this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
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Coffee

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My wife and I go through about 4lbs a month using mainly Chemex and Areopress. Used to get (decent) crummy coffee at Aldi and Grocery Outlet, occasionally splurging for local roasts at the coffee shops. Still, I calculate that's about $35 or so a month on beans, Chemex filters should probably be calculated with how pricey they can be - napkin maths say $11 roughly for a months supply.

$46USD ain't bad compared to my other vices πŸ˜ͺ

Curious to hear if I'm around the average spender or how it tracks! Maybe you have some tips on cheap but amazing coffee? I wouldn't know unless I asked y'all

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I have an espresso machine, so I just buy a bag of beans that I grind myself for about $15 Canadian. A bag lasts me at least a month, usually more. The only other expense is I do use more milk than usual since I make lattes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (5 children)

One 12oz bag? Wow, that's efficient. Maybe that'll help me justify forking over the initial cost for a decent espresso machine.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

To be fair, it's only me drinking it and I typically make it only during work days. But yeah it's pretty nice to have. I've been getting syrups to flavour the lattes which makes it even better.

Edit: The bags I get are about 1kg which is about 32oz.

[–] manualoverride 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Just had this conversation with my partner who wanted to get a Nespresso (no idea why). I also have an espresso machine and have 2 large coffees a day, a 1kg bag of beans is Β£10 ( $13) and lasts over a month. Espresso machine and a grinder is the most eco and pocket friendly way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

That's solid. I figured I'd need a new setup to make the most of it - doubt my cuisinart burr grinder would be able to pull a really mean americano let alone a late. I'll keep that in mind for the next few huge Chemex filters I toss. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Beko make a bean to cup espresso machine for about €250, it's a tank

Needs cleaning every month but makes amazing coffee with good beans

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I buy green unroasted coffee for cheap and then roast it myself, 5lb bag is like 8 bucks Canadian

[–] manualoverride 5 points 2 months ago

Do you just roast it in your home oven? Does it make your house smell like a Starbucks knock box?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

I do the same thing. Green coffee has a longer shelf life than roasted coffee does.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Recently moved to a more coffee-oriented area so I should be able to find green beans way easier now. Thanks for the reminder!!!

[–] Waldowal 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

I buy 20 lb bags of green for 80-120 once a year or so, roast a batch once a week or so in a modified popcorn maker, and make espresso, pour over, or french press depending on how it turns out.

I probably don't save any money when you calculate power, and even if I did, it would take a decade to pay for the grinder/espresso machine.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

I spend about $30/mo on whole beans from a local roaster. Cheap Hario hand grinder, French press. KISS

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

$32 USD a month for 2 lbs (0.9 kg) from a local roaster. Not the most economical, but they do a decent job of roasting.

I do pour over iced coffee (aka Japanese Iced Coffee) using a Hario V60. 35g coffee and 300g water brewed over ice (dilutes the rest of the way and chills the coffee) and I'm good to go.

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[–] RegalPotoo 4 points 2 months ago

~2kg/month, currently spending ~$60NZD/kg - anywhere between 1 and 4 espressos a day for me depending on if I'm going into the office or not, and my wife drinks a jug of cold brew every ~week

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

About 75 €/month at most, but that would require drinking only specialty coffee. Normally I also have a bag of cheap supermarket coffee, which I use for experiments and training. Really good specially coffee costs about 80…100 €/kg, while good light roasted fresh supermarket coffee costs about 14 €/kg, so that can easily bring that monthly expense down.

Since I drink a little bit of both, I think the overall cost is somewhere around 30…40 €/month.

AP filers are really cheap, so they contribute only cents to the monthly sum. Can you really taste the difference between two filter types? If so, can Chemex really justify the higher cost?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Chemex is preferred when I'm sharing a pot with my wife/company since we can make 3 cups at once. I know you can make AeroPress for two cups at a time but it seems like it's better when pulling singles. It's nice having the coffee warm for everyone to enjoy at once but I'm now thinking a V60 might be a cheaper alternative for that situation.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I drink tea, like the standard orange pekoe stuff. 1 to two bags a day... About $8 for a box of 72... So I dunno less than $5/mo anyway

EDIT pardon me I just saw that this was a coffee community. No hard feelings meant! I still enjoy a social coffee every now and again! May the coarse bean with you or whatever it is coffee drinkers say eachother πŸ˜…

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Any good coffee drinker can appreciate tea the same. It's all delicious plant water one way or another 🀩

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

$24 AUD ($16.30 USD) for 500 grams of coffee a month. I drink a cup a day and it's enough for me and my partner to get through. I use a stovetop moka pot and get beans from the local markets here in melbourne :-)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

My wife and I split a pot a day, brewed on a Moccamaster. We buy bulk from a local grocery store a lb at a time and go thru about 3 lbs a month. At $12/lb, we’re at around $40 a month.

During the winter months I go to a coffee shop down by the Seattle waterfront. I do it because they’re starving in the winter and I want them to stay open. Couple times a week, $5 with tip for a drip.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (4 children)

$5USD for a coffee, is that normal? Is that inclusive of a tip? Here in Australia Id leave the register if they tried charging me more than $3USD, and we don't have a tipping culture (thank god).

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[–] faltryka 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I just use whatever the machine at work has. So $0 lol

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

My wife likes instant coffee. I use a french press and pre-ground coffee. I go through probably about a kilo a month so something like 800 to 1000 JPY

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[–] fritobugger2017 3 points 2 months ago

If I am not traveling, just drinking at home or my office then under $25 for single origin Typica or Yellow Bourbon light roast beans.

If I am traveling then I might splash out $100 for four bags of beans.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

For me about 10€. At work I have free "coffee" and at home I alternate coffee and tea. For the coffee I've found a nice 500g bag of whole brand for 8€ that is my go to.

"Antique" 2€ grinder bought well over a decade ago and french pressing. No expensive equipment.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Like $10 on a thing of instant every couple months.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Random guy here, stumbled onto this thread.

I can only drink decaf, doctors orders. My wife doesn't drink more than a cup a day usually, caffeinated.

We have a breville espresso machine, got it during COVID because we were home so much.

We made coffee every day, sometimes several times a day. But now that we're more or less back to normal, we're not home often enough to use it regularly. Perhaps once a week.

We still love fancy coffee, just not enough to get up a bit earlier to make it, and take it with us, and then clean the thermos later. Bah.

So we go through a pound or so every few months. It's actually a bit annoying because the coffee gets less fresh as the weeks go on.

As for what coffee we buy? We buy local, there's a roaster near our house, which always smells amazing when you drive by. Their coffee is fine, quite tasty even, it just all kind of tastes similar, if that makes sense. Even if I go for some fancy flavors, which I'm guilty of doing (in a separate special grinder), they all taste very similar in base flavor. Maybe people like that πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ it's fine.

Our favorite coffee is schuil in Grand rapids Michigan, super tasty, and their flavors are phenomenal (if you like that kind of thing).

Edit: beans are about $9-11/lb here in Michigan.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Between $75-$120 a month, for two of us.

We pay an average of $22 for a 12 oz bag of the good stuff from local roasters (Temple or Chocolate Fish) and go through just over a bag a week. Work days we have 2 cups each, weekends we go all out and have 3. We buy whole beans, grind them at home, and exclusively use the Chemex. Sometimes when we pick up a bag at the shop we treat ourselves to a latte (stupidly expensive) and that bumps up the average.

[–] Crackhappy 3 points 2 months ago

It's about $30 a month for two of us who both drink 2-3 cups a day.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

$12. A single pack of grounds lasts me right around a month.

[–] atrielienz 3 points 2 months ago

$40-$60 for two of us but we don't drink the same coffee so usually it's just a bag for him and a bag for me.

[–] manualoverride 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

Do you have a Costco near you? I usually get Lavazza beans when it’s on offer for Β£10/$13 per kg (~2lbs) but Amazon sometimes have it cheaper delivered. One word of warning though, the Kirkland coffee beans are terrible, no idea how they make It so bitter.

Also have you tried a re-usable metal filter for your AeroPress?

[–] PlasticExistence 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The Kirkland beans really are bad, which is surprising. I like the Don Pablo beans they carry a lot though.

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[–] OhmsLawn 3 points 2 months ago

Good price. I spend over $20 for Lavazza organic on Amazon.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

1.25 kg of Lavazza beans (at USD ~21, converted) for a single person per month, brewed ~20g (in V60) for 1-3 times per day

[–] tankplanker 2 points 2 months ago

Most days it's two 18g of espresso, one 25g made into a pour over. I go through about 2kg a month (about 4.5lbs) with dialling in and some shots for other people.

I spend anywhere from Β£60 per kilo down to about Β£30, depending on where and from whom I am buying. My local roasters (Outpost.coffee) tend to be more expensive than some of the other big names in the UK.

Depending on what's available, I either get a single bag for espresso and a bag for pour over or a bunch of different bags, anything up to 8 typically.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

About $30/month USD when we can afford to order from Stone Street. We get by on much less from Aldi during leaner times, which still isn't that bad.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Aldi's whole bean bags are pretty damn good for what it's worth. Those organic yellow bags, I think Panamanian or Peruvian ones were the bomb.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We like the Peruvian. I was iffy about the Sumatran because it was already ground, but my partner loves dark roasts, and I must admit, it's really good. One caveat, the instructions on the bag say two rounded tablespoons per 6 oz. cup, and that's far too much. We like our coffee strong and find that one tablespoon for every two 6 oz cups is plenty.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

My man coming in with Aldi love and straight facts β™₯

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Not much, the only thing relatively expensive was the expresso machine. Coffee beans we have is mostly Lavazza's Crema e Gusto (the blue/red bags). On sale it is about 11 to 14€ per kilo. We spend a little extra on good coffee creamer (Friese vlag Goudband). I don't drink much coffee but I can't have a sip without making noise...my wife goes "everything alright?", or "shut the @#€# up?".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I work in a cafΓ©, so I really only pay for my coffee on my days off.

I average maybe half a pound of beans per month for home brewing, so let's say $20 for a nice bag from a local roaster (in Canada-bucks). Ten or so dollars in V60 filters is enough to last me most of a year, so add a dollar a month. I also like checking out cafΓ©s, so add $15/$20 in random cafΓ© visits, and I'd typically spend anywhere from $20 to $40ish per month.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

10 - 15 euros probably

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

My wife works at Starbucks and we have an espresso machine, so not a lot.

[–] BugleFingers 2 points 2 months ago

Between $0-$30 a month probably. I rarely buy coffee, but on occassion at work I will, usually if it's long working hours. I don't often make it at home either both because I usually lack cream and/or because I forget.

I'll more commonly have coffee if I'm with friends, that's where the cost increases the most.

[–] vizzi 2 points 2 months ago

I have an auto reorder every 3 weeks for a 2lb bag of ground coffee that we like from Amazon.

I then use a reusable bag and a gallon pitcher and steep the coffee for about a day.

So, maybe $30-$35 a month?

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