- Unless it’s a coffee meeting with a publicist or chat friend, I haven’t bought coffee in years since I started making my own.
- I’ve saved thousands of dollars on coffee with these five items – a cold brew maker, a traditional coffee machine, reusable filters, a stovetop espresso maker, and a milk frother.
- They’re all super easy to use, well-reviewed on Amazon, and the results are probably better than what you’d get at your usual coffee spot.
- Read more: The best espresso machines
When it comes to coffee, I’m a purist. I’m brand agnostic and will always take my cup black without any sugar or milk. That’s why I hate paying for such an easy order knowing that I can brew my own (and usually better) at home. In fact, excluding business meetings, coffee dates with friends, or vacation where I can’t BYO, I don’t think I’ve bought coffee in a few years.
Here’s how I save thousands of dollars on coffee by making my own:
Takeya cold brew maker
Cold brew is basically a coffee concentrate made by steeping beans in cold water for at least 12 hours. Because it takes a lot of time and beans to develop, it also costs more than regular coffee. But for the price of three cups at your usual coffee joint, you can get this cult-favorite Takeya cold brew carafe and make your own forever.
It’s made of incredibly durable, shatter-proof, and BPA-free Tritan plastic with a fine mesh filter that screws into the airtight lid. There is a 1-quart and 2-quart size; I have the 1-quart carafe and it fits perfectly in the refrigerator door.
To use, just dump coarsely ground coffee into the filter (it says 14-16 tablespoons but I just fill up most of the filter), add cold water, and let it sit for up to 36 hours in the refrigerator. Whenever you're ready to take it out, you'll have a coffee concentrate that's stronger than normal coffee and less acidic too. Cut it with water, ice cubes, or milk, and live your best caffeinated life.
Keurig machine
When I'm not in the mood for cold brew, I'll make a cup of basic hot coffee. My husband surprised me with a Keurig machine a few years ago and it's honestly one of the best gifts ever.
We have am older K-Classic that takes up a lot of counter space, but it has a large 6-cup water reservoir so we can brew several cups before needing to refill. The newer ones are much more compact but also have a much smaller water reservoir.
Using the machine is the same no matter which style you have. Fill the reservoir with water, add in the coffee pod of your choice, and brew one of three available sizes. You can also use it for hot water if you don't add in a pod.
At first, we made coffee with single-use K-cup pods because they came with the machine as part of a combo deal, but once we realized how bad they were for the environment, we bought reusable filters to use with our own beans. In fact, our current coffee of choice is an 1820 medium roast that we brought home after a trip to Costa Rica. Thankfully, it's also available on Amazon.
Reusable K-cup filters
Speaking of reusable filters, these are the ones that I've been using for years. They fit all Keurig-brand machines so there aren't any guessing games when it comes to compatibility and they're easy to use and clean.
Just pour your ground beans up to one of two fill lines in the filter, lock it back into the plastic canister, and brew. Once you're done, just rinse the grounds out of the filter. (Side beauty hack: Sometimes I'll use the grounds as a quick hand scrub.)
Bialetti Moka Express
For a real espresso experience, you'd need a machine that can cost upwards of $300. It ain't cheap, but for a purist like me who prefers cold brew over lattes, it's also not worth my money. Instead, if I'm in the mood for a barista-worthy espresso, I'll make a cup with the humble Bialetti Moka Express.
We've reviewed the stovetop espresso make before and we can't sing its praises enough. It's inexpensive, comes in a variety of colors to suit your kitchen's vibe, and most importantly, it makes a really strong espresso without any bells and whistles.
One caveat is that it's a stovetop espresso maker so you might have to monitor the pot the first few times you're using it to make sure that you don't burn the beans. At least it'll make feel like a barista since you're not just pressing another button.
Secura Automatic Electric Milk Frother and Warmer
I've been using one from the brand Epica for about three years and it's still going strong, but it looks like it's been discontinued. This one from Secura looks and works exactly the same way, and it's also around the same $30-$40 price range.
The sleek little carafe heats and froths up milk for lattes, takes up minimal counter space, and is super quiet. To use, just pour milk into one of three fill lines for heating, frothing, or whisking; pop the lid on; and then press the appropriate button.
With my Epica model, I found out the hard way that if you're just heating milk, you'll have to take out the removable steel whisk inside, otherwise the machine will froth and the milk will leak all over your counter. I use this frother about three times a week to make my matcha lattes and I'll leave it out on my kitchen counter because it's so compact; it's actually more annoying for me to constantly move it around.
Check out our other great coffee gear buying guides
The best coffee makers
A great coffee maker can make or break your brew - and your morning. These are the best coffee makers you can buy, whether you want a drip coffee, French Press, espresso, pour-over, or cold brew coffee maker.
The best French Presses
You can brew coffee in a number of ways, but many caffeine addicts swear by the French Press method.
The best stovetop espresso makers
After hours and hours of research, testing, and countless ensuing caffeine overloads, these are the best stovetop espresso makers we've found to make strong, delicious coffee right at home.
The best coffee grinders
Freshly ground coffee is addictive and delicious. If you want to make the perfect brew each morning, you need a coffee grinder.
The best milk frothers
If you're a big fan of cappuccinos and lattes with splendid milk foam, you're going to want a great milk frother in your collection of coffee-making products.