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Home » Tips

Keurig vs. Drip Coffee | Discover a True Price and Taste Comparison

Published: May 12, 2019 · Modified: Jul 19, 2022 by Ginny · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Do you just love the concept of Keurig coffee? It is almost a play on the cartoon “The Jetsons” where you push a button and out pops a cup of coffee. Seriously, think about it for a minute. It’s fresh, hot and most of all…expensive. I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear, but we did some research on this and no matter how you spin it, it is just more expensive than the Standard Drip Coffee. This article is all about the Keurig vs. Drip Coffee debate.

Keurig vs Drip Coffee Showdown. Drip coffee saves money but is not available as quickly as k cups #Keurig #dripcoffee #coffee #frugal

I can hear the argument “but the Keurig tastes so much better!” Seriously, ask yourself…you have to be honest here…..does it REALLY taste better? Keurigs are coming under a lot of scrutiny by coffee aficionados for not allowing the beans to remain in contact with hot water long enough to extract all those delicious coffee flavors. So, you could be paying a premium for a lesser quality cup of joe.

📌 Articles Discussing Poor Keurig Taste

Here are two articles (One and Two) that talk specifically about the lack of flavor and lower quality of coffee from Keurig pods. The beans are not freshly ground and the quality of the beans are suspect in some cases. If you want a truly delicious cup of coffee, locate the best beans and grind them right before you brew for the best the perfect cup/pot.

💰 Cost of the Keurig Machine vs Standard Drip Coffee Pot

The costs involved in our coffee making has to start with the machine itself. A quick Amazon search lead us to:

The cost of a Keurig machine runs $86.99 and up.

Mr Coffee or Standard Drip Coffee Pot runs $23.99 and up. Certainly, the cost of an old fashioned drip pot is significantly less expensive.

Wall of ground coffee at the grocery store with lots of different pricing options
Lots of options in the Ground coffee aisle

💲 Keurig vs Standard Drip Coffee Costs

Next is analyzing the cost of the coffee itself. We’ll start with the cost per cup of the Keurig. Here are a few of the prices for K-Cups I found at our local grocery stores:

  • Tim Horton’s 80 Pack $39.99 – 49 cents per pod
  • Wegmans 72 Pack $24.49 – 34 cents per pod
  • Green Mountain 32 Pack $18.49 – 57 cents per pod
  • Newman’s Own 32 Pack $18.49 – 57 cents per pod
  • Starbucks 32 pack $21.99 – 68 cents per pod
  • Folgers 12 Pack $6.99 – 58 cents per pod
  • Dunkin Donuts 10 Pack $7.49 – 68 cents per pod
  • Donut Shop 12 Pack $7.49 – 62 cents per pod
  • Illy 10 Pack $9.99 – 99 cents per pod
More K Cup options for coffee at the Grocery store
Lots of K Cup options

☕ Using the Mr. Coffee Maker

If we use Death Wish Coffee’s research (if you have never tried this coffee and love strong coffee, this company will become your new best friend!! Incredible), then a 12 ounce bag will yield 68 cups of coffee. Here are the costs per cup of coffee.

  • Wegmans Breakfast Blend $3.99 – 6 cents per cup or (72 cents per 12 cup pot)
  • Wegmans Organic $7.99 – 12 cents per cup ($1.44 per pot)
  • Peet’s Coffee $7.99 – 12 cents per cup ($1.44 per pot)
  • Newman’s Organic $7.99 – 12 cents per cup ($1.44 per pot)
  • Eight O’Clock $5.99 – 9 cents per cup ($1.08 per pot)
  • Starbucks $7.19 – 11 cents per cup 9$1.32 per pot)
Starbucks Ground Coffee
Even Starbucks sells ground coffee

The above was taken from my local Wegmans outside of Washington DC. There will be slight differences based on other areas of the country but the principle will remain the same. I challenge you to do the same price comparison when you shop for your favorite Keurig pods. You can use the Grocery Comparison Printable to help with this!

Keurig will always be the winner if you are a household who needs just one cup per day on the way out the door. There is no waste.  You don’t have to make a whole pot of coffee in order to get the one cup. But hey! How many of you really drink just one cup per day?

🥤 Using the Keurig Reusable Cups

A hybrid approach is to use the reusable K-Cups.  Instead of the disposable plastic K-Cup, add your own ground coffee to this special K cup, and brew a single serving in the Keurig machine. If you want the ease and instant hot coffee of the Keurig maker, the reusable cups are an awesome option! It is a one time fixed cost for the reusable cup, but will use your own ground coffee. Scoop your coffee grounds into the reusable cup and pop it in the Keurig and you are off and running. Just like a normal pod. Yes, this will take a few extra moments, but you are given the benefits of the Keurig without the shocking price tag for each cup of Joe!

Using the Reusable Cups is definitely a workaround for using the Keurig! You still won’t achieve the maximum flavor, since the coffee doesn’t have the time to brew properly, but maybe you can give that up for the convenience of the instant coffee.

Boxes of K Cups are taking over grocery store shelves, but cost more per cup
K Cups for quick and convenient java hits!

🌎 K-Cup Environmental Issues

Unfortunately for Keurig, they are are being scrutinized for adding to the huge environmental problem on our planet. Although each pod is recyclable, you have to take the time to break it into three parts. I fear that the recycling is not always happening. The Atlantic researched that amount of waste from these pods can circle the earth 3+ times – and that was in 2015.

On the other hand, standard drip coffee grounds are biodegradable and make excellent compost for your garden!

There is a growing push for more environmentally Friendly K-Cups or alternatives for those that want to use the Keurig:

  • Green Matters
  • The Washington Post
Keurig vs drip coffee cost challenge
Buy in bulk to reduce the Keurig Cup Costs

📚 Conclusion

The clear winner for a cost savings is the start drip coffee maker and ground coffee.  Not only is the cost of the machine significantly less, the research shows that brewed coffee tastes better.  If you drink more than one cup per day, this is the clear winner.

If you drink one cup of coffee per day, or you are in a rush, then the quick convenience of the K-Cup is the way to go. But, there are environmental concerns as well that might influence your decision.

💡 Related Articles

Coffee Sticker Planning Printables – If you love printables, you should check these out. They are adorable!

Incredible Irish Coffee – This tasty coffee option is a delicious way to start your morning. It’s super easy too!

Christmas Coffee – This “melt in your mouth” cup of Joe goes down so smooth and you will find yourself making this all winter long.

Keurig vs. Drip Coffee | Discover a True Price and Taste Comparison
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About Ginny

Hi! My name is Ginny and I know how busy life can be! I am a mom working hard to prepare healthy meals for my family that is always on the go!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Edmundo Nasif says

    March 19, 2022 at 12:46 am

    Keurig coffee maker tries to bring simplicity to their designs. Once you get the K-cup of your choice, you will simply have to load it into the machine to get the coffee of your choice.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      March 31, 2022 at 12:13 pm

      I do like the reusable versions they have now so I can use the coffee of my choice. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Simona Studdard says

    August 29, 2021 at 11:44 pm

    Whether you want to make coffee for yourself every morning, host a small gathering or keep your employees happy, a Keurig coffee maker does the trick for you.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      August 30, 2021 at 8:10 am

      Yep! People LOVE the Keurig! When we travel, we have noticed at the Airbnbs we have stayed at that it is featured more and more as well.

      Reply
  3. Jerry Woods says

    November 13, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    I like how you can use a reusable K-cup with a Keurig machine. My wife and I are wanting to start making coffee in the morning and we want to use our Keurig in an environmentally safe way. I’ll be sure to tell my wife that we should get reusable cups for our Keurig machine.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      November 14, 2019 at 10:36 am

      That is awesome! It is the way to go if you want to use a Keurig!!!

      Reply

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Family Photo Hi! My name is Ginny and I know how busy life can be! I am a mom working hard to prepare healthy meals for families on the go! Read More...

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