For many of us, morning coffee is not just a habit but a routine that sets our days in a familiar rhythm. And if for years the natural choice was to get coffee "from the city," with the accessibility of machines and the diversity of beans available, more and more people are wondering if it's worth switching to making the drink at home.
The cost difference starts to become relevant especially in large cities, where coffee prices are constantly rising.
One thing is clear: an espresso machine, along with a few basic accessories, may seem like an investment at first. But once you calculate the medium and long-term cost, things change. Most of the time, savings come not only from the price per cup but also from the control you have over the ingredients, freshness, and final taste.
Moreover, for some, the preparation ritual becomes a small pleasure in itself.
The differences become truly visible when we consider frequency. For those who drink coffee every day — or twice a day — the monthly total adds up quickly. In addition, in a family with two coffee drinkers, costs are even more relevant, and the investment in an espresso machine becomes logical very quickly. Over a year, the differences reach values that are hard to ignore.
To understand exactly what the real ratio is, you need a few simple but essential calculations: how much we pay for purchased coffee, how much it costs to prepare at home, and how long it takes for the initial investment to amortize. The results are surprising, no matter what scenario you find yourself in.
How much does "city" coffee actually cost?
How much does it cost to make a coffee at home?
The ingredients are the ones that radically change the equation. For a cappuccino, you need coffee beans and milk. At a dose of 9 grams for a shot, one kilogram of beans (approximately 120 lei for a specialty coffee) provides over a hundred servings, which brings the cost of coffee to about one leu per drink.
The milk needed for a regular cappuccino raises the total to approximately two lei for a complete serving.
