Whether you’ve perfected your at-home brew setup or you’ve got a hand-me-down Mr. Coffee, brewing at home is less expensive and better for the environment. That doesn't mean you should give up your  favorite coffee shops. Here’s how to decide which to choose. 

Without a doubt and by a long shot, making your own coffee at home will save money, time and trash. When you add together the time it takes to get to the shop, the resources that went into getting there, the money you spend and how much trash the whole experience produces, it’s difficult to come to any other conclusion.

We haven’t given up on coffee shops though.

According to multiple sources, “Independent coffee shops bring in more than $12 billion in annual sales” (1) and a large chain like Starbucks brings in even more—around $25 billion in sales. Together, we spend at least $37 billion at coffee shops every year.

The thing is—we aren’t always at home when we’re craving a coffee. And even if we were, coffee shops can have a lot to offer—jobs, community, vibe, Wi-Fi, and a reason to leave the house when you work from home.  And maybe that’s worth a collective few billion dollars. 

So let’s take a look at the costs and benefits of coffee from home and coffee away. 

Adding up the dollars

Let’s put an actual dollar amount on the issue. Here’s what you’ll spend on a simple coffee with milk and a little sugar (café au lait if you like), made with high quality, organic coffee and oat milk.

At the local shop

We priced this drink at several coffee shops in cities across the country and came up with an average price of $2.50, not including a tip. We hope you tip at least 20 percent, so we’re going to round this one up to $3.00.

$3.00 for a café au lait at the local shop

Coffee at home

To price your at-home coffee, we’re including the cost of your brew method (CoffeeSock!). That’s about four cents per use, assuming a pack of filters will last about a year of daily use. If you’re making more than one cup at a time, you can divide that $0.04 even further by the number of cups you make.

$0.04 for your CoffeeSock

The most expensive element of coffee at home is the coffee itself. We’re being very generous here at grabbing a bag of high end organic and fair trade beans, which is $16 for a 12 oz bag. That’s about $20 for a pound, which makes 32 cups.  If you’re buying from your local grocer, you’ll probably spend less. 

$0.50 to $0.63 for the beans—$0.57 average.

Oat milks range in price and quality by quite a lot. Going for a mid-range average, let’s call it $3.00 for 32 ounces. For a traditional cafe au lait, you’ll use about 4 ounces of milk, for a grand total of 38 cents. 

$0.38 for 4 oz of oat milk

Finally, we get to the sugar. The range here varies by a lot depending on the type of sweetener you use and the amount. For about a tsp of sugar per 8 ounce cup of coffee, you’re looking at about 3 cents, on average. 

$0.03 for a tsp of sugar 

The total? $1.38 for a high-quality, organic 8 ounce café au lait made at home. Assuming a $3.00 comparison drink, and not including any gas or other resources you spend going to the shop, you’ll save a minimum of $1.62 per cup, or about $500 a year if you make the swap most days of the year. Use a less expensive coffee and skip the milk, and savings jump even higher, up to $1000 year for only one cup at home most days. 

The environmental savings

We’ve written A LOT about the environmental price of the single-use cups, lids, straws and other disposables. It’s truly an environmental nightmare. Of course, you can bring your own cup to the shop or stay and sip, using a washable cup. In fact, ordering “for here” has several benefits we’ll discuss below. 

The disposables aren't the only environmental issues. 

Studies show that at coffee shops and kiosks with drive throughs, a large portion of people use it. Ordering from a drive through means gas, idling, and yes, disposable cups, lids and straws. 

Many coffee shops also brew large amounts of coffee for quick services, but if it doesn’t get used by the time it hits peak freshness, it gets thrown out. And that waste contributes to depleted coffee resources, overfarming, and price increases. 

So, when should you choose a coffee shop?

We love our local coffee shops dearly. We love seeing the familiar faces who work there and the connections we make with them. The best cafes have that special vibe when you walk in—welcoming, warm, friendly. 

At community-centered cafes, people meet to chat, do business, catch up, and enjoy each other’s company. Local artists display their work and community members hang signs advertising gigs, roommates wanted, sofas for sale, fun events and fundraisers. You can read a local newspaper or settle in with a book. 

A coffee shop can be a magical place. And when you’re out and about and in need of a cuppa, you don’t need to go home to make it. 

Here’s our short list of when we choose a coffee shop:

• We’re closer to a local shop than we are to our home. 

• We’re at home and really need to get out of the house and clear our heads. 

• We have time to sit and stay awhile, enjoying the space that a shop creates.

• We want a vibey place to meet a friend, client or coworker.

• We want to support a community-embedded space.

• We have a poster to hang on the wall. 

The bottom line? Make your coffee at home when you can, your wallet and the environment will thank you. Save the shop for those times when only the local shop will do the magic. In other words, choose shop-bought coffee with intention.  And bring your own cup!