How we make money
We don't run ads. DrinkIY is free to use with no sign-up, and it pays its bills entirely through Amazon affiliate links: we get a small commission when you buy gear we've linked to, and you pay nothing extra.
Why the site is free
We built DrinkIY because we wanted to know whether an espresso machine was worth it, and the pages that claimed to answer that were mostly trying to sell one. Keeping the calculators free means anyone weighing a coffee habit, a soda maker, or a homebrew kit can run their own numbers without an account, a paywall, or a credit card. That only works if the site pays for itself some other way.
Our promise to you
- No display ads. We don't sell space on the page, so there are no banners or pop-ups.
- No sponsored placements. A machine or bean shows up because we think it's a good pick for its tier. No brand ever pays for its spot.
- No paywalls. Every calculator, guide, and review is free, forever.
- We never sell your data. The calculator runs in your browser; your inputs stay on your device unless you choose to share a link.
- Our opinions are never for sale. A review says what a machine gets you and where it cuts corners, and that doesn't change with who sells it.
- Links never cost you extra. Clicking through to Amazon doesn't add a cent to your total. The commission comes out of Amazon's share of the sale.
What an affiliate link is
When you click a cart button on this site, the link carries our Amazon Associates tag. If you buy that item, or almost anything else, within about 24 hours of clicking, Amazon pays us a small commission (typically low single-digit percent on kitchen goods). You pay the same price either way. Most independent product-review sites work this way, and it's what lets us keep the calculators free instead of charging a subscription.
Why this doesn't skew the math
We only make money if the calculator convinces you a purchase pays off. If a machine is slow to break even, or the savings are thin for your habit, the numbers will say so, and skipping it may be the right call. The math is the same whether or not you ever click a link. There's nothing we can adjust to make a bad buy look good: the formulas are the ones documented on every calculator page, and you can override every default price.
We'd rather earn a smaller commission from someone who trusts the numbers than a bigger one from someone who felt sold to.
The required fine print
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This is the standard FTC and Amazon Associates disclosure, and it covers every affiliate link on this site, whether it's for a machine, beans, milk, a flavoring, or an accessory.
Run your own numbers
Pick a drink and see whether the gear pays off for your habit.