Guide · Numbers
What a cup of coffee actually costs at home
Not the marketing claim. The real number, including machine amortisation, milk, descaling, filters and the bag of beans you throw away because you forgot it existed.
Every coffee-machine advert quotes a cost per cup. The number is almost always wrong because it only counts the beans or the capsule. Here is the honest calculation for three typical UK households over five years.
Scenario A, 3 cups a day, capsule machine
| Machine (Nespresso Vertuo Plus) | £129 ÷ 5 years = £26/year |
|---|---|
| Capsules (3/day × 365 × £0.42) | £460/year |
| Descaling every 6 months | £20/year |
| Milk (0.5 L/day × £1.00) | £182/year |
| Total per year | £688, £0.63/cup |
Scenario B, 3 cups a day, bean-to-cup
| Machine (De'Longhi Magnifica Evo) | £499 ÷ 5 years = £100/year |
|---|---|
| Beans (18 g/cup × 3/day × 365 × £30/kg) | £591/year |
| Descaling & cleaning tablets | £30/year |
| Milk (0.5 L/day × £1.00) | £182/year |
| Total per year | £903, £0.82/cup |
Scenario C, 3 cups a day, filter + French press for weekends
| Moccamaster + Bodum + Timemore grinder | £316 ÷ 5 years = £63/year |
|---|---|
| Beans (15 g/cup × 3/day × 365 × £30/kg) | £493/year |
| Paper filters | £6/year |
| Milk (occasional) | £20/year |
| Total per year | £582, £0.53/cup |
The surprise. The cheapest way to drink good coffee daily is filter or manual brewing with fresh beans. Capsules win on convenience only. Bean-to-cup wins on "milk drinks with no effort." Espresso wins on cup quality if you enjoy the ritual, otherwise, it does not save money.
Where the money leaks
- Milk. Half a litre a day is £182/year. Cutting one milk drink saves £90/year.
- Beans you don't drink fast enough. A 250 g bag opened three weeks ago is past its peak. Buy smaller bags more often.
- Skipping descaling. A bean-to-cup killed by limescale at year three is a £500 write-off. Descale on schedule.