Saving Money on Coffee: How I Beat the High Cost of Home Brew

Is coffee getting too expensive for your taste? These tips can help you enjoy your daily cup or two of home brew for less.

by Andrea Norris-McKnight

Although coffee prices have been slowly decreasing since their peak in March 2023, coffee in 2024 is 26.5% more expensive than in 2010.

Some days, I cringe at how much I’m paying for a cup of home-brewed coffee right now, but I hate the thought of giving it up even more. So, I use many tricks to make a deliciously cheap cup of coffee or two daily.

Here are the many ways I have discovered to reduce the cost of making coffee at home. Some of these tips came from Dollar Stretcher readers, so I’ll share their tips, too.

Tips for Saving Money Making Coffee at Home

If you’re a coffee snob, some of these tips might make you shake your head and groan. (See 4 Ways To Ruin a Great Cup of Coffee.) But they allow me to enjoy a cup of two of joe daily for pennies rather than dollars.

A Money-Saving Coffee Maker

I am the only coffee drinker in my household, so when my last 12-cup coffee maker died, I switched to a Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Coffee Maker. It’s almost 10 years old now and is still brewing strong.

This machine isn’t programmable and does nothing more than brew a plain old cup of coffee. But I like it because it accommodates grounds or K-cups, and the filter is reusable, so I don’t have the expense of paper filters. I brew one cup each morning. Some days, I have two (or three on rare hectic days), but I never have leftover coffee that goes to waste and every cup I drink is fresh.

BOGO Store Brand Coffee Savings

Even though I will drink almost any brand of coffee, I’ve found I get the most bang for my coffee bucks by buying my local grocer’s dark roast store brand when it’s BOGO. For anyone with a Publix in the area, it’s Publix Premium Espresso Blend. The package description states, “Sweet, smoky coffee with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, and molasses.” So, it isn’t just some plain, cheap coffee. The one downside to buying the store brand is that I can only get grounds, not beans.

I know many people don’t have a Publix in the area, but you probably have store-brand options that are sometimes on sale or even name brands that are occasionally on BOGO and can save you quite a bit.

Even though I don’t use K-cups daily, I pick some up when BOGO to keep on hand for when I have company over. With my one-cup coffee maker, K-cups make it easy to brew two or three single cups quickly.

A note about BOGO coffee deals: Unless your family goes through a lot of coffee very quickly, don’t buy more than one BOGO deal, especially if you buy grounds. Even in an unopened vacuum-sealed package, coffee grounds lose their freshness, thus the “Best by” date.

Prolonged Coffee Freshness

To prolong the freshness of my grounds, I leave them in the original packaging and store them inside an airtight black ceramic coffee canister I bought almost 25 years ago. I keep the canister in a cabinet far from the stove.

Brewing Up a Cheap Cup

If you like really strong coffee, this next tip may not work for you. My dad loves the strongest of coffee and hates how I make mine.

I buy dark roast coffee not because I like strong coffee but because it saves me money. I use fewer grounds with a dark roast than a light roast to get my desired taste.

Rather than using one tablespoon of coffee per six ounces of water per the package instructions, I use two teaspoons (two-thirds of a tablespoon). Or, I sometimes use a tablespoon of coffee with 8–10 ounces of water if I want a larger cup of coffee. Finding the best coffee-to-water ratios with the stronger roast took a bit of experimentation. Careful measurements also mean I don’t use extra costly coffee creamer to dilute a too-strong cup.

I use filtered water rather than tap water and find it makes a pleasant difference. Filtered water also seems to help reduce mineral buildup in my coffee maker.

After I make my first cup of the day, I leave the grounds in the reusable filter. If I brew a second cup, I add one teaspoon of grounds to the used grounds, using half the fresh grounds to make the second cup as the first. After adding creamer, I find this second cup tastes just as strong.

Cheaper Coffee Creamer

Because I keep a price book, I know which coffee creamers my local stores have on BOGO rotation, and I have found a favorite flavor of each brand. This way, I never, ever pay full price for creamer.

Simple Specialty Coffee

My little basic coffee machine can’t brew up specialty coffees like espressos or cappuccinos, so my husband bought me a set of “semi-automatic” whisks that I pull out when I’m feeling fancy and have extra time. I use them to froth some milk and make my version of a cappuccino. You can also pick up an electric frother rather inexpensively, but I prefer my whisks, which I can use for other cooking tasks.

A Mean, Clean Coffee Machine

I dirty coffee maker can make coffee taste bitter. I run the removable pieces of my coffee maker through the dishwasher regularly (not all coffee makers may have dishwasher-safe components.) Also, every other week, I run diluted vinegar through the machine a few times and then follow that with a few runs of plain water. This helps prevent the mineral buildup that can clog my coffee maker.

A Few Additional Tips

I don’t personally use the following tips, but they may help you save:

Frugal Flavorings

• Find recipes online for making your own flavored syrups and creamers using simple ingredients like sugar and flavor extracts to save on expensive store-bought versions.
• Instead of buying creamer from the dairy case, use condensed milk or non-dairy creamers, which are often more cost-effective and have a longer shelf life.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder to your coffee grounds for extra flavor without buying expensive flavored coffee.

Whole Bean Savings

Buying coffee beans rather than grounds may also help you save. Whole beans stay fresher longer and can be cheaper in bulk. You can also try mixing cheaper beans with more expensive ones to extend the life of your premium coffee and reduce overall costs.

Don’t Let Good Coffee Go To Waste

How often do you throw out a partial pot of coffee because you brewed too much? Instead of throwing away that leftover coffee in the pot, try some of these 10 Things You Can Do With Leftover Coffee That Saves You Money.

Put the used grounds to use as well with these 9 Money-Saving Uses for Coffee Grounds.

How Other Dollar Stretchers Save Money on Coffee at Home

See if any of our readers’ tips can help you keep coffee costs in check.

A “Hot” Way To Save on Coffee

One day, by mistake, I turned on my coffee maker before I put the grounds into the basket. When I realized my mistake, I ran the hot water through a second time. The resulting coffee was super strong! So, I tried an experiment. When I made coffee next, I only used 75% of the usual amount of coffee and put hot water into the coffeemaker. It turned out perfect! I do that all the time and have cut the amount of coffee I use by 25%.
Karl

Thrifty Flavored Coffees

I used to work at a coffee shop and had become very used to great flavored coffees for free or almost free. But now that I stay home with our baby, we can’t afford them very often. I have figured out I can easily make my husband’s favorite (Vanilla Cappuccino) using vanilla extract. I use one shot of espresso, one cup of milk (heated), two tablespoons of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. For “vanilla” coffee, I use the opposite proportions of the coffee and creamer (1 cup of coffee and 1 oz. creamer). There are also many other extracts in the baking aisle to try.

I suggest purchasing an inexpensive medicine dropper and starting with five drops in a glass for any of the other extracts. The amount you use will depend on your tastes and the extract oil’s strength. Do not assume they are all the same strength. Some have a little more aroma and flavoring ability than others. I ended up pouring a few overdone cups down the sink.
Mandy D.

“Free” Coffee

To save money on coffee, we buy a stronger coffee than we like and use fewer scoops per pot. We drink one pot per day, and instead of using 12 scoops of a medium-strength coffee, we buy the darker, stronger coffee and use eight or nine scoops. This gives us four to five “free” pots of coffee per container.
MJ

Cool Coffee

Whenever there is leftover coffee in the summer, I try to freeze it in an ice cube tray. When I make iced coffee (usually from leftover coffee), I have coffee ice cubes that won’t water down my coffee and help it taste that much better. I stole that trick from an expensive espresso shop.
Erin B.

All-Day Coffee From One Pot

Sometimes, we don’t drink more than one cup of coffee in the morning. To keep it from sitting and growing stronger during the day, I take a clean Thermos, pour the leftover coffee in, and put the lid back on. I can have a fresh cup of coffee in the afternoon without starting another pot. We have had hot coffee even in the late evenings. This, of course, depends on how good your Thermos is.
Wanda M.

Easy Flavored Coffee Drinks

Make better use of extra flavor extracts in your pantry and fancy up your instant coffee or instant hot cocoa drink.

1. Add a 1/2 capful of coconut flavor extract to your favorite instant hot chocolate drink. It tastes just like those chocolate-covered coconut treats!
2. Add vanilla, mint or rum extracts to your prepared instant coffee and create a new drink sensation on the cheap!

As an extra tip, add a hint of vanilla extract when preparing non-fat powdered milk for drinking. This adds a pleasant freshness to the taste.
Janet P.

A Simply Sweet Coffee Tip

If you love good coffee, use any type of coffee (ground or even instant) and add a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk. There is even a low-fat version. This will make any cup of coffee delicious. And a can of sweetened condensed milk makes many cups.

I gave up expensive espresso drinks and even drip brews for this method because of the great taste, and the cost savings is just icing.
Christine

A Special Occasion Gourmet Coffee Treat

To make cinnamon-flavored coffee for a special occasion, sprinkle one teaspoon of cinnamon over the grounds before brewing. Guests will smell the aroma of gourmet “Viennese Cinnamon” while it brews, and the coffee tastes very similar to the higher-priced brands offering flavored beans.
Cathy

Cheap Homemade Specialty Coffees

I love mochas and used chocolate-flavored creamer for my coffee for a long time. Now, I use generic hot chocolate mix instead of creamer and sugar—it’s much cheaper.

Also, for latte lovers, my “poor man’s latte” is created by using frozen (low-fat, if you like) generic Cool Whip in my coffee instead of creamer or milk. Once again, it is cheaper than creamer.
B.

A Small Investment To Cut Coffee Costs

I love cappuccino and latte and saving money!

I got an air whipper (a wand weighing about four ounces, specifically for coffee). I put 1/3 cup of non-fat milk in a cup and whip it for a few seconds. Then I add my coffee and sprinkle cinnamon on top. It has much more froth than any coffee shop or restaurant latte and stays whipped for over 20 minutes.

It’s much better (and cheaper) than coffeehouse coffee!
Marcy

Permanent Coffee Filters, Permanent Savings

I use a permanent coffee filter, empty it in the trash, and then wash it with the rest of the dishes. The permanent filters last several years.

This has been a genuine saving for us!
Karen

Cleaning Your Coffee Grinder

I’m a coffee snob—I admit it. So, I grind my own beans daily and clean my grinder once a week.

To get the coffee grinder really clean without soap (which would leave a nasty taste), I use uncooked white rice. I put enough in to cover the blades and then run the grinder. The rice scrapes off any bean residue from the blades. Then, I wash everything in warm water. The rice doesn’t leave any flavor behind. The next morning, I get only the coffee flavor I’m expecting.

Ah, heaven!
Rich

A Cheaper K-Cup Alternative

You can buy reusable K-cups and load them with your own coffee. There are various types, from plastic to metal, and costs. Be careful to buy the type for your machine. There are a couple of different models.
Joanna

Product Recommendations Overview

Here’s a quick list of the products mentioned in this article:

• Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Coffee Maker
• Stainless Steel Manual Egg Whisks
• Bean Envy Handheld Electric Milk Frother
• Reusable Coffee Filters
• Reusable K-Cups

• Simple Beverage Savings That Can Reduce the Grocery Budget
• It’s Not the $5 Cup of Coffee Keeping You From Financial Independence

Reviewed June 2024

About the Author

Andrea Norris-McKnight took over as the editor of The Dollar Stretcher and After 50 Finances after working under the site founder and previous editor for almost 15 years. She has also written for Money.com, GOBankingRates.com, HavenLife.com and The Sacramento Bee.