3 Ways to save money on coffee at home, without compromising on quality.

As you may have noticed, coffee prices have been going up a lot recently.

But before we get into saving money on coffee, let me clarify something.

I’m not talking about finding the cheapest coffee possible. If you want to do that, go to Costco and buy the largest container of the cheapest coffee you can find.

But if you still want to enjoy quality coffee at home, there are some ways to cut your costs.

Step one is to make a note of how much you are spending right now. Figure out what you pay for coffee during the course of a week. Also, keep an eye on how much coffee you pour down the sink. This applies in particular if you use a drip brewer.

Once you have done that, you can look at these three ways to cut back on your costs, without compromising on the quality of your brew.

#1: Take a close look at your brewing method.

Some brewing methods cost more than others. For example, making coffee with a single serve coffee maker is always going to cost you more per cup than any other brewing method.

Even within the single serve brewers, there are differences in costs. At the less expensive end are the coffee pod brewers. At the high end are the beverage brewing systems like the Keurig, the Tassimo, the Nespresso and others.

A coffee pod is less expensive than a K-Cup, capsule, disc or other single-serve plastic container.

You’ll always save money by using a more traditional brewing method, such as a French press, or other hands-on coffee brewing options.

#2: Sign up for a coffee club, or watch for coupons.

Signing up for a coffee club can save you money on your coffee, and you get home delivery.

We have a whole page devoted to coffee clubs here.

Keep in mind that not all of these clubs are focused on savings. Some offer top-rated coffees at fairly high prices. But there are some that offer a good deal.

Also, watch for coupons. A lot of online coffee shops offer deep discounts from time to time. I have seen some stores offer as much as 30% off on some items. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll find some good deals.

#3 - Find some good, but lower-priced coffee blends.

Buying good coffee is a bit like buying good wine. On special occasions you might splurge on a really good wine. But most of the time you choose a decent wine you know you’ll appreciate and enjoy.

It’s the same with coffee. On special occasions you can serve an outstanding, single-origin coffee. (You can even designate Sunday mornings as special occasions, if you want.)

For the rest of the week, find a lower-cost blend that is better than regular supermarket coffee, but won’t cost you as much as your favorite.

Another point worth raising is single-origin coffees are not automatically superior to coffee blends. In the hands of a good roaster, a blend of different coffee beans can create an excellent coffee.

Summing up…

The first step towards saving money of coffee is always to stop buying at high-end coffee shops and start brewing your own gourmet coffee at home.

Having done that, if you still need to cut back, choose one or more of the three suggestions above.

All that said…make sure you don’t compromise on the quality of your brew. The whole idea here is to spend less, but still make great coffee.

About the author: Nick Usborne, aka Coffee Detective, is a writer and long-time coffee enthusiast. Read more…