Why did I stop going to Starbucks, and I now brew coffee at home?

Ultimate Guide: Starbucks vs brewing coffee at home

No doubt. There’s something magical about having coffee from Starbucks. For once, Starbucks coffee can be delicious. I was mesmerized by the variety of types, sizes and scents in the stores. Secondly, Starbucks has consistently offered an unparalleled experience.

Consequently, I often found myself spending countless hours at their locations, whether this was during my trips for leisure or business. At any and every location, I was always able to enjoy the ambiance, vibe, and, of course, coffee.

I returned to Starbucks over and over. Last year, I went to Starbucks 2x a day for a period of time.

When that happened, I noticed something unusual: a big gap in my finances. I was spending about $10 on Starbucks coffee a day. This amounted to about $300 a month (!). In order to mitigate the negative consequences of my habits of adoring coffee, I had to find some alternative solutions.

Though brewing coffee at home seemed complicated and time-consuming, I gave it a try. I fell in love with brewing coffee at home, and saved over $2,300 annually.

Yes, I still go to Starbucks every now and then. However, I discovered the magic of brewing at home. Let me share with you what I have learned.

Benefits of Starbucks: what kept me on the hook? 💖

What was so special about Starbucks, after all? What is about Starbucks that attracts us to its coffee shops over and over again?

→ #1. Starbucks is so convenient, with no mess at home

Having coffee at Starbucks is extremely convenient. Starbucks and its well-trained coffee baristas do all the job for us. I just simply go there (or drive-through), pick a drink from the menu, pay, and wait for the barista to prepare a special drink for me.

Starbucks take the “dirty” work off of my hands. I do not need to worry about pouring water, getting coffee grounds measured and re-filled, having milk spilled on my kitchen counters.

In contrast, I can simply tell a Starbucks barista how I like my coffee, and they will prepare a delicious coffee drink, with the right amount of coffee, sugar, and other goodies.

→ #2. Starbucks has great and accessible locations across the world

Starbucks has won me over and over again with its great locations in the US and across the world. There’s at least one Starbucks on the way from my home to work. I typically stopped by in the morning to enjoy freshly brewed beverage. What a great way to begin a day!

Further, I travel quite a lot for business, and leisure with my family. It was such a treat to experience Starbucks not just in the US, but also in other parts of the world, in Paris, London, and even Tokyo.

→ #3. Personalized approach to make experience even more special

I admire Starbucks commitment to excellence in customer service. Clearly, the company has been investing a lot of financial resources into training employees to treat consumers very well.

The approach is friendly and personalized. Therefore, it makes consumers like myself feel more home rather than in a coffee shop surrounded by strangers.

And the fact that my name is almost always misspelled on my paper cup tickles me a lot!

→ #5. Whether it is in New York, Chicago, London or Hong Kong, service and quality are consistently stellar

While getting lunch in a certain fast food chain, it occurred to me that food tasted better in other countries than it does in the US. However, this does not appear to be the case with Starbucks. The coffee they serve always tastes the same whether I drink it in New York, in Paris or in Bangkok.

What did I learn about brewing coffee at home?

So why stop drinking coffee from Starbucks if you love Starbucks so much, you might ask… Well, because I discovered something better. And, that is brewing coffee at home. It was not easy at first, but I am getting better at it and I love it! So let me tell you why I like brewing my own coffee so much.

✔️ The magic of brewing at home

In my opinion, there is nothing better than a coffee aroma permeating my home in the morning. I can enjoy wonderful coffee scents all around while getting ready for the day ahead.

Most importantly, I can enjoy a cup of coffee from the comfort of my own sofa. I can choose to drink my coffee in silence, or while listening to my favorite music or watching the news.

✔️ The pleasure of brewing my own coffee

Brewing my own coffee feels extremely rewarding. It has become a ritual of sorts. Plus, I can experiment and choose my own ingredients and quantities.

To be completely honest, I have learned so much about coffee, different coffee qualities and types. I now know what it takes to brew a cup of coffee and I love learning about different coffee brewing techniques and brewing styles.

✔️ Brewing to my liking

Unlike in larger coffee shops, like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, I am in charge of brewing my own coffee. With this comes ownership and flexibility in deciding on my coffee beverage.

I can drink it just the way I want it through customization. If I prefer having a milder and weaker coffee, I can easily accomplish this through using fewer coffee grounds, adding more water or more milk. If I would like a stronger kick from my coffee, I can use stronger dark-roast coffee grounds, use less milk, or a combination of all.

Brewing at home allows me control and flexibility in the brewing process. I have found my coffee to be phenomenal.  I can mix and change things according to my own liking, at any time.

✔️ I know what I brew: high quality and healthy ingredients

One of the reasons I love brewing coffee at home is knowing the quality of what ingredients I use in the process. Not only that, however. I can willingly and consciously decide what ingredients I would like to use, for instance:

• type of coffee beans,
• roast,
• grind size,
• milk,
• sugar/no sugar.

✔️ Ultimately, brewing coffee at home saved me time

One thing I did not appreciate about Starbucks experience was the queues. Getting a beverage at Starbucks is easy and convenient, but lines can be really long, especially at peak times. The queues in my local Starbucks in Boston, MA, were anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes of wait time. This occurred daily between 7am to 9am, and around lunch 12-2pm.

I didn’t have that time to give. Therefore, brewing at home saved me a significant amount of time. Instead of waiting in the line for 45 minutes, I can now dedicate this time on brewing (about 10 minutes from the start to an end) AND actually enjoying my beverage, in the peace and quiet of my home.

✔️ I saved a TON of money ($2,300 annually, to be specific)

I learned first hand that it was much more fiscally responsible to brew at home rather than to buy coffee from Starbucks on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, Kevin O’Leary, a business guru and “Shark Tank” investor, says that he would never pay more than $2.50 for coffee.

Why? Because it doesn’t take more than 20 cents to brew a cup of coffee at home. Giving up on buying fancy coffees adds up to a little fortune over a year.

I saved over $2,300 on coffee consumption, and I used really high quality ingredients.

Brewing coffee at home and a great learning experience

When I first embarked on this journey, I thought to myself, “this is not going to be easy.” I had to learn to use my coffee maker, I had to learn about the correct quantities, grind size and water temperature. And, since I am a cappuccino and latte lover, I had to learn how to froth my milk.

Despite those initial fears, I was extremely surprised how easy and convenient it was to brew coffee at home. These are some of the steps I had to take towards becoming a more self-sufficient coffee barista:

Which coffee maker to choose?

First, I had buy a coffee maker. I was so confused about the difference between drip coffee makers, single cup coffee makers and espresso machines. Thus, I was not sure which machine accomplished what, and which brewing method would fit my needs and expectations.

I like espresso-based drinks. Therefore, I did a little bit of research into espresso machines. I was absolutely astonished about the large variety of types and sizes of espresso machines. In the end, I decided to go with a super-automatic espresso machine. These machines do not require a ton of experience in coffee baristing, but they allow me to learn the ins and outs of brewing delicious coffee.

Owly Choice, is a great place to find advice, ideas and tips related to some of the best espresso machines, drip coffee makers and single serve coffee makers on the market.

How to brew coffee? Coffee beans, grind size, and best type of coffee?

Undeniably, the most challenging part of brewing my own coffee at home was learning the ins and outs of brewing. There are so many factors involved in brewing a good cup of coffee!

I had to learn so many things, including (but not limited) to the following:

• optimal temperature to brew coffee,
• best water to brew a perfect cup of coffee (and to preserve the coffee machine),
• best type of coffee beans,
• best type of coffee roast, and
• best type of grind size.

I had to learn about the right quantities, about brewing techniques, about BAR pressure and about the correct brewing temperature.

Properly cleaning and caring for my coffee maker to increase its longevity

Last, but not least, I had to learn how to clean my coffee maker. It is all written in the Technical Manual the machine comes with, so I had to read the directions and follow them closely.

Takes a bit of time at the beginning, but now saves me time

After a while, brewing my own coffee became part of my day. Once I got used to the whole process, brewing coffee stopped being this new, challenging thing, but a pleasurable, rewarding daily experience.

What do we recommend?

Do I still go to Starbucks sometimes? You bet! I love Starbucks. And it tastes even better now that it has become a treat rather than a daily habit. However, my home brewed coffee brings me a lot of satisfaction too. And it is much cheaper.

What do you like most about having coffee at Starbucks? Did you decide to quit Starbucks and brew at home? Why did you decide to do this? What do you love most about brewing coffee at home? Do you have any tips for those who consider ditching Starbucks?

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