I love coffee. None of that pricey Starbucks stuff or the daily assortment of fru-fru flavors at the Gen Z coffee house up the street. I simply enjoy a cup of Folgers Classic Roast (with a little cream & sugar).
In fact, I enjoy about 3 cups daily. I would probably drink more, but I use a Keurig machine and these k-cups aren’t cheap. For the past couple years, I’ve had a “coffee subscription” to Amazon.com (then Keurig.com). Every 4 weeks I get 72 k-cups of Folgers Classic for around $40.00.
$40.00 / 72 = 55 cents a cup.
Then several nights ago I was watching an assortment of Tik-Tok videos (ugh they’re addictive) and in one, a young man was standing in a Wal-Mart in front of a display of Tim Horton’s K-cups and saying “Why do you keep wasting your money on these? Plus they’re not good for the environment. Buy a reusable k-cup, the metal ones are best. Save your money and save the environment.”
Well, I am all about saving money and frankly I feel guilty everytime I toss one of these plastic k-cups in the garbage. I’d love to reduce my carbon footprint too. But I’ve heard so many negative stories about those refillable k-cups, difficult to use, watery coffee or grounds getting into your machine (and people complain about the Keurig refillable k-cup most) so that’s why I never bought one.
But that young man inspired me, so I went on Amazon found these and was intrigued. Made exclusively for the K-Supreme, what I have. (Click on photo for link.)
I placed my order (even though they seem a little pricey) and after they were delivered, I was anxious to try them.
Ran to the market, bought a can—I mean plastic tub—of Folgers Coffee. When did they stop selling coffee in metal cans? Where’s the transparent lids? I’ve been using k-cups for too long!
Anyway, the loose coffee was $12.43. On the container it says it contains approximately 240 tablespoons, and 1 tablespoon equals a 6 oz serving.
But I like my coffee strong, plus I like 10 oz. servings. So let’s say I use two tablespoons per cup of coffee, making this container last 120 bigger cups.
$12.43 / 120 = 10 cents a cup. TEN CENTS A CUP VERSUS 55. Mercy!
I’m happy to say I’m on my second day with these & they’re working wonderfully. (Just don’t try to take it out of the machine right away, they get hot and stay hot!)
I think I’m going to start enjoyng a cup of coffee in the evenings again, to hell with the caffeine. I fall asleep too early anyway!
Hi Doug, wow, that is a significant price difference! Glad the reusable cup is working for you. I thought the k cups were recyclable??
ReplyDeleteI have never been a coffee drinker. Grew up with a Mum who probably had ten cups a day. I was an expert at making coffee when I was a kid.😆 I can count on one hand how many cups of tea I have a year. I guess I’m not much of a hot beverage drinker.
Enjoy your coffee!❤️
Robin
Robin that's very interesting. I wasn't a coffee drinker myself until the mid 1990s when my grandmother asked me to get her a Mr Coffee for Christmas. After I got her one, my dad said she wasn't allowed to drink coffee because of stomach issues and to take it back. I kept it instead and the next thing I know..anyway, I don't think those K-Cups are recyclable! At least not yet. But they are too pricey. 🙂♥️
DeleteHi Doug, I just checked our recycling program here and we can’t recycle k-cups. The convenience is wonderful but at what price.
DeleteTake care!
Robin
I didn't think so, thanks for checking Robin. You know the inventor of these said it was his biggest regret. I loved the convenience but yep at what price.
DeleteGood math. I have never bothered to work it out, but I don't use k-cups either.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debby--darn it you make me laugh!
DeleteOkay! you have convinced me to use my reusable K cup again. I got lazy and started buying pods again - but, you really are right. I need to go back to the reusable. Thans for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWow--thanks Annsterw! This made my day :^)
DeleteWhat happened to your previous post about the chair?! I hope this means you intend to keep it, as I really liked the color. As for coffee, I always drink Cold Brew, as I prefer cold coffee. David sometimes uses the K-cups (Peet's coffee), as he likes the convenience.
ReplyDeleteGigi I took down the previous post as it was getting me down. Like I wrote, the chair was not comfortable and not the tan color I was looking for. I'm back on the lookout! I like cold coffee and Peet's too, I'm not giving up K-Cups entirely.. I think just the daily use of them. 🙂
DeleteI do love coffee but I just drink decaf instant, which is just as well as I have about 9 mugs a day. When I'm in the States I found that Folgers do a pretty decent instant coffee and that's what I have there but as I've mentioned on my own blog I don't have a sophisticated palette.
ReplyDeleteJoe, you're European. You just returned from France! Tasting wines! I think your palate is a bit more sophisticated than mine! 😄
DeleteTen measly cents for a big cup of coffee??!! I'm in! The K-cup waste was what kept me from the Keurig route but those reusable cups changes everything. Life just would not be the same for me without a morning cuppa first thing. Great tip, Doug!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Florence! And you're right, the refillable cups are a game changer. I felt a lot less guilty drinking my three cups of coffee today! 👍🙂
DeleteInteresting math project. I don't drink coffee, but spend a lot on Constant Comment tea bags. Monkfruit drops from Natural Grocer stores aren't cheap either, but really sweet without xylitol (rips my stomach) or aftertaste. Be careful with your number of cups a day, cuz we don't want you shaking in your shoes, or dancing all night with the big spiders. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteHaha! Linda I am a big fan of your comments (not just on my blog but others). Thank you! 🙂
DeleteI debated about getting a Keurig and finally decided I didn't want one. I did purchase a unit that allows me to use my own ground coffee and makes one cup at a time which is just perfect for me.
ReplyDeleteHmm... Joared I appreciate you sharing that about making one cup at a time. That is what is most important to me I'm going to have to look into that. 👍
DeleteThat is what I have as well. I am the only one who drinks coffee in this house. No waste.
DeleteAww I am so sorry that I have taken caffeine out of my diet. I love that you have found a way to get coffee down to a dime a cup. That is vintage 50's prices.
ReplyDeleteThanks my friend, and oh shoot about the caffeine! But you're right Patti, when I saw it was $0.10 a cup I immediately thought of those old school diners and restaurant counters and much simpler times. And personally I think 55 cents a cup for home coffee is too much. 🤨
DeleteOnly ten cents a cup? That's a huge saving. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks River :-)
DeleteI drink one Americano at the coffee shop every day. It's $3.25 for one cup, and it's enough caffeine for me for the entire morning! I'm glad those recyclable k-cups are available.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can bring myself to pay that much for a coffee, but darn it if it makes you happy that's all that matters. Well, I don't think I'm giving up on K-Cups entirely. I like to try new flavors. But I am glad for this recyclable option. 🙂
DeleteDug, when I was working, I spent $2.50 each morning for my Starbucks coffee before work. Now we use Keurig's k-cups - so 50cents a cup doesn't sound bad to me. We use Dunkin Donuts 100% Columbian and really like it... (have to get it from Amazon as Keurig quit carrying it). We can get it in bags and use the refillables, but doubt that we will... too lazy. But I have to admit 10 cents a cup is definitely a savings.
ReplyDeleteRian thank you for sharing and I appreciate what you said here because.. starting to wonder if I should post a retraction. Or a compromise at least. The coffee from these refillable K-Cups is just not as strong as the K cups. I'm not ready to give up $0.10 coffee just yet, but I'm going to enjoy the occasional K-Cup too. 🙂
DeleteIt's up! I swear that last time I read it in my reader, it told me that the post was no longer available when I clicked over to your site. Probably my error! I love your ingenuity about your coffee and all the savings you're getting as well as good and reasonable cup(s) of java. I spend quite a bit for my coffee and my chocolate for my mochas but only have one a day. It doesn't cost over $5 like Sbux at least. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret, and I'm sorry for the disappearing post - - I bet I did that yesterday, when I was hiding the previous post about returning the leather chair. Anyway you are very kind here but I'm beginning to feel like a phony because I don't want to give up the K-Cups completely! I love their strong brew and other flavors sometimes. I think I'm going to try to cut them down from 20 a week to 5-10, if I see a special on them at the market. 🙂
DeleteI get Taster's Choice instant at Costco, 14 oz. for $10.99 which makes 200 cups. That's 5.5 cents per cup!
ReplyDeleteI like it. However ... most true coffee lovers would consider it swill. Chacon sont gout!
Tom I'll be damned--for years that's what my dad drank! Thank you for sharing, I had no idea it was still sold.
DeleteThis is terrific. What a great idea! I'm going to pass this on to a friend. Art says I'm not a true coffee drinker because I add chocolate milk (lactose free) to my coffee and stick it in the freezer for a while so I get iced mocha.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay and hey! You may not be a traditional coffee drinker, but you're still a true one! That sounds delicious!
DeleteGlad to see you're in a re-use frame of mind, Doug, and shared a reliable solution. I've been very tempted by the tidiness and convenience but have not taken the Keurig plunge and probably never will because of the waste. Husband once opened a used one and was astonished by the amount of coffee grounds in the little cup. Talk about waste! Double whammy. Kim in PA
ReplyDeleteThank you Kim! And you are exactly right about astonishment--I've been using those k-cups for so long, and just recently I cut one open too. I was not only surprised by the amount of coffee, but that it came in some fabric-type pouch. It does seem pretty wasteful when you think how many are tossed out everyday. I'm trying to limit my k-cups to 3-4 a week.
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