Coffee on a budget? With these 11 ways to save money on coffee at home you will always have a great coffee and a little extra money in the bank account.
As someone who loves coffee and drinks quite a bit a day, I’ve found a few ways to save some money on coffee at home and still get the same quality as a coffee shop.
Whilst I love visiting my favourite coffee shops these purchases can add up if you’re visiting often. I like to save my flat whites as a special treat so I am still supporting local businesses but also not overspending.
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1. Buy Coffee In Bulk
If you’re anything like our household then you probably go through a lot of coffee. One of the ways that I save money is by buying coffee in bulk.
Before buying coffee in bulk calculate how much you use over the month. Ideally, you want to use the coffee within 1-3 months of purchasing to get the best quality out of your coffee. If you are only going to get through a large bag every 6 months then your coffee quality will degrade over time.
Next you want to see where you are buying the coffee from will actually save you money. I find with my UK coffee suppliers that it is around 20% cheaper buying 1kg over 230g to 250g.
In the US it is common to get 16oz (454g), however, there is a trend to now sell 12oz bags with a few companies selling 10, 8, and even 4oz at a time. I suggest looking at the weight vs price before purchasing to get the best value.
Whenever I am trying out new coffee for the first time I buy smaller bags just in case I don’t like them. That way I’m not losing money on coffee that I don’t enjoy drinking. After all it is a luxury item that should be enjoyed.
Tip: If you are buying pre-ground then make sure you get the grind size that is specific to the coffee device that you are using. Additionally, buy in smaller quantities and store it in an airtight container to ensure the coffee stays fresher for longer. This will take your coffee to the next level.
2. Grind Your Own Coffee Beans
Pre Ground coffee has a shorter life span as the surface area of the beans are exposed to light, moisture and air. Over time the taste of your coffee will be altered and not for the better! Oils carry the coffee flavour so when these disappear you will lose the taste.
This is why grinding your own beans is superior and will really improve your cup of coffee.
Make sure that you have a good storage container for your coffee beans so that they do stay fresh.
When you are grinding your own coffee make sure that you are using the correct grind setting. Burr grinders will offer you a range of settings to adjust for the grind size you need for the coffee maker. I bought the Wilfa Svart Grinder and it’s been the best addition to the way I brew coffee.
For blade grinders, it will be a little trial and error on how many seconds you need to get the right size. This will ensure that your coffee will extract correctly for the device that you’re using.
I have seen some money-saving coffee articles saying that you should regrind your store-bought coffee or grind it finer, this doesn’t equate to better coffee! You need the right grind size for the device you’re brewing your coffee with.
3. Type Of Coffee Machine You Use
The types of coffee machines that you use will affect the cost of your coffee. A French Press is slightly cheaper than a Chemex or Hario v60 as you don’t need filters. However, no matter the overall cost you should brew the types of coffee you like.
I’ve done a quick analysis to show you the difference between a few devices and the cost over a year of use with and without equipment.
French Press | V60 | Chemex | Nespresso | |
Coffee Maker | $0.08 | $0.12 | $0.19 | $0.54 |
Coffee | $0.75 | $0.75 | $0.75 | $0.58 |
Milk | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.05 |
Grinder | $0.37 | $0.37 | $0.37 | $0.00 |
Filter | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.07 | $0.00 |
Hario V60 Drip Scale | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.19 | $0.00 |
1 Cup (with Equipment) | $1.44 | $1.56 | $1.62 | $1.17 |
1 Cup (without Equipment) | $0.80 | $0.88 | $0.87 | $0.63 |
Year Cost (with Equipment) | $524.77 | $569.88 | $592.97 | $426.13 |
Year Cost (without Equipment) | $291.86 | $322.78 | $317.63 | $229.86 |
French Press | V60 | Chemex | Nespresso | |
Coffee Maker | £0.05 | £0.08 | £0.14 | £0.38 |
Coffee | £0.53 | £0.53 | £0.53 | £0.41 |
Milk | £0.04 | £0.04 | £0.04 | £0.04 |
Grinder | £0.26 | £0.26 | £0.26 | £0.00 |
Filter | £0.00 | £0.06 | £0.05 | £0.00 |
Hario V60 Drip Scale | £0.14 | £0.14 | £0.14 | £0.00 |
1 Cup (with Equipment) | £1.02 | £1.11 | £1.15 | £0.83 |
1 Cup (without Equipment) | £0.57 | £0.63 | £0.62 | £0.45 |
Year Cost (with Equipment) | £371.65 | £403.60 | £419.95 | £301.79 |
Year Cost (without Equipment) | £206.70 | £228.60 | £224.95 | £162.79 |
These are estimates based on the equipment I own and coffee I buy.
The costs above are based on items I personally use. You can adjust the costs of the equipment based on what you own or plan on buying.
4. Buy Reusable Filter
Reusable filters are great for saving money on buying filters for your device depending on your coffee maker. Currently, I have the Ovalware metal mesh filter which fits perfectly in my eight-cup Chemex and Hario v60. If you had one cup of coffee a day then roughly the reusable coffee filter will cost you 8 cents (5p) per serving.
There are plenty of filters on the market! Just look up your coffee maker and you’re sure to find some. Here are some examples:
Able Kone Coffee Filter for Chemex – similar to the Ovalware it’s a mesh filter made for Chemex and it fits in the Hario V60. When using a filter like this I would grind the beans finer almost to an Aeropress grind as you will get a weak cup of coffee with a medium-coarse grind.
Cafe Concetto Filters for use in AeroPress – I have one of these for my Aeropress so I don’t have to carry filters around with me travelling. It comes in two mesh sizes, fine and superfine or you can buy a pack.
Hemp Cone Coffee Filters are great for making smooth and natural tasting coffee. The hemp cloth gains the flavour of the coffee which gives its own profile the more you use it. Paper tends to leave that paper taste behind.
They also have other benefits like cutting down your waste and it super easy to add the used beans to your garden!
5. Look For Discounts Or Loyalty Programs
Lots of coffee suppliers will offer discounts when you are ordering for the first time, free shipping or whatever other reason they come up with. I always have a list of local suppliers I want to try as this gives me something new to look forward to but also get a little money off! I find these offers are normally between 5% to 15%.
Also look out for loyalty programs as these can save you money over time.
6. Leftover Coffee Turned Into Ice Coffee Cubes
Your leftover hot coffee can quickly be turned into coffee ice cubes. This is perfect when it’s summertime and you can have iced lattes cold brew or any other fantastic cold coffee.
It’s super simple to do! All you need is an ice tray, once cooled add your leftover coffee into the ice tray and put it in the freezer. In a couple of hours, you will have lovely iced coffee cubes.
7. Reuse Your Coffee Grounds
There are ways that you can reuse your coffee grounds to make sure that they’re not going to waste. Try making a coffee scrub or soap with the coffee grounds.
As a coffee scrub user I really love this option for using up coffee, plus it saves you money on buying premade beauty products. There are so many recipes on the internet so it’s just about finding what works with your skin type.
The general ingredients of a scrub are:
- Used Coffee Grounds
- Oil – something like olive oil and coconut oil
- Sugar
Simply mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl until everything is well combined.
Apply to your skin and then use a circular motion to get the effect of the scrub. Leave the scrub on for 5 to 15 minutes before washing off.
8. Make Your Own Syrups
Whilst the premade syrups are convenient, they don’t save you money! You can also mix up the flavours with a sugar syrup to spice up those coffees.
A simple sugar syrup can cost around $1.77 USD (£0.60) per 375 g of syrup then it’s just adding the additional spices or ingredients that you want within your syrup flavour.
You can also use simple syrup and flavor variations in other ways, here is 14 Ways to Use Flavored Syrups.
Steps to Make Simple Syrup
- In a saucepan add 1 cup of sugar (I normally use demerara sugar) with 1 cup of water. Stir on a low to medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- If you wish to add some spices add these in now. When winter comes around I love making pumpkin spice lattes and gingerbread lattes so you can check out these recipes for more spice ideas.
- Cool for about 20 minutes, then add it in an airtight bottle or jar. This will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
9. Create Your Own Creamer
Making your own coffee creamer is not only easy but adds some extra money in your wallet. Just like the syrups, you can adjust the flavours to mix your coffee tastes or keep it simple.
Steps to Make Creamer
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 4 Tbsp of a sweetener like maple syrup
- Then you can add different flavours like 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or some cinnamon
In a saucepan on low heat add all ingredients until combined. Set aside until cooled then pour into a jar, label and add to the fridge.
10. Drink Coffee Black
To get the best coffee flavours then you should drink your coffee black. Drinking black coffee also is a money-saving tip as you’re no longer purchasing additional milk.
Black coffee isn’t to everyone’s taste! I find that I need to have a good quality coffee to drink it black. Anything that has harsh flavours I immediately add milk to soften it.
11. Learn to Make Better Coffee
Creating coffee shop coffee at home is easy when you learn to make better coffee! My boyfriend used to cringe when I used to make coffee years ago but then I decided I was going to learn to make a better brew. Since then both our brewing techniques have improved and we can make coffee shop quality at home.
The easiest way to start improving your coffee is using the right grind size for your coffee, understanding the temperature of your water, weighing both the coffee and water and timing the brew.
Let’s take the French Press as an example as most of us have one of these floating around in our houses.
I would suggest starting off with a 1:15 ratio which is 36oz (1L) 10 Tbsp (66g) for 8 cup French Press. Once you get used to the strength of the coffee you like you can adjust the strength.
Steps to Make French Press
- Heat your water to the perfect temperature – between 195°F (90°C) and 205°F (96°C) degrees.
- Use some of the water to preheat your french press to keep your coffee even warmer.
- Measure out your coffee beans and grind to coarse to medium coarse grind. Otherwise, measure out your preground coffee.
- Add your coffee grinds to your french press and then your warm water and give it a stir.
- Let your coffee steep for 3-4 minutes. Aim for 3:30 minutes and adjust accordingly once you’re familiar with how it tastes.
- Deal with the crust that forms at the top of your coffee after steeping – either stir it back in or take it out and discard it.
- Press the plunger all the way down to the bottom of the press to filter out the coffee ground and pour yourself a nice cup of joe!
Steps to Make French Press Cold Brew
You can also make cold brew with a French Press!
Simply adjust the ratio to 1:8, here is a quick guide: 3oz (80g) coarsely ground coffee and 36oz (1L) of water.
- Measure out your coffee beans and grind your coffee beans coarsely. Or measure out your pre ground coffee.
- Add room temperature water and leave for 12-24 hours.
- Once ready, plunge the filter and add it into a jug.
- In a glass add ice with 1 part water and 1 part cold brew.