The Everyday Chef Recipes Blog

American spend an unreal amount of money on coffee. I mean, think about it. Even if you just buy a cup of drip coffee at the local coffee shop, that’s about $30-45 a month - and heaven forbid you’re buying some froofy-super-duper espresso concoction with specialty milks and flavored syrups. Then we’re talking somewhere in the ballpark of $80-100 a month, just in coffee drinks! For that much money, you could have your own setup at home.

Now, that’s not a bad idea, is it?

You have several options, but first, what do you like? Do you like standard black coffee, or are you of the espresso-chugging ilk?

For those just wanting straight coffee, why not try a French press? These little beauties are relatively cheap (definitely under $30 for a decent one) and they make an amazing cup of coffee. French presses are simple to use, easy to clean and cheap to buy. If you like regular old coffee, this is probably your best bet for a decent cup at home.

What about if you’re into espresso drinks? Well, in that case, you can get a decent espresso maker for under $200, or even under $100 if you look hard enough. Imagine how much money you spend on your tall soy vanilla latte with a shot of caramel every day, and suddenly a few hundred dollars for an espresso maker isn’t that daunting. Plus, you can have espresso whenever you want, even during the dark hours when Starbucks is closed. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.