Bean counters saving on brews

TAKEAWAY coffee costs $4.20 a cup on average, adding up to more than $3000 a year for someone with a twice-a-day caffeine addiction.

If you want to save money, buying a coffee machine is an alternative.

Former barista and avid coffee consumer Suresh Meyer, 36, said he made his coffee at home because it was far cheaper than buying two or three daily.

“We use about 1kg every two weeks, spending anywhere from $33$55 per kilogram, depending on which coffee brand we get,” he said.

“I have a great machine set-up, so out of a kilogram of coffee I would get about 100 single-shot coffees, and to buy a single coffee at a cafe can be $4.50.”

The 2018 Square Australia Coffee Report found lattes were Australia’s most popular cup of coffee, costing an average $4.18, while a chai averaged $4.57, a cappuccino $4.14 and a long black $3.89.

Breville general manager Phil McKnight said consumers did not have to buy the most expensive machine to make quality coffee at home.

“You can pay as much as $7000 for a topof-the-line machine but it won’t make coffee better than a machine costing far less, which controls key elements of dose, temperature, pressure and steam,” he said.

Mr McKnight said there was a large price difference when making coffee yourself.

“To make two cups you’ll need 20g of coffee, which will cost you $1.12 at $56 per kg. You’ll need 350ml milk, which will cost 70c at $2 per litre, so for both coffees, it will only cost $1.82 instead of $4.50 for one cup out,” he said. “You will need to clean the brewhead after every 200 coffees, at $2.50 per clean”.

ASIC’s MoneySmart senior executive leader, Laura Higgins, said you should thin about “spending leaks” if you want to save extra cash.

“Spending leaks are small purchases, like your morning coffee, that add up over time. One $3.50 coffee every morning will cost $840 per year,” she said. Bloodhound Espresso Sydney cafe owner Matt Cauchi said people needed to keep mind how much effort went into making a coffee. “People aren’t just paying for the product but the experience, people who make it, rent of the cafe and luxury of having something delicious readily available,” he said.

“People don’t hesitate to pay $20 for a cocktail but struggle paying $5 for a coffee.”