SI February 28, 2026
What Office Coffee Really Costs Per Cup
Offices usually budget for coffee beans and forget everything else. The true cost per cup includes four more lines.
Offices usually budget for coffee beans and forget everything else. The true cost per cup includes four more lines.
The five components
Coffee, milk, disposables, machine amortisation and maintenance. Leave any of them out and your budget will drift every quarter.
- Coffee: beans, capsules or ground
- Milk and creamers
- Cups, lids and stirrers
- Machine cost spread over its life
- Descaling, filters and service
Where the waste hides
Single-use cups next to a full cupboard of mugs, and oversized milk packs that spoil before they are finished.
Benchmarking per head
Track cost per employee per month rather than total spend. It is the only number that stays comparable as headcount changes.
