How to fit coffee into your budget

How to fit coffee into your budget

Hawaiian Legislators Introduce Bills for Stricter Coffee Labeling

Legislators representing the Kona district of Hawaii have introduced a series of bills that would require more strict labeling requirements for single-origin coffees and blends containing Hawaiian-grown coffees. Some Kona…


An Unfiltered History of Vietnamese Coffee

We explore the history of coffee in Vietnam and how the industry’s perception of Vietnamese coffee is evolving.  BY EMILY MENESES BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo by frank mckenna via Unsplash What do you think of when you hear the term “Vietnamese coffee”? For Kim Dam, founder of Portland Cà Phê, it extends far beyond […]


Conflict in the Red Sea: Why coffee roasters need to prepare for shipping delays

Like many other industries, conditions in the coffee supply chain can change quickly, and in turn, have a huge impact on all actors and stakeholders. Price volatility is one of the more pertinent – which is influenced by many factors. These include fluctuations in supply and demand, extreme or unexpected weather events, global economic downturn, […]


3 Elements Coffee: Supporting Veterans, One Cup at a Time  

The Australian roasting company helps to create opportunities for veteran communities.  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of 3 Elements Coffee  Brisbane, Australia-based 3 Elements Coffee, founded by Navy veteran Terry McNally in 2016, has a mission to support the transition of ex-military personnel into the commercial workspace. To help achieve their goal and raise […]

How to fit coffee into your budget

An In-Depth Look at Gruppo Cimbali’s Coffee Technician Wheel

The Coffee Technician Wheel is a new tool that helps technicians understand the complexity of coffee extraction. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Edgardo Ferrero and Espresso Academy Coffee technicians are responsible for a complex set of tasks related to the production and extraction of coffee. They manage customer requests and need to […]


Serving Coffee in the Epicenter

The Turkish specialty-coffee community is coming together to support earthquake relief. BY MICHAEL BUTTERWORTHSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE When Niji Coffee went live on Instagram, it felt as though the entire Turkish specialty-coffee community was watching with bated breath. Niji Coffee made a name for itself in the Turkish specialty-coffee scene when, as a relatively […]


Understanding the Process: Double Fermentation

Continuing our series on coffee processing, we learn about double fermentation, a term that can refer to several different processes. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Cafe Imports Editor’s note: Check out other entries in our “Understanding the Process“ series here. When exploring the wonderful world of high-quality coffee, you’ll discover that no […]


Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part 2

The Morettino family has successfully cultivated a coffee plantation right in Sicily. Next on the agenda: making the island an international coffee hub. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo by Tomas Anton Escobar via Unsplash Editor’s note: Check out part one of this story here. Andrea Morettino’s family has proven that coffee […]

How to fit coffee into your budget

The 2023 Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide Has Landed

The 2023 edition of the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide (SCTG) guide went live today, providing actors throughout the coffee chain a data-driven tool for green coffee price discovery. The full…


Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

The February + March 2023 issue of Barista Magazine features New Zealand coffee & chef champion Sam Low on the cover. Also inside: a special section on branding, understanding trademark law, an interview with Laura Sommers, field reports from Kansas City, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, and much more. BY KENNETH R. OLSONBARISTA MAGAZINE We’re excited […]


Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part 2

The Morettino family has successfully cultivated a coffee plantation right in Sicily. Next on the agenda: making the island an international coffee hub. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo by Tomas Anton Escobar via Unsplash Editor’s note: Check out part one of this story here. Andrea Morettino’s family has proven that coffee […]


Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Dozens of coffee professionals competed at qualifiers this weekend in Colorado for coveted spots at the U.S. Coffee Championships next month. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Cover photo by J. Marie Carlan For competitive coffee professionals in the USA, the U.S. Coffee Championships are the place to be. Over the weekend, the second USCC […]

How to fit coffee into your budget

How to fit coffee into your budget

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

How to fit coffee into your budget

Is Making Coffee at Home Cheaper? 

Let’s just get it out there: Most office coffee is weak and terrible. How are you supposed to actually survive a day with your coworkers when your coffee is watered down, burnt—or even worse—decaf? You can’t. So what do you do instead? Wake up, get dressed, drive-thru, repeat. 

Throwing a few bucks at your drive-thru barista might not seem like a big deal at the time, but that habit is a costly one. With a cup of coffee averaging anywhere from $2 to $5, you could be spending at least $20 on coffee alone per week—and that’s not even including specialty drinks. In fact, more than one in three Americans spent more on coffee last year than they invested. Think about it: If you’re spending $20 a week on coffee, that’s more than $1,000 a year. 

So how can you supplement your caffeine addiction without dipping into your savings? Make it at home. You might be thinking “But I can never make good coffee at home!” WRONG. 

All you have to do is wake up a few minutes earlier to prep your coffee. Trust me, that extra five minutes in the morning makes a huge difference to your bank account. Here’s how you’ll save money by making coffee at home and why you should do it. 

1.  Investing in a coffee maker will save you in the long run

Okay, so my first step is telling you to spend money — but bear with me. If you invest in a coffee maker now, it’ll likely last you for years. You can find a basic coffee pot for as low as $20 — AKA, skip the drive-thru line for a WEEK and you’ll have enough for your basic coffee maker. 

There are tons of different brewing methods you could choose from — including Keurig brewers, french press, aero press, and the pour-over method. Each come with their own tastes and price points, but are sill cheaper than buying coffee every day. And remember — clean equipment is crucial to delicious coffee.

2. A pound of coffee goes a long way 

A pound of your average coffee can give you anywhere from 34 to 48 8-ounce cups of coffee. If you use K-Cups, you’re spending, on average, about 66 cents per cup. That’s hella cheap.

At Death Wish, one pound of coffee goes even further. According to our brewing recommendations using a high coffee to water ratio, one pound of Death Wish Coffee gives you about 72 servings of coffee per pound — meaning, our $19.99 bag of coffee yielding 72 servings means you’ll spend about 25 cents a cup. And, depending on how much coffee you drink, that bag can last you up to two weeks. 

3. Your brewing ratio is everything

Messing up your brewing ratio will essentially mean you’re dumping gross coffee — and money — down the drain. Most at-home brewing mistakes are made here because we don’t use enough coffee relative to the amount of water (this is why your office coffee sucks). Mike Brown, our owner, uses almost twice the “recommended” amount that is printed on most bags. For Death Wish Coffee, use 2.5 TBL for ever 6 ounces of water you use. 

4. Filtered water makes your coffee taste better

Filtered or bottled water should honestly be a requirement for brewing coffee at home. It makes your coffee tastes better and leaves out the chlorine and other minerals found in tap water, which affects the taste of your coffee and could cause build-up on your coffee maker, too — add it to the list of reasons why you should make sure you clean your coffee maker. It’ll keep you from having to replace it. 

5. Save those specialty drinks for special occasions

Your large caramel macchiato with an additional shot of espresso and extra whipped cream could cost you over $5 — save that for an occasional treat. It’ll save you money and calories — one of these bad boys has more than 300 calories. Black coffee has two.

So instead of putting your money toward coffee every single day, put it toward investments or a savings account instead. 

Related: 5 Tips for Strong Coffee

How to fit coffee into your budget

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

How to fit coffee into your budget

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