Cost Breakdown: For All Coffee Lovers

In order to miss the new single cup coffee craze to bombard the nation, either you have been hiding under a mattress for some time or you walk around shopping centers with a paper bag over your head.

With these single serving coffee machines, you need not only to purchase the machine itself, but accessories, portioned coffee-filled packets and specialty packets to place inside the packets are also needed. Excuse me, I didn't realize it was so difficult to drink and enjoy a cup of coffee.

The premise is good, but all of these pieces can add up. Let's do the Math (not a good subject for me but I always can calculate a tip).

High grade machine: $199.00*
Accessories: $24.00*
Total $223.00

12- Pack of Coffee Packets $24.00 or $2.00/serving*

Say you drink 365 cups of coffee at home/year, a regular sized cup of coffee for the first year would cost you $2.61. If you drink only half of that a year, a cup of coffee for the first year would cost you $3.22

If you keep it for five years, and drink 365 cups of coffee a year, the coffee will still cost you $2.12 per serving.

And say you keep it for 10 years, and drink 365 cups of coffee a year, the coffee will cost you $2.06 per serving.

Starbuck's largest coffee costs $2.07
McDonald's largest coffee costs $1.19
Local Takeout coffee costs $2.30

I'll stick to my local corner store for takeout coffee- it may cost more than Starbucks and taste better than McDonalds, but at least I'm leaving with a freshly made tofu scrambler in hand.

*Prices were taken from a leading department store's website. Prices and stores may vary.

Poll
**Take a minute and vote with the poll on the right. With cost, taste and convenience all considered, which would you prefer: At-home, Starbucks, McDonalds or your local breakfast joint for take-out coffee?