10 Trader Joe's Coffees, Ranked

Many of us don't feel human without our morning cup of coffee, which is unsurprising, considering we have been drinking the stuff for centuries. Also not surprising is how much we love Trader Joe's. That leads us to the question: How good is a cup of Joe from Trader Joe's? To determine that, we compared ten of the store's whole bean and ground coffees. We bought only Trader Joe's branded coffees and selected a broad spectrum, including two espressos.

To do the actual ranking, we prepared the coffee in a drip coffee maker, as most U.S. Americans make their coffee this way. First, we evaluated the coffee black, with no sugar. Then, we dipped a Trader Joe's Maple Leaf Cookie into it to see how well the coffee stood up against something very, very sugary. We then added in the brand's Non-Dairy Oat Creamer, Brown Sugar Flavor, to test how the coffee works for those with a sweet tooth.

We've ranked these according to our preferences but acknowledge that coffee tastes are personal and subjective. For that reason, we have added a section to each coffee suggesting why you might like that particular coffee. Now, here are 10 Trader Joe's coffees ranked.

Trader Joe's describes its Joe Medium Roast coffee as a "no frills, exceptionally smooth, cup of joe. We heat a blend of 100% Arabica beans from South America to a medium-roast profile ... that place where drinkability, smoothness, and enjoyability meet."

First things first, while none of the Trader Joe's coffees we tried were terrible, the medium roast whole bean coffee was undoubtedly the weakest of the bunch — in multiple meanings of the word. It is distinctly diner-y. While it did have a slight pleasant bitterness and a smidge of chocolaty sweetness, it just wasn't strong enough to please our palates. All in all, if we had to sum up this cup of joe in one word, it would be: Dull.

Unsurprisingly, this brew couldn't stand up to the extreme sweetness of the maple cookie. That said, the oat milk brown sugar creamer slightly improves the coffee by adding some depth to the lackluster flavor profile.

Try this if you like the nostalgia of mediocre diner coffee.

Final score: 5 out of 10

Certifications: Kosher

Price: $4.99 for 14 ounces

Trader Joe's characterizes its Fair Trade Organic Wake Up Blend Ground Coffee as "100% Arabica beans from small-scale farms in Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Peru," saying, "These high-quality beans are given a medium roast to bring out their best flavors, yielding a smooth, well-balanced cup with bright acidity and just a touch of inherent sweetness." 

Despite the elaborate copy, there's nothing special about this Wake Up Blend. It tastes like coffee, that's for sure, but that's about it. Just to the dark side of medium roast, this coffee isn't exactly bland, but neither is it bursting with flavor. There's no sharpness or "bright acidity" here — it didn't exactly wake up our taste buds.

When we dunked our cookies in, we lost any trace of what little coffee flavor there had been. Interestingly, adding creamer to the coffee only mellowed out an already mild cup, leaving us with almost no aftertaste.

Try this if you like caffeine and zero complexity.

Final score: 6 out of 10

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic, Kosher

Price: $8.49 for 14 ounces

Amazon states that "Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso is selected from the following countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Sumatra. This dark espresso roast is strong, creamy, well-balanced, and rich in flavor."

We picked up the Five Country Espresso Blend because the sales associate told us it was very popular. When we think of espresso, we think rich, bold, full-body. This espresso blend was, unfortunately, not that. Granted, we did make this in a drip coffee machine, but assuming this is one of the best-sellers, it stands to reason that many others are doing the same. And while a drip coffee machine will undoubtedly kill some body, we could tell a lot of this came down to the beans themselves.

The roast was a bit lighter than we'd expect for this kind of blend. That said, it was smooth and balanced, though a bit diner-y. It tasted just "fine" with the cookie, and the creamer watered it down to an unpleasant amount.

Try this if you will use an espresso maker.

Final Score: 6 out of 10 

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Price: $9.99 for 13 ounces

Trader Joe's has this to say: "Introducing Trader Joe's Organic Medium Roast Joe. Yup, it's the same bright, balanced 100% Arabica blend you love, made with organically grown Colombian, Honduran, and Indonesian beans."

Whereas the non-organic medium roast had strong diner vibes, Trader Joe's organic version only had subtle ones when we had it black. This version of TJ's Medium Roast is even mildly fruity. It drinks smooth but is not particularly complex despite being made from a mix of beans. We would be interested to find out the actual ratios of beans because there we suspect it comprises more heavily of one bean than an even blend.

There is not enough going on in the coffee to hold up against the sugar in the maple cookie or the sugar in the creamer. Stick to drinking this one black.

Try this if you are just dipping your toes into the coffee game; it's a good beginner coffee.

Final Score: 6.5 out of 10

Certifications: Kosher, Organic

Price: $6.49 for 14 ounces

Of Trader Joe's Joe Coffee Dark Roast Ground, Amazon says, "They created an excellent blend of Arabica beans and roasted them to that place where smoothness, aroma, and enjoyability meet — a rich, full-bodied dark roast."

All right — now we are starting to get into the good coffees. This Joe was bit-ter (although, not in a totally unpleasant way). However, this coffee is so bitter that it does not have as much flavor as some of the higher-ranked ones on the list. TJ's copy about this dark roast being rich and full-bodied is correct, though.

Especially with the cookie, the flavor gets lost. The creamer, however, rounds the coffee out nicely. This is a coffee that begs to be sweetened, but doesn't pair well with sweets.

Try this one if you are a Starbucks fan or want your house to smell of coffee.

Final score: 7 out of 10

Certifications: Kosher

Price: $4.99 for 13 ounces

Trader Joe's says its Joe Coffee Light Roast Ground is a "blend of 100% Arabica beans from Guatemala and Ethiopia" that it heats "to an ideal light roast profile: pleasantly light brown in color, mellow aromatics, and roast just enough to bring out the full body and fruitiness of the Ethiopian beans without sacrificing the acidity and sweet notes of the Guatemalan."

This description was the closest case to truth in advertising. Joe Coffee Light Roast is fruity — think hints of berry — and mildly grassy and acidic. Though we didn't get too much sweetness off of the drink, it did remind us of something we might find in a third-wave coffee shop. (You can get a whole bag of grounds for the price of a cup in one of those shops!)

Having this coffee with a cookie or creamer did muddle up the pleasant and subtle notes.

Try this if you're looking for a cup of afternoon coffee to enjoy black and all on its own.

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10

Certifications: Kosher

Price:  $4.99 for 14 ounces

Part of the chain's limited-edition small lot coffee series, Trader Joe's says its medium roast Uganda Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon Small Lot Coffee is "grown, harvested, and sun-dried by local farmers" with "natural notes of strawberry, chocolate, and dried black currants." The brand doesn't recommend another specific method of brewing this whole-bean coffee.

This coffee was smooth, creamy, and chocolatey. We didn't really get the promised hints of fruitiness, but no matter — what we did get was tasty enough. While having this small lot coffee with a cookie did nothing to enhance its flavor (nor detract from it), it did pair exceptionally with creamer. The oat milk creamer brought out and highlighted the already-existent creaminess of the coffee. We think this coffee would be delicious as chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Try this coffee if you like chocolate. If you're into making mochas, this is a good choice.

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10

Certifications: Kosher

Price: $9.99 for 12 ounces

Of its Shade Grown Ground Espresso Blend, Trader Joe's says it is "grown under a shade canopy in the mountainous region of Matagalpa, Nicaragua ... The beans are given a dark, smooth roast that's low in acid and rich in flavor." While the beans are sold ground into a fine, espresso texture, the grocery store does say you can use them for a regular cup of Joe.

We did something else. We boiled this coffee in a Turkish coffee pot on the stovetop. So how did it taste? Our first sentence upon sipping it was, "Oooh, that's strong." While a bit flatter than the espressos we've had in European cafés (the things we complain about ... ), this Shade Grown espresso was delightfully rich and bold.

And just like the greatest of espressos, this one did not disappoint when paired with a cookie. Neither the espresso nor the cookie was lost — now that's more like it. We didn't try this with creamer because we like our espresso and Turkish coffee sans accouterments, but you do you.

Try this if you like your coffee bold, black, and espresso.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Certifications: None

Price: $8.99 for 14 Ounces

Trader Joe's says that its Fair Trade Organic Sumatra Coffee is made from medium-roast 100% Arabica beans that are " picked, washed, and pulped by hand, using the distinctive "wet-hulling" process," which results in "full-bodied, lower acidity, and bold, earthy flavors." TJ's recommends its whole-bean Sumatra Coffee for virtually any hot-brewing method of coffee.

This Fair Trade Organic Sumatra Coffee reminds us of a cup of coffee you'd get at a high-end, regional coffee chain. It's got a delicate bitterness and a mild fruitiness. We didn't find it as "bold" as TJ's says, but it is certainly earthy.

This coffee was OK with the cookie but shined when we added the creamer to it. The creamer absolutely turned this coffee into the perfect cup; its sweetness intensified the fruity notes inherent in the coffee and brought them to the forefront.

Try this coffee if you're trying to reduce the amount of "to-go" coffee you purchase.

Final Score: 8.5 out of 10

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic, Kosher

Price: $8.99 for 13 Ounces

Trader Joe's says its Fench Roast Ground Coffee "is made with beans grown in Brazil and Peru, which are heated long and slow to yield that classic, dark and rich roast, giving each sip a brilliant, bold intensity, with notes of smoke and sweet chocolate."

We were skeptical. French roast can be hit or miss. The darkest of the dark roasts, a French roast is 482° Fahrenheit. Any hotter than that and coffee can get scorched, which is why some French roasts do, in fact, taste burnt. It's a fine line to walk, and Trader Joe's has toed it well.

This French roast is a very bitter coffee but in a smooth and rich way — there's no bitterness or acridity to be found here. This coffee is full-bodied, earthy, and smoky. Even better, it will fill your kitchen with a fabulous aroma — more than any other coffee on this list.

Try this if you like dark coffee, don't have a grinder, and want an economical choice.

Final Score: 9/10

Certifications: Kosher

Price: $6.49 for 14 ounces