I am not a barista, but I’m willing to become one to combat the rising cost of buying coffee out! Let’s take a look at whether or not grinding your coffee will save you money.
I began making my coffee at home because I didn’t want to spend $4 on an iced latte every day. I like the taste of coffee, and I couldn’t justify an expensive blend of milk and espresso when I was already buying everything for my kitchen!
But I realized the coffee at home was bitter. And grabbing a cup on the go was so convenient!
So what was it about coffee shop coffee that had it taste better? Why was it more appealing?
Here’s what I found.
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The Science Behind Better Coffee
When you put coffee grounds into a coffee maker, water runs over the coffee. As it flows around the grounds, water extracts the flavor from the grounds.
If you’re making coffee at home and you don’t properly grind whole beans to a fine consistency, the broken beans won’t give up their flavor as quickly.
This is also referred to as surface area. Because finely ground coffee has less surface area for the water to run through, water can extract flavor quicker than from a coarser ground coffee bean.
Pour time also has a bit to do with this.
Espresso is quick but tends to be more acidic. French press coffee tends to take longer because the water steeps. However, french press coffee can produce a richer flavor, even with coarsely ground coffee beans.
Finally, the amount of time your coffee beans have been roasted determines the final taste of your coffee.
You may have seen “espresso beans” at the grocery store. That doesn’t mean they’re different than any of the other coffee beans on the shelf. It most likely means they’re roasted longer than other coffee beans.
You may also see things like “floral, fruity notes,” or “rich and acidic,” on your coffee beans. This can depend on where the coffee beans were grown. It may also be determined by other ingredients the coffee beans may have been roasted with.
Again, the final taste of coffee beans can largely depend on how long the coffee beans are roasted.
How to Recreate Coffee Shop Products at Home
You don’t need an espresso machine the size of a large dog or harvest coffee beans directly from South America by hand to produce a great cup of coffee.
Which is good news! Especially if you’re new to the world of coffee.
If you’re just starting, you truly only need your favorite type of coffee, a coffee grinder, and a brewing method.
Types of Coffee
We’ve already talked about how coffee beans are roasted and where they come from. Now let’s talk about whole coffee beans vs. pre-ground coffee beans.
Buying whole coffee beans can be expensive. And in price comparison, you get more pre-ground coffee for the cost than you do whole coffee beans.
However, you are paying for quality.
Ground coffee beans tend to retain flavor for about a week. So for the best flavor, coffee should be freshly ground and used within one or two weeks.
If your ground coffee beans have been vacuum-sealed, they can retain their flavor for a few months. However, as the ground coffee oxidizes, it will lose its flavor.
In my experience, buying coffee beans in bulk from a bulk foods store or Sam’s Club has been the best price per ounce that I can find.
That’s how my husband and I have been drinking our coffee for well over a year now. We buy organic, whole coffee beans in a 40-ounce package for $17.68. We get at least 4 cups of coffee a day out of these beans.
The entire bag lasts us a month.
Price per ounce is as of March 2024. Prices may differ based on your location, products available to you, and time.
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Types of coffee grinders
This is where your investment truly comes into making coffee at home. The equipment!
There are a few different ways to grind your coffee.
A blade grinder acts like a blender. A burr grinder funnels coffee beans between a moving stone and a non-moving surface. Blade grinders can produce inconsistent grounds. Burr grinders are notorious for producing consistent grounds.
Remember how we talked about surface area and different grind sizes? This may influence your purchase decisions!
Finally, you can opt for a manual grinder. You may see manual burr grinders. Manual grinders can be lighter and are known to produce a consistent size coffee ground.
If you’re looking for lower prices on small kitchen appliances, check out a spice grinder!
If you’re looking for quality, this is not the way to go. But not knowing the difference, I picked up a spice grinder instead of a coffee grinder in college. And what do you know? It’s still grinding my coffee to this day!
Remember – a spice grinder is similar to a blade grinder, which means it produces an inconsistent grind.
Selecting a Brewing Method
The brewing process is going to differ from person to person.
Just like we talked about at the beginning of this blog post, an espresso machine will be ideal for someone who prefers their coffee to be more acidic. But someone who prefers a lighter roasted coffee bean may prefer a French press or a coffee percolator.
Let your personal preferences dictate what machines you invest in! Especially if you plan on converting to making your coffee at home for a long period.
If you don’t want to peruse the coffee aisle at your grocery store, soak up the last few times you’ll be swinging through the drive-through of your beloved coffee shop.
Try new things! Try an espresso. Try a cold brew coffee. Try some syrups. All of this can be recreated at home!
The best cup of coffee is the one that you enjoy.
Making the Final Decisions
I think we can sometimes mistake good quality with high quality. What do I mean by that?
I made a good cup of coffee at home with a spice grinder that’s almost 10 years old, glass mason jars as makeshift French presses, and organic coffee beans from my local grocery store.
I don’t have to import anything. I don’t labor over what coffee syrup recipe I want to try next. I just want a simple cup of coffee.
As you refine your coffee tastes, don’t equate good quality with high quality.
If you’re just stepping into the world of coffee, invest in cheaper models and see if they give you the results you’re looking for. Try a manual grinder with whole coffee beans and see how they taste.
If you find that you like what’s traditionally served at your local coffee shop, begin with an espresso machine and a dark roast, pre-ground coffee. Again – the espresso machine can be your cheapest option. Learn the machine and get a better understanding of what you’re looking for in a cup of coffee.
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Will Grinding Your Own Coffee Save You Money?
The initial investment in making your coffee at home may cost you some money.
Coffee bean grinders can range anywhere from $20 to $70. A home espresso machine can cost $400 – on the low end!
Let’s look at the other various factors at play here before you make your final decision.
Let’s say you get a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop three times a week.
As of November 2023, the national average cost for a cup of coffee from a coffee shop was $6! Your expected weekly expenses for coffee alone are $18.
If you do this every week for one year (52 weeks), you will spend $936 on coffee in one year.
That countertop espresso machine is looking pretty cheap right now, huh?
We prefer light roast coffee that doesn’t have to be consistently ground. So we choose the organic, light roast coffee beans from our grocery store, a French press, and a spice grinder.
A large, stainless steel French press on Amazon is about $40. Coffee beans for one month are $17. A lower-end, blade coffee grinder from Amazon is about $20.
If I buy everything I need for one month’s worth of coffee making, I’ll spend $77.
If I spend $18 per week on three cups of coffee from a local coffee shop, I’ll spend $72 in one month.
Grinding your coffee at home is a no-brainer!
You may be saying, “Okay, but that’s for lower-end appliances.” Yes, you’re right.
But the next month, I won’t have to buy a blade coffee grinder and a French press. I’ll already have them so long as I take care of them! So with my $60 cost savings, because I’m only having to buy $17 coffee beans for the month, I can put that money toward an espresso machine.
If that’s what you’re working toward, you can have a low-end, $400 espresso machine on your kitchen counter in 7 months (a $400 espresso machine divided by $60 monthly savings is 6.6 months. Or 7 months).
Homemade vs. Coffee Shop Price Differences
We have found what that fresh cup of coffee can cost us financially.
And now we know we don’t have to invest in higher quality machines to get freshly ground coffee. You’re also free to let your personal taste guide you.
What does a cup of coffee cost in your area? Comment on this blog post and let me know!
How much money do you spend on coffee?
You know I’m going to tell you to make your coffee at home. That’s because I love home!
While I don’t prefer coffee syrups, I do have coffee recipes on the blog. Check out my recipes section to see those!
If you’re on the hunt for higher-quality coffee machines, but don’t want to pay big bucks, consider checking out thrift stores and garage sales in your area!
If you don’t have access to thrift stores in your area, consider buying small appliances only when they’re on sale. Black Friday or online deals are sure to save you some money!
I have so many more money-saving tips on the blog! Check out Tips for Living off of One-Income (Without Credit Cards) and Smart, Frugal Ways to Save Money as a Homemaker for more frugal homemaking tips!
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