Running-cost decision tool · UK

Pods or beans: which costs less for you?

The cheapest machine is not always the cheapest way to drink coffee. Compare two real records and see when the higher starting cost could pay back—using assumptions you control.

versus

Starts at £0.45 per black drink from the dated Nespresso Original reference; edit it to match your pack yield. Check evidence ↗

Your 3-year estimate

Nespresso Essenza Mini costs £65 less in this scenario.

The fresh-coffee route catches the pod route after roughly 53 months.

2,190 coffees compared
Pod route

Nespresso Essenza Mini

£1,075£0.49 known cost per coffee
Equipment
£89
Capsules
£986
Known maintenance
£0

No milk frother or capsule subscription is assumed.

Open evidence record →
Fresh-coffee route

Siemens EQ300

£1,140£0.52 known cost per coffee
Equipment
£299
Beans
£841
Known maintenance
£0

No separate grinder is currently connected to this setup.

Open evidence record →
How the gap changes

Cumulative known cost by year

YearEssenza MiniEQ300Lower route
1£418£579Pods
2£746£860Pods
3£1,075£1,140Pods

Planning estimate, not a promise or quality judgement. It includes recorded starting equipment, your coffee assumptions and only maintenance with a checked price and model-specific cadence. It excludes milk, electricity, water, delivery, repairs, waste and optional accessories. Capsule sizes and bean doses do not always produce equivalent drinks.

01

Like-for-like inputs

Both routes use the same number of coffees and ownership period. You choose the capsule and bean assumptions.

02

Equipment connected

A separate grinder is included when the database says the fresh-coffee machine requires one.

03

No false precision

Unknown delivery, energy, repair and unpriced maintenance costs remain outside the result and clearly labelled.