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DIY Drink Guides
Short, practical guides to what your favorite drinks cost to make at home, from the
ingredients to the gear. Each one links to a calculator where you can try your own
numbers.
Guide · Espresso
What beans, milk and upkeep add up to, and why a home latte costs under a dollar
when the café charges $5.50.
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Guide · Water
Bottled runs $0.11–$2.50 a bottle, and a home filter costs cents a gallon. We also
cover the safety questions people ask before switching.
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Guide · Cold Brew
Coarse coffee and cold water, left overnight in the fridge. It comes to a dollar or
two a glass, against about $5 at a café.
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Guide · Kombucha
Sweet tea, a SCOBY, and a week of patience make a gallon for the price of one
store bottle.
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Guide · Electrolytes
A simple recipe made from bulk salts. It costs 5 to 20 cents a serving, compared
with about $1.50 for a packet, and you don't need any equipment.
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Guide · Homebrew Beer
A 5-gallon batch makes about 50 bottles at roughly a dollar each. Craft beer from
the store is closer to $3.
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Guide · Soda
A soda maker turns tap water into sparkling water or soda for a few cents a glass,
and you stop hauling cans to the recycling bin.
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Compare · All Drinks
All seven drinks side by side, so you can see where your habit saves the most.
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