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An Extensive Coffee Meets Bagel Review (Plus How it Works for Guys)

An Extensive Coffee Meets Bagel Review (Plus How it Works for Guys)

Have you heard of Coffee Meets Bagel?

Despite its growing popularity, you may not be as familiar with the dating app if you’re a guy.

And guess what?



That’s just how the founders wanted it. But don’t worry, this Coffee Meets Bagel review will break down everything you need to know about the app so that you can use it successfully.

The Coffee Meets Bagel Story

coffee meets bagel review

Before I launch fully into my Coffee Meets Bagel review, a bit of exposition…

Coffee Meets Bagel was developed by three hopelessly single sisters, all based in New York City at the time. During their research, the three sisters found that there was a huge imbalance in the number of men using dating apps compared to women. So they decided to launch something aimed exclusively at relationship-oriented women who were:

  • Sick of being single
  • Tired of creepy guys messaging them
  • Interested in something that would “even the ratio” of men to women when it came to apps
  • Looking for quality guys

The entrepreneurs moved to San Francisco — home of the best of the best when it comes to engineers — and watched their vision come to fruition.

How to Download the App

Coffee Meets Bagel is available for both iPhone and Android users. Simply go to the app store, type in “Coffee Meets Bagel” and download.

Voila! Now you can get set up.

Setting Up Your Profile

coffee meets bagel review

Setting up your profile takes a few minutes.

You’ll be prompted to answer basic questions about your age, dating preferences, height, work, etc.

From there it’s time to fill out your profile.



Select Your Best Photos

coffee meets bagel review

Using your Facebook photos or camera roll, pick the best picture possible to impress the ladies. Regardless of the app or dating site you use, you should always select the most attractive pics possible. If you’re struggling to take quality photos, learn how to pose for dating app photos.

CMB allows users to choose up to 9 photos (more than any other dating app I know of). Take this opportunity to put your personality on full display.

Women tend to be selective on dating profiles and apps, but this app is designed to make women especially selective. Later in this Coffee Meets Bagel review, I will expand on this.

Fill Out Your Profile

coffee meets bagel review

There are a variety of sections on your profile that you can easily fill out. I recommend that you fill each section out honestly and accurately.

The app prompts you to fill out the basics (remember, DON’T LIE!):

coffee meets bagel what to know

From there, it’s a bit unique. Many dating apps like Tinder simply give you space to write a quick bio. But with Coffee Meets Bagel, you have the chance to answer various prompts such as:

coffee meets bagel what to know

 

So…What Are Bagels & How Does Coffee Meets Bagel Work for Guys?

Bagels are a high-carb food, primarily eaten during breakfast time and pair well with things like cream cheese.



Oh, you mean as far as the app goes? MY BAD!

Bagels are the term used to refer to your matches. The ladies who started the app decided to name it Coffee Meets Bagel because:

  • Coffee is a great first date idea
  • Bagels are an homage to New York City, where they first thought up the app

Each day at noon, men receive 21 bagels that they can like or pass on. At the same time, women are shown the men who liked them and they can choose to complete the match or pass.

By preventing messaging to start until the woman decides she thinks it’s a good match, the app provides a “Ladies Choice” mentality.

The app has an algorithm that is designed to match people who are most compatible, who are of the highest quality, and who are more likely to want long-term relationships.

Limited Time

coffee meets bagel review

While creating this Coffee Meets Bagel review, one thing that I wanted to be sure to mention as a pro is how the app encourages people to make moves — and fast.

Both you and your bagel have up to 24 hours to like each other or pass. If you both hit like, you can start chatting.

And it takes initiative a step further by only allowing you to chat for seven days before someone (YOU) decides to create a date plan and take the conversation from online to offline.

In other words, Coffee Meets Bagel encourages their users to go out on actual dates.

I LOVE this.



On other apps, awkwardness and/or an excess of messaging can lead to things like serendipidating, where conversations with matches eventually devolve into nothing and the two of you never meet up.

By issuing a deadline and also offering a select amount of bagels you can match with, Coffee Meets Bagel makes it way more likely that your matches will turn into actual dates.

What Are Beans?

Let’s say that you’ve gotten busy and haven’t logged onto the app for a while. You had a great match but the conversation expired.

You still have 30 days to reopen the chat if you use Coffee Meets Bagel’s unique currency — beans.

When you’re a guy, beans are especially important. Each user starts off with 385 beans.  There is a “Discovery” section in Coffee Meets Bagel that allows you to see extra bagels outside of your preselected batch that is delivered to your profile at noon each day.

Women can see select bagels without spending a single bean. But, if you’re a guy, you’re going to have to shell out 380 beans (YIKES) if you see a bagel that could be your everything — an everything bagel if you will.

You can accrue beans through everyday things, like matching and conversation, but they are also available for purchase:

  • 100 for $1.99
  • 2,000 for $23.99
  • 3,000 for $24.99

Depending on your finances, it may or may not be a good option to shell out some cash for extra beans, particularly when you see a bagel you want to match with via the Discovery tab.

When our dating app researcher recently tested out this app, he discovered it was quite difficult to rack up free beans over a short period of time. The app is setup for you to eventually break and buy some beans.

If your budget is tight, I’d recommend downloading a variety of dating apps, and use their “free” version. This will limit the amount of women you can connect with, but if you are low on cash this strategy can work.

HACK: You can score 200 free beans by following CMB.

Premium Memberships

Coffee Meets Bagel offers everything you need to enjoy a successful dating app experience at no cost.



However, businesses need to make money, so of course, there are “premium options” available for a fee.

An upgraded Coffee Meets Bagel membership costs $20 per month.

Is It Worth It?

Your premium membership includes the following:

  • Unlimited suggested profiles instead of being sent a set number at noon
  • See who likes you
  • 8 flowers a month that send your like to the top of the profile queue
  • 1 boost a month to expose you to more users
  • Read receipts
  • Unlimited rewinds
  • Activity reports

If you’re rolling in dough, I say there’s no harm, no foul when it comes to upgrading your membership. But if you use my online dating strategies and present yourself in a way that is appealing, you can enjoy just as many awesome dates via this app without spending a dime.

All in all, I tend to advise my students to steer clear of whipping out their credit card when it comes to free dating apps and sites.

NOTE: A Mini membership is also available. This membership costs $3/week and offers limited features.

Coffee Meets Bagel Review: Pros

Overall, I really, really like this app.

It’s free, extremely user-friendly, and comes equipped with plenty of unique features that make it stand out from its competitors.

This is also a great app for relationship-oriented people. On apps like Tinder, you’re going to get a mixed bag of people who want a relationship and those who simply want to hook up.

Moreover, you don’t have to worry about suffering from dating app fatigue. Because the app offers a limited number of bagels each day, you can focus on a few people at a time instead.

I also like that this app is one of the few where there is a higher percentage of women than men. This allows women to be super selective. Men don’t have to worry about trying to elbow their way into a woman’s messages while competing with a bunch of creepers (who may make the woman cancel her account altogether) or throngs of other guys of ranging quality vying for a date.

When you check the Coffee Meets Bagel review via the app store, it boasts a high rating that lets you know its users are impressed.

One other thing I like about the app is its overall layout. There’s just something very clean, friendly and fun about it.



Coffee Meets Bagel Review: Cons

Although there are pros to having a select number of matches, there are also some cons.

With apps like Tinder, you get to swipe on as many people as you want from a large pool of singles. This can help you meet a lot more people at a faster rate if you play your cards right. For that reason, I advise keeping Coffee Meets Bagel as one of a few different apps you use while navigating the dating world – don’t solely rely on it.

Another drawback is that, despite its growing popularity, the app hasn’t reached as broad of an audience as its competitors, like Tinder, Match, and Bumble. Depending on where you live, your selection may be even more limited.

Make the Most of Coffee Meets Bagel

Whether it’s this app or any other type of online dating tool, your approach and personality are ultimately what’s going to help you turn online connections into real-world dates.

After you have grabbed a woman’s attention with a great opening line, it’s time to get her to agree to meet you for a date so you can see if there is actual chemistry between the two of you. You can do this by creating a compelling date plan that issues a clear TDL.

What is a TDL?

A TDL is an acronym that stands for:

  • Time: The time of day that a date will occur
  • Date: The day of the week that the date will take place
  • Location: Where specifically this date will occur

Girls constantly receive messages from guys who ask to “grab a drink” or “get a coffee” with no clear plan in mind. When you use a TDL, you stand out from those other guys by showing a girl that you are a good planner and are interested enough to think things through.

Use Coffee Meets Bagel While MegaDating

Remember how I said that Coffee Meets Bagel should be one of the many online dating tools you use? That’s because, in order to find a long-term compatible partner, you should never put all of your eggs into one basket.

Enter MegaDating.

MegaDating is the main dating strategy I used during my 100-date experiment. It led me to a long-term, fulfilling relationship and it can do the same for you!

So what is MegaDating? MegaDating is a dating process that involves going on dates with several different people at the same time in order to diffuse energy and keep your calendar full. When you MegaDate, you are able to crush your dating goals faster than ever before because:



  • Your confidence increases over time
  • You end up with less anxiety in the dating world because, after all, practice makes perfect
  • You avoid settling for mediocre women
  • Rejection is easier to deal with
  • It’s straight-up fun
  • You introduce yourself to a variety of different experiences, which ultimately help you understand what you really want in a partner

I’ve used my expertise to help several men learn the intricacies of MegaDating, the dating world (both online and offline), and what it takes to attract high-value women. I can do the same for you.

Ready to get started?

Meet Your Perfect Bagel

Interested in learning how we here at emlovz can help you find your perfect match?

We teach our students the shortcut to finding their ideal match by MegaDating. MegaDating is our dating philosophy and it shapes everything we teach here at emlovz. Simply put MegaDating is dating prolifically with the specific goal of going on 20 dates in 90 days. This will give you ample women to compare and contrast so you can refine not only your dating skills but also who your ideal partner is.

To teach you how to quickly find highly compatible women in just weeks and become the most eligible bachelor in town you’ll team up with romantic experts, each skilled in their own unique area to support you.

Our Team

  • Emyli (me), co-founder, curriculum developer, head coach, and I host two coaching sessions every week
  • Thomas, co-founder, and coach. He’ll lead the biweekly Man Cave event where men come together to talk dating, bond with one another, and support other single men
  • Cat, Brooke, and Audrey are mock date specialists. Go on a practice date with them (and receive feedback) before your next date
  • Hailey is your new stylist. She’s worked with celebs from every industry and is now about to raid your closet
  • Tilly is our holistic sex & intimacy coach. She’ll help you get the most out of your sex life so you and your partner are happier between the sheets
  • Aundrea is an award-winning fitness coach. Are you ready to eat right and build muscle?
  • Mia is our social media expert. Revamp your Facebook and Instagram profiles with her help and start meeting women online

Our Community

And look, we realize that the single life can be difficult. If accepted into our coaching program, Dating Decoded, you’d be joining a community of supportive men and coaches who are there to listen, support, and encourage you as you navigate the single life.

Our program offers every student a lifetime membership (as if you’ll need it) so the support won’t stop until you’ve found your ideal partner.

If you’re ready to find your forever partner, book a Zoom session with our team today. Together we’ll talk about your dating history, your goals and show you how our program, Dating Decoded, can help you find your ideal partner.

Learn how our students have already improved their dating lives.

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