Cost per cup: pods vs beans vs the coffee shop

The cheapest way to upgrade your coffee is almost always to make it at home. But how big is the gap, really — between a pod, a bag of beans, and the high street? Here's the honest comparison.

The coffee shop

A high-street flat white or latte typically costs several pounds. Grab one on the way to work each day and you're spending well over £1,000 a year on coffee alone. It's convenient — but it's by far the most expensive cup you can drink.

Coffee pods at home

A compatible pod costs a small fraction of a coffee-shop drink — even less once you add milk you already have in the fridge. You get café-style espresso, cappuccino or latte at home in under a minute, for a tiny fraction of the price. Compatible pods are cheaper still than original-brand ones — see how much you save vs the original brand.

Beans at home

Whole beans are usually the cheapest per cup of all. A 1kg bag makes around 120 cups, so even a quality bag works out at pennies per cup. If you have a bean-to-cup or espresso machine, 1kg beans are the best value going — here's how to choose the right beans.

The bottom line

Swapping even a few coffee-shop visits a week for home coffee pays for your machine in no time and saves hundreds a year — with no drop in quality if you buy freshly roasted coffee. And a subscription trims the cost again: build a box for your machine and save up to 30% with free UK delivery, skip or cancel anytime.