7 third-wave coffee brands you won't find in Starbucks

Third-wave coffee has forged a meaningful relationship between customer and the cup after focusing on transparency, seasonality and customer experience.

Whereas first-wave coffee is characterised by increased accessibility and consumption, and second by speciality flavours and the social experience of sitting down at a cafe like Starbucks, fair and direct trade practices are central to the business of the third-wave, which took off during the mid-'90s to early 2000s.

It means that customers can learn exactly where their beans come from, and the devotion to the craft and ritual of coffee is clear from the moment you walk through the doors of the beautifully designed coffee shop.

And though your cup of coffee is expensive, you have to admit – you can taste the difference.

More often than not, these third-wave coffee shops in San Francisco, Portland, New York City, and other major hubs are not casual pit stops on the way to another destination. They are the final destination, and coffee lovers cannot imagine a more exciting pilgrimage than the trek to obtain this speciality coffee.

While visiting the coffee shop is the best way to enjoy its blends, the next best option if there's no location near you or you want to make it yourself at home, is to find it online.

We take a look at the third-wave coffee brands you can find online:

Intelligentsia