumers who appreciate fair trade practices and organic farming. As supporters of small farmers and a certified B Corporation, this is a company you can feel good spending some money on.
Best of all, the coffee tastes great! After enjoying three of their coffee blends for myself, I’m eager to try others and will certainly recommend this company to friends and family.
Happy Caffeinating!
Peace Coffee Review: Our Take on This Fair Trade Coffee
After trying out three of this company's coffees, we're excited to share our thoughts with our fellow coffee fanatics in this Peace Coffee review!
4.5
