Espresso machine cost per cup vs a coffee shop: payback for 10 machines
What a homemade espresso or latte costs at BLS average coffee and milk prices, and how many café drinks it takes to pay off 10 current Breville and De'Longhi machines.
Machine prices read by hand on the makers' US stores; coffee and milk prices from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. How we research | How links work
The short answer
A homemade latte costs about $0.63 in beans and milk at September 2026 US average prices, and a straight double espresso about $0.37. So against a $5.00 café latte you save about $4.37 a drink, and the machine pays for itself after roughly 81 drinks for the cheapest setup here (De'Longhi Stilosa plus a grinder, $349.90) up to 458 drinks for the Breville Oracle Jet at $1,999.95. Enter your own café price and drinks per week below to see your payback time.
Your payback time
Pays for itself in about 23 weeks
At 7 drinks a week and a $5.00 café price.
Payback for 10 machines
Each machine's US list price on the maker's own store on 17 October 2026, plus a $199.95 grinder where the machine has none. Drinks to pay back use an example café latte of $5.00 and a home latte of $0.63; change both in the calculator above.
| Machine | Model | List price | Grinder built in | Setup price | Lattes to pay back at $5.00 | Weeks at 1 a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Longhi Stilosa | EC260 | $149.95 | No | $349.90 | 81 | 12 | De'Longhi |
| De'Longhi Dedica Deluxe | EC685M | $279.95 | No | $479.90 | 110 | 16 | De'Longhi |
| Breville Bambino | BES450 | $299.95 | No | $499.90 | 115 | 17 | Breville |
| Breville Bambino Plus | BES500 | $499.95 | No | $699.90 | 161 | 23 | Breville |
| Breville Barista Express | BES870 | $699.95 | Yes | $699.95 | 161 | 23 | Breville |
| Breville Barista Express Impress | BES876 | $799.95 | Yes | $799.95 | 183 | 27 | Breville |
| Breville Barista Pro | BES878 | $849.95 | Yes | $849.95 | 195 | 28 | Breville |
| Breville Barista Touch | BES880 | $999.95 | Yes | $999.95 | 229 | 33 | Breville |
| Breville Barista Touch Impress | BES881 | $1,499.95 | Yes | $1,499.95 | 343 | 49 | Breville |
| Breville Oracle Jet | BES985 | $1,999.95 | Yes | $1,999.95 | 458 | 66 | Breville |
The Bambino and Barista Express were out of stock on Breville's store on the day we read the prices. List prices change and sales are common, so check the price you will actually pay.
What a home cup costs
Beans. Breville designs its 54 mm portafilter around an 18 g dose for a double shot. At the BLS US average of $9.33 per pound of ground coffee in September 2026, 18 g costs $0.37. BLS tracks supermarket ground coffee, so specialty whole beans often cost more; enter your own price above.
Milk. Whole milk averaged $4.11 a gallon in September 2026 (BLS), which is $0.03 per fl oz. 8 fl oz adds $0.26. How much milk a latte gets varies by café and cup size, so set your own amount.
Left out. Electricity, water, descaler, cleaning tablets, filters and repairs. They add a little to every cup and make payback a little slower than shown.
Next step
Write down what you pay at your café and how many drinks you buy a week, then pick the setup in the calculator. If payback is over a year, a cheaper machine or fewer café visits may be the better deal.
Common questions
How much does a homemade latte cost?
About $0.63 in beans and milk: $0.37 for an 18 g double shot and $0.26 for 8 fl oz of whole milk, at September 2026 US average prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Specialty beans cost more than the BLS average, so enter your own price per pound in the calculator.
Is an espresso machine worth it if I only drink one coffee a day?
At one $5.00 café latte a day, the cheapest setup here (De'Longhi Stilosa plus a grinder, $349.90) pays for itself after about 81 drinks, or about 12 weeks. The $1,999.95 Oracle Jet takes about 458 drinks. Use your own café price, since it moves the answer most.
Do I need a separate grinder?
For the Stilosa, Dedica Deluxe, Bambino, Bambino Plus, yes, or pre-ground coffee. We add Breville's Smart Grinder Pro at $199.95 to those setups. The Barista and Oracle models have a grinder built in.
What about pod machines?
Capsules cost more per cup than beans. Our coffee dataset lists Nespresso Original capsules at $0.90 and Vertuo capsules at $1.40 each (Macy’s prices, 15 October 2026), before milk.
Method
- Machine prices. US list price on Breville's and De'Longhi's own stores, read by hand on 17 October 2026.
- Beans. 18 g per double shot (Breville's stated dose) times the BLS average price of ground roast coffee per pound (453.6 g), September 2026.
- Milk. The reader's fl oz times the BLS average price of whole milk per gallon (128 fl oz), September 2026. The 8 fl oz in the table is an example, not a measured café serving.
- Payback. Setup price divided by the saving per drink (café price minus home cost), rounded up. The $5.00 café price in the table is an example; we do not have a source for a typical café price, so use yours.
- Not covered. Electricity, water, cleaning supplies and repairs, and the value of your time.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price, coffee, 100% ground roast, per lb (APU0000717311), $9.33 in September 2026, read 2026-10-17
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price, whole milk, per gallon (APU0000709112), $4.11 in September 2026, read 2026-10-17
- Breville Bambino page: "the ideal dose of 18g" for a 54mm portafilter, read 2026-10-17
- Breville Smart Grinder Pro (BCG820), $199.95, read 2026-10-17
- Our espresso machine prices dataset, CSV
- Our coffee cost per cup dataset (capsule prices), CSV
Changes
- : Published. 10 machines and 1 grinder at the makers' US list prices on 17 October 2026; BLS coffee and milk prices for September 2026.