How much does your daily coffee actually cost? Find out and compare.
About Home Brewing Costs
Home brewing is one of the simplest ways to enjoy great coffee while spending far less than you would at a cafe. The main variable is the price and quality of your beans. Specialty coffee tends to cost more per bag but still comes in well under cafe prices per cup. Buying larger bags (500g or 1kg) significantly lowers your cost per cup.
The dose per cup also matters. Espresso uses around 18g for a double shot, while a large pour over might use 15-20g depending on your preferred strength. Small changes in dose have a noticeable impact on how many cups you get per bag and therefore your cost per cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cup of home-brewed coffee cost?
A typical cup of home-brewed specialty coffee costs between $0.50 and $1.50, depending on the price of your beans and how much you use per cup. A $18 bag of 250g coffee with an 18g dose yields about 13 cups at roughly $1.30 each. Buying in bulk (1kg bags) or choosing mid-range beans can bring that below $0.50 per cup.
Is it cheaper to make coffee at home?
Almost always, yes. Even with premium specialty beans, home-brewed coffee costs a fraction of cafe prices. A $5 cafe latte costs 3-10x more than making a similar drink at home. The savings add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year, depending on how many cups you drink daily.
How much can I save by brewing at home?
A person who buys one $5 cafe coffee per day spends $1,825 per year. Brewing that same cup at home with specialty beans might cost $475 per year, saving roughly $1,350 annually. For two cups a day, the savings can exceed $2,700 per year.
Does the brewing method affect cost per cup?
The brewing method itself has minimal impact on the cost per cup since the main expense is the coffee beans. However, methods that use more coffee per cup (like French press at 1:15 ratio) cost slightly more per cup than methods using less (like a long pour over at 1:17). Espresso uses less coffee per shot but often requires pricier equipment.
Should I invest in an espresso machine to save money?
That depends on your perspective. A quality espresso machine ($300-$2,000+) takes months or years to pay for itself versus buying cafe espresso drinks. If you drink 2 lattes a day at $5 each, a $500 machine pays for itself in about 2 months. But if savings is your only goal, a simple pour over or French press costs under $30 and delivers excellent coffee immediately.
How much coffee does a 250g bag make?
A 250g bag makes roughly 12-16 cups depending on your dose. Using the specialty standard of 18g per cup, you get about 13-14 cups. With a lighter 15g dose, you get about 16 cups. A 1kg bag yields 55-65 cups at the same rates, making it significantly more cost-effective per cup.