Gourmet Coffee Habit Costing Consumers as Much as $1,500 Yearly

Gourmet coffee consumers rarely consider the cost of their daily coffee in terms of the expense to brew premium whole bean coffee at home (50 cents to 75 cents) with prices of a pound of gourmet coffee beans versus a two or three cup a day ($4.50 to $6.00) coffee drinking habit when purchased at premium coffee houses. A recent Washington Post article discussed Seattle law students spending money from their student loans for Starbucks coffee across the street from the Seattle University School of Law.

Erika Lim, director of career services at the law school has launched a campaign to reduce coffee consumption by students attending the university on student loan money. She points out that students are spending education loans on luxuries like latte instead of necessities like a loaf of bread. That borrowed money takes years to repay and many students don't do the math to see that study time with 2-3 cups of coffee at Starbucks over 4 years can cost them significant sums - as much as $4500 in principle, interest and fees on their student loan - over the course of their education. An online calculator has been posted for those interested in calculating their caffeine expenses at: http://www.hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi

Gourmet Coffee drinkers have become accustomed to paying $2 or more per cup for fresh brewed coffees at Premium coffee houses ? and many sources are predicting those prices may increase to as much as $4 per cup soon due to expected increases in green coffee prices. But smart gourmet coffee consumers have long known that premium coffee brewed at home costs just 12 cents or so per cup, depending on preferences for coffee strength.

Many coffee producers recommend starting with 1 tablespoon of fresh ground gourmet coffee beans per standard 6 ounce cup of water. Starbucks recommends double that amount for stronger coffees at 2 tablespoons per 6 ounce cup. A pound of gourmet coffee (that is 16 Ounces or 1 Lb.) divided by 1 1/2 Ounces comes to roughly 10 pots of 10 cups (6 Ounce cups) equaling 100 cups for the cost of one pound of gourmet coffee beans. At the average of 1.5 tablespoons per 6 ounce cup and average size of 12 ounce coffee mug, you can expect 50 cups of home brewed coffee per pound of gourmet beans!

Prices of premium gourmet coffee beans range between $10 and $18 per pound, making a cup of home-brewed gourmet coffee, made fresh to your liking, cost only between .10 cents and .25 cents per cup or between $1.00 and $2.00 per pot of coffee! Even the rarest and most expensive coffee sold, the exotic Kopi Luwak, at $175 per pound, is still less than $1.75 per 6 ounce cup when brewed at home! So if you have expensive tastes and want a 12 ounce mug of the rarest and most expensive coffee on the planet, you still need only pay what some premium coffee houses charge for a latte ($3.50) for that rare privilege.

When consumers learn that they can purchase gourmet whole bean coffee for between $10 to $18 per pound, then fresh grind and brew at home for significantly less than gourmet coffee companies charge, many see home brewing premium gourmet coffee as luxurious treat. Purchasing a thermos or a large travel mug to take coffee with them from home makes drinking rich, fresh roasted coffee a possibility for about one-seventh the cost of buying that coffee from expensive and crowded coffee shops.

Many so-called premium coffee houses keep their coffee heated on warmers after brewing, but this practice causes the flavor to turn bitter after less than an hour of warming. It is actually more likely you will get a rich flavorful cup of coffee from an insulated thermos or insulated type pump containers. Reheating coffee can destroy the flavor of good gourmet coffee - just as quickly as extensive warming.

Coffee purists prefer to make individual cups with a coffee press, fresh grinding beans for each cup and drinking the entire amount brewed before it turns cold to get the maximum enjoyment from their beans. Microwave a good cup of coffee that has gone cold and you'll see how much better it is freshly brewed. Using good clean, fresh water is essential since coffee is 99% water and bad tasting tap water can quickly ruin even the best fresh ground beans.

You can enjoy great gourmet coffee more and pay less for the privilege by starting with whole beans and grinding them yourself with a $20 coffee grinder. Make only what you can drink or carry with you in a nice thermos or travel mug instead of reheating coffee later. Use good tasting water and keep your brewing equipment clean to prevent the rancid bitterness that can come from previous grounds in crevices.

You can brew at home with fine gourmet coffee beans, fresh ground and brewed in a French press coffee maker, carry a fancy thermos of great coffee to work or school and enjoy the best coffee available for far less money than you would spend at crowded and expensive premium coffee house.

© Copyright 2005 http://www.TastesofTheWorld.net

Written by Mike Banks Valentine for Tastes of The World coffee company, focusing on specialty gourmet coffees which are not readily available in the United States. Rare Gourmet Coffee is their business so they make shopping with them risk free. "If you are happy tell a friend if you are not tell us"

http://www.tastesoftheworld.net/Coffe e-Cost-Per-Cup.htm
E-mail CustomerService@tastesoftheworld.net
Call 1-877-895-2662

---

Does Coffee Make You Fat or Help with Diabetes?

Who the heck knows?According to two studies published in the... Read More

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Espresso Machine

Buying an espresso machine is an important decision ? choose... Read More

Coffee, Caffeine & Fitness

One look at a line at the local Starbucks in... Read More

Kenya Coffee History

In Kenya coffee production dates back several hundred years. Coffee... Read More

Portrait of a Barista

The barista is the Italian word for the skilled person... Read More

Coffee Breaks - Do They Create Stress?

The American custom of taking break during the working hours.... Read More

Coffee Roasting De-mystified

How many different names have you run across for different... Read More

Diabetes and the Preventive Power of Coffee!

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most rapidly... Read More

Woman Dies from Caffeine Overdose and Expert Calls for Action in New Book and FDA Petition

An autopsy released this week has found caffeine to be... Read More

Why Your Cup of Coffee in the Morning May Keep You Up All Night

One of the most common complaints among coffee drinkers is... Read More

What Makes Hawaiian Coffee So Special?

Coffee was first introduced to the Islands by Chief Boki,... Read More

Coffee Commodities and Starbucks

If we look at commodity trading from a purely conceptual... Read More

Coffee Makers

If you are a gourmet coffee drinker, you may want... Read More

Caffeine & Low Birth Weight Babies

These studies begin to point the way to the more... Read More

A Coffee Roaster For All Occasions

Coffee roasters and those who roast, brew and serve the... Read More

Coffee - How to Buy, Store, and Grind it for the Perfect Cup

In the early days of the coffee craze, before the... Read More

Coffee Club Membership Is A Joy For Coffee Lovers

Coffee club membership is a joy for coffee lovers The... Read More

Pure Kona Coffee

Pure Kona Coffee is gourmet coffee grown only on the... Read More

Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Do you remember your first experience with coffee? I'm sorry... Read More

Italian Coffee - Something For Everyone

Espresso, caffè latte, cappuccino; there would seem to be as... Read More

Mr. Coffee Versus Bunn-o-Matic - The Coffee Maker Battle Heats Up

For coffee lovers, there are few things more appealing than... Read More

Cappuccino Secrets: Creating the Perfect Foam

Here is an article that tells the secret of creating... Read More

Arabica Coffee

As you may have guessed, Arabica coffee gets its name... Read More

Coffee For Your Health

Many of us rely on coffee to get us going... Read More

Coffee and Alzheimers Disease

With the American population aging rapidly, diseases that affect the... Read More

Live the Life of a Civil War Soldier When you Drink your Mornin Coffee

Civil War soldiers, Confederate and Union, used to... Read More

Heating Vegetable Oil to Frying Temps Forms Toxic Compound

New research by a University of Minnesota professor and a... Read More

Coffee Is A Historic Beverage, And It Makes For A Great Gift

Ahhhhh, coffee... a fantastic dark beverage that wakes us up... Read More

Coffee in America

American coffee? Technically there is no such thing, at least... Read More

Ganoderma Coffee - Can It Be Good For You?

Are you a coffee addict? Are you searching for a... Read More

Home Coffee Roasting

Home Coffee Roasting ? Makes all the differenceAs I sit... Read More

Coffee Grinders Jumpstart Your Java

All the experts agree. People who want the best flavor... Read More

The Best Cup of Drip Coffee Possible

With a "good" cup of coffee costing almost as much... Read More