Making Coffee at Home Does Save Money

Even with all of the variables involved in estimating the price per cup of home brewed coffee, it’s pretty much a sure thing that whatever brand of coffee you buy, even high-end, brewing your own at home is cheaper than the coffee shop or fast food place. Whitson Gordon has done some of the math for us and found quite a savings. Gordon’s research determined that a typical coffee chain coffee in a 16 oz. size averages between two and five dollars.

An average value for high-end coffee purchased off the shelf is about 39 cents per ounce. That ounce is about what you need for that 16 oz. cup. By factoring the costs of water, electricity, a coffee pot and cup (prorated over time), his source came out with a grand total of 44 cents per cup. So the conclusion of the matter is that you stand to save from $1.50 up to $4.50 per cup. There is a lot of leeway there, all depending on where that grande is purchased. Of course, this is in regard to black coffee only.

Factor in some milk for cappuccino, and maybe the price of the home brewed cup jumps to a dollar. You’ve still saved more than a dollar a cup, a savings that adds up quickly over time, even if you’re only buying one cup a day at a coffee shop. If you save a dollar a day, it won’t be long before you can purchase an upgraded coffee maker, even an espresso machine. But that’s not the whole story. Compare the quality of home verses shop while you’re at it. Where else but at home can you have the variety of coffees?

And as Gordon pointed out, the time involved in brewing doesn’t have to be but a few minutes a day. Do the math for yourself. Determine the cost per ounce of your own coffee and figure out how much you’re using per cup of brewed coffee, the way YOU like it. You know how much that 16-ouncer is where you stop for your daily cup. How much can YOU save?