Okay, I admit, it’s a sensational headline, but it’s an interesting way to think about the drink that gets many of us through the day. I’ve tried many different ways of procuring this nectar of life: the neighborhood barista, free coffee from the bank, and using a coffee machine or french press at home. Of course, the first one is the only one that really adds up, but this article as much about taste as it is about cost anyway, so here goes…
Cold-Brewed Coffee
One of my colleagues clued me in to cold-brewed coffee. The New York Times ran an article about it, with a corresponding recipe. It’s a great taste, and really simple to make at home, without the expense of and cleaning of a coffee maker. After brewing overnight, I strain it through a coffee filter in a colander over a glass bowl. Then, I store the resulting coffee concentrate in the fridge until I need it. Simply add cold water and ice in a 1:1 ratio with the concentrate … delicious. Like it hot? Just add the water in the same ratio and nuke it for a few minutes. Either way, it tastes just like the beans smelled, so we’ve been having fun with different flavored beans.
The Cost
Well, that’s the simple part. It’s the cost of the beans! We’ve been getting beans from Nuts Online at $8.99 for a 1 pound bag. A few back-of-the-napkin calculations, and I found out that for that $8.99 cost, I can churn out 55 8-ounce cups of the good stuff. Over a year, it costs just about $120 (about 16 cents per cup) to maintain my 2-cup a day habit. Compare that to $1.19 a pop (and that’s a conservative estimate) at [insert name of favorite barista here], and you’ve got a chance to save $750 by brewing your coffee at home.
Any Other Ideas?
Any other ideas for getting your dose of caffeine without breaking the bank?
More about Amy and Scott Dawson, creators of Lunchtaker.com: One of our core focuses is on nutrition and fitness. Our children both attended a parent cooperative pre-school where the morning snack was as healthy as possible, and our family liked the opportunities for new foods that arose in pre-school. As our children go through grade school, we are focusing on continuing the trend of ensuring we feed ourselves a variety of foods, all good for our bodies... read more...
Posted Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 7:20 pm and filed under How-To. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
