emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,723 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Wed Aug 8, 2012, 6:54pm Subject: Re: Any mocha lovers ever do a cost breakdown?
can't say I've broken down a mocha cost, but I have compared latte and cappa costs, and in my house (where we make 3 lattes and 2 cappas everyday) the cost of my initial setup (a Silvia plus the stainless 2 drawer base, a Baratza Maestro Plus, milk, beans, sweetener, cleaning supplies and accessories such as frothing pitcher and cups) was covered in less than 6 months.
I use powdered unsweetened cocoa for mochas, rather than chocolate syrup. I mix it in the cup into a paste with sweetener and a little splash of milk, and then draw my shot into it and then add my frothed milk. I don't make them often at all, but that's how I've always made them. There was a nice thread a while back about the many different methods of preparing a mocha, and your costs will certainly vary depending on what you choose for the chocolate component.
The math isn't that hard, once you figure out how many drinks you get from a container of milk, a bag of beans and a container of cocoa powder/syrup you'll be able to get an accurate cost estimate.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,683 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Thu Aug 9, 2012, 5:58am Subject: Re: Any mocha lovers ever do a cost breakdown?
We often go through the mental gymnastics to justify our purchases but in the end, it is just because we want the stuff. Depending on how you do the math, from memory and how these things go, the average "break even" seems to be about a year, give or take a little.
The problem is though that once you see how much better you can do it at home, few people are satisfied with staying with the starter, budget equipment they start with and many more $$$ are spent in the quest for perfection (it will never come LOL) thus blowing the calculations out of the water.
That said though, add all your costs, divide by the price you are spending for a store bought drink (don't forget to add the gasoline you spend, millage, insurance, tires, wear and tear on the car that you add by going out of your way to get that drink... hey we want to be accurate don't we?) this will tell you how many drinks you would have to buy to equal the money spent on your gear, then divide that by how many drinks per day you buy and you will get how many days to reach "break even".
OR, you can just skip all that stuff and buy what you need and enjoy much better coffee than you can get at a chain store.
Your choice! YMMV!
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
No way! It's all about the math. Today I will make three double shot espressos and two capps. That's like $10 at a shop! I just paid for my lunch by having my home machine.
Of course, if I didn't have my machine, I would have made one pot of drip coffee and then suffered through the swill at work, maybe stopping by a shop once or twice a week.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,723 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Thu Aug 9, 2012, 4:24pm Subject: Re: Any mocha lovers ever do a cost breakdown?
calblacksmith Said:
We often go through the mental gymnastics to justify our purchases but in the end, it is just because we want the stuff. Depending on how you do the math, from memory and how these things go, the average "break even" seems to be about a year, give or take a little.
takeshi Senior Member Joined: 12 Oct 2002 Posts: 731 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: Super Jolly Roaster: Amaya Roasting
Posted Fri Aug 17, 2012, 3:23pm Subject: Re: Any mocha lovers ever do a cost breakdown?
emradguy Said:
can't say I've broken down a mocha cost, but I have compared latte and cappa costs, and in my house (where we make 3 lattes and 2 cappas everyday) the cost of my initial setup (a Silvia plus the stainless 2 drawer base, a Baratza Maestro Plus, milk, beans, sweetener, cleaning supplies and accessories such as frothing pitcher and cups) was covered in less than 6 months.
+1 on both counts. Even understanding the cost difference I'll still hit my favorite coffee shop fairly frequently for a latte. Granted, it's a subjective matter but cost isn't everything and sometimes the machine just isn't warmed up if I'm not using it when the timer is set to have it on. In the end, it's enjoying what's in the cup (however you get it or whatever you enjoy) that matters.
Uh, no. Not really, or at least, not unless you've already had your machine, grinder, and other equipment long enough that you've amortized its purchase and are now, finally, "ahead of the game."
The problem is though that once you see how much better you can do it at home, few people are satisfied with staying with the starter, budget equipment they start with and many more $$$ are spent in the quest for perfection (it will never come LOL) thus blowing the calculations out of the water.
KLIX Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2012 Posts: 16 Location: Basingstoke, UK Expertise: Professional
Posted Fri Aug 31, 2012, 7:02am Subject: Re: Any mocha lovers ever do a cost breakdown?
I've never done the actual breakdown but it's definitely massively cheaper than buying from Starbucks. But there's definitely something about Starbucks coffee that you just can't seem to replicate! :(
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