How much does it cost to have a coffee pod machine?

Many people wonder how much we spend on coffee pods per year and which is the cheaper or more expensive option in the long run. We studied the average cost of buying a coffee pod machine and, logically, the cost of coffee consumption over the year.

Let’s assume an average consumption of one pod per day (365 per year) and compare the prices of the most common coffee varieties in online official coffee stores. Of course, these prices will vary depending on the offers or promotions we find, but the calculation will give us an idea of what it costs to have a coffee pod machine at home.

Note: We will not consider the cost of water/electricity for these calculations because it is negligible and will be approximately the same for any brand.

The prices of coffee machines vary a lot. Even so, we will reference the current prices (January 2023) of the cheapest models for each brand (Pixie, Piccolo and happy).

How much does a Nespresso coffee machine cost?

The cheapest Nespresso machine in the official shop costs £139 and is a Nespresso Pixie, while the Vertuo Next costs £149. While on Amazon, the cheapest is the Inissia for £139 and the Vertuo Next for £79.00.

Price comparison between Nespresso and Amazon
Price comparison between Nespresso and Amazon

The lowest unit price of all coffee pods sold in the official Nespresso shop is £0.36. If we multiply that by 365 days, we spend £131.4 a year and £394.2 every three years.

According to these prices, in the first year, we will be spending £270.4 if we opt for the Nespresso Pixie coffee machine and the cheapest pods. And in 3 years, we would have spent £533.2.

How much does a coffee with Dolce Gusto cost?

The official Dolce Gusto shop does not sell coffee machines but redirects you to authorised retailers. Here we found the Infinissima model for £40, while on Amazon, we found the Piccolo XS model for £30.

Price comparison between Dolce Gusto and Amazon
Price comparison between Dolce Gusto and Amazon

The cheapest coffee pods in the official Dolce Gusto shop cost £0.24 each. This results in an annual expenditure of £87.6 and £262.8 every three years.

As a result, we would have spent £127.6 in the first year, choosing the Infinissima model, and £302.8 at the end of the third year.

How much does a coffee with Tassimo cost?

In the official Tassimo shop, you can find the Happy model for £44.99, while on Amazon, the same Happy model is the cheapest but costs only £39.

The cheapest coffee pods in the official shop are £0.26 per unit, which equals £94.9 per year and £284.7 every three years.

The total expenditure in the first year would be £139.89, choosing the machine from the official shop, and £329.69 after the end of the third year.

Conclusion:

This table summarises the costs of owning a coffee pod machine over one and three years:

CostsNespressoDolce GustoTassimo
Coffee
Machine
£139£40£44.99
Coffee
Pod
£0.36£0.24 £0.26
365 Coffee
Pods
£131.4£87.6£94.9
3 Years of
Coffee Pods
£394.2£262.8£284.7
Total 1 Year£270.4£127.6£139.89
Total 3 Years£533.2£302.8£329.69

In the long run, the cheapest coffee machine, taking these numbers as a guide, is undoubtedly the Dolce Gusto, with an average total cost of £302.8.

  • What is crucial if you want to keep an eye on your pocket is the price of the pods. As you can see, there were significant differences in the price of coffee machines, but it is not even noticeable after a few years.
  • Another exciting conclusion is that the cost difference between a Nespresso machine and any other brand is not as excessive as it may seem at first glance. Only €70 or €80 difference after three years, coffee machine and pods included.
  • We have also not considered the consumption of prepared beverages, which require two pods instead of one and can increase costs if consumed frequently. This is particularly true of the Dolce Gusto and Tassimo brands, so bear this in mind if you buy a coffee machine with pods.