If you know Emma Chamberlain, I’m assuming you also know that she is a coffee connoisseur. She is able to distinguish good from bad coffee in just one sip, and she even has a popular video titled “Emma’s Legendary Coffee Recipe” which is just her sharing secret ingredients and making coffee for 7 minutes straight… and it has 6.3 MILLION views.
I don’t know about you, but every time I finish watching one of her videos I crave an iced coffee. So it was no surprise that she came out with her own coffee line a few weeks ago, Chamberlain Coffee. I was intrigued because this isn’t just regular ground coffee, it comes in a bag and is made to be steeped like tea. It can be steeped in hot water for 5+ minutes, or it can even be left in water in the fridge overnight to create a cold brew. If you’ve ever looked into making cold brew at home before, you know it requires an interesting contraption that seems complicated, so Chamberlain Coffee is here to make the process easier.
Shipping
I ordered the 5 pack on December 22, the day it was released. It shipped out of Chamberlain Coffee the very next day, and I received a pleasant email saying I should have it within a few days. I figured due to Christmas, I would receive it around the 28th at the latest, since it arrived to USPS on the 23rd. I live on the east coast and my order didn’t arrive until January 3rd. I don’t blame Chamberlain Coffee for this since it apparently was sitting at USPS for all of that time. I do know people that live on the west coast and they (obviously) received their order much before I did.
Cost
A 5 pack of this coffee costs $10, so that makes each coffee bag (which makes one cup of coffee) $2 each. You can buy a pack of 5, 10, 20, or 30 but buying in bulk does not lower the price. When I first saw the price I was a little shocked but I justified my purchase because I wanted to try something new. When I was at checkout another $5 was added to my total for shipping. Which then makes each cup of coffee come to $3 for just BLACK COFFEE. Making an entire pot of coffee at home will cost less than that, and even a black coffee at starbucks does not cost that much. When I make coffee at home I, like most people, want to save money and this does not do that. I have a nespresso machine which I use to make lattes, which are more expensive than plain black coffee, and one espresso pod is only one dollar. There are also coffee pods that make big flavored coffee with foam on top, for just one dollar.
Review
If you’ve made it this far to see how the coffee actually tastes, don’t get too excited. The coffee has notes of chocolate, cherry and nuts but in my opinion it is nothing amazing. I tried it both cold and hot for a YouTube review, and I much prefer the cold brew because it had a lot more flavor probably from steeping over night. I let the hot one steep for about 9 minutes and it wasn’t very flavorful. The coffee is good, but keep in mind, it is just a black coffee.
Is It Worth It?
I could see this coffee being practical sometimes. For example, if you have to wake up super early in the morning and don’t want to waste time making coffee or stopping to get one, you can grab your cold brew from the fridge and run out the door. Also, maybe if you’re traveling and want to make a coffee on the go (although you could just get a black coffee from literally any coffee shop). I do appreciate that this is an eco-friendly coffee, but there are plenty of other eco-friendly ways to make coffee: making a pot of coffee, reusable K-cups and more. In my opinion this coffee is not worth it when considering how difficult it is to get and most importantly the COST. I think Emma knows that her fans are willing to pay more for something with her name on it, and we have, but I don’t see her getting many repeat customers. From other reviews I’ve seen, everyone seems to be on the same page here. I’m happy that I tried this coffee, and I will be using the remaining bags that I have, but unfortunately I won’t be repurchasing.
with love,
If you want to watch me make the coffee and see my taste test and reaction, watch my youtube video ↓↓↓
Leanna Sally 