Comparison · Bean-to-cup machines
Bean-to-cup vs Nespresso: what each cup really costs
We worked out the bean-to-cup vs Nespresso cost per cup from UK machine, bean and pod prices checked on 3 Oct 2026, and how long a bean-to-cup machine takes to pay back its higher price.
The bean to cup vs Nespresso cost question comes down to one trade: a bean-to-cup machine costs more to buy but less per cup, while a Nespresso machine is cheaper up front and dearer to run. We’ve done the sums with real UK prices checked on 3 Oct 2026, and shown every step so you can swap in your own numbers. We haven’t tested this in person. Everything below is based on retailer prices, published specs and our own arithmetic. Read how we compare.
Bean to cup vs Nespresso cost: the short answer
Choose bean-to-cup if you drink two or more coffees a day and you’re happy with a single-shot dose. With our example prices, the extra machine cost is paid back in about 14 months at two cups a day, and in about 7 months at four.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who likes strong double shots made with pricier beans. At a 16g dose with Lavazza beans at £18.50 a kilo (Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026), a bean-to-cup cup costs about 30p, roughly 5p more than a supermarket pod.
Choose Nespresso if you drink one coffee a day or less, or you’re short on space and cash up front. At one cup a day, a single-dose bean-to-cup machine takes over two years to pay back the difference.
Who it isn’t for: heavy coffee drinkers. At four cups a day, supermarket pods come to £365 a year in our example, against about £146 for single-dose beans.
The prices we used
Every number in this guide comes from these listings, all in stock and checked on 3 Oct 2026:
- Bean-to-cup machine: the De’Longhi Magnifica S ECAM250.33.TB, £299.00 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Nespresso machine: the Nespresso CitiZ by Krups XN741B40, £174.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Budget beans: Morrisons Espresso Blend Roasted Coffee Beans, £14.25 for 1kg at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Branded beans: Lavazza Crema e Gusto Classico, £18.50 for 1kg at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Supermarket pods: L’Or Supremo, £10.00 for 40 capsules at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026, which works out at 25p each. Starbucks by Nespresso House Blend was £9.25 for 36 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026, about 26p each.
We couldn’t confirm Nespresso’s own current pod prices, so we haven’t used them. If you buy Nespresso-branded pods, check current prices and redo the pod line of the sums. They’d need to cost more than 25p each to make Nespresso dearer still.
How much coffee goes in a cup
Pods are easy: one pod makes one cup. Beans need a dose. We’ve used two examples:
- 7g for a single shot, the size of the single basket Gaggia UK lists for its Gaggia Classic E24, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- 16g for a double, the size of the double basket on the same Gaggia UK listing.
Bean-to-cup machines set their own dose, and many let you choose a stronger setting, so your real figure may sit anywhere around this range. That’s why we show both.
Who it isn’t for: if you know your machine’s exact dose, ignore our examples and use yours: grams per cup x price per kilo ÷ 1,000.
Cost per cup, worked out
Morrisons Espresso Blend beans cost £14.25 per kilo (checked 3 Oct 2026), which is 1.425p per gram. Here’s what that means per cup, alongside the branded beans:
- 7g of Morrisons beans: 7 x 1.425p = about 10p.
- 16g of Morrisons beans: 16 x 1.425p = about 23p.
- 7g of Lavazza Crema e Gusto (1.85p per gram): about 13p.
- 16g of Lavazza Crema e Gusto: about 30p.
- A L’Or Supremo pod: 25p.
So a single-dose cup from budget beans saves about 15p against a supermarket pod. A 16g double dose of budget beans saves only about 2p. A 16g double dose of the Lavazza beans actually costs about 5p more than a pod.
Who it isn’t for: this isn’t a like-for-like taste comparison. A pod and a 7g bean-to-cup shot aren’t the same drink, so pick on what you like, then on cost.
Break-even at 1, 2 and 4 cups a day
The bean-to-cup machine cost £124.01 more than the CitiZ (£299.00 against £174.99 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026). Divide that by the saving per cup and you get the number of cups before the bean-to-cup machine has paid for itself.
| Cups a day | 7g budget beans (saves about 15p a cup) | 7g Lavazza beans (saves about 12p a cup) | 16g budget beans (saves about 2p a cup) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | about 2 years 3 months | about 2 years 10 months | about 15 years 5 months |
| 2 | about 14 months | about 17 months | about 7 years 9 months |
| 4 | about 7 months | about 8 to 9 months | about 3 years 10 months |
The sums: £124.01 ÷ 15.03p = about 825 cups. At two a day, that’s about 413 days. At 16g, £124.01 ÷ 2.2p = about 5,637 cups, which is about 2,818 days at two a day. A 16g double of the Lavazza beans never pays back, because it costs more per cup than a pod.
And the yearly coffee bill on each route:
| Cups a day | Supermarket pods (25p) | 7g budget beans (about 10p) | 16g budget beans (about 23p) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £91.25 | about £36 | about £83 |
| 2 | £182.50 | about £73 | about £166 |
| 4 | £365.00 | about £146 | about £333 |
Who it isn’t for: if you’ll only use the machine at weekends, the break-even stretches out for years, and a pod machine is the more sensible buy.
Electricity, milk and the extras
Electricity. Ofgem’s price cap for 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026 averages 26.32p per kWh for electricity paid by Direct Debit. We couldn’t find a published per-cup energy figure for either machine, so we haven’t invented one. For scale, Currys lists the Magnifica S at 1450W and the CitiZ at 1260W, so either would need to run flat out for more than 40 minutes to use a single kWh. Currys also says the CitiZ switches itself off after 9 minutes.
Milk. We’ve left it out because it costs the same either way. The difference is how you froth it: the Magnifica S has a steam wand (Currys), while the CitiZ needs a separate frother or the milk bundle.
Maintenance. Bean-to-cup machines need descaling and, if you use one, a water filter. Currys lists descaler and a water filter in the Magnifica S box. Pod machines need descaling too. We haven’t priced replacements, so budget a little extra for the bean-to-cup route.
Who it isn’t for: if you’re counting every penny of running cost, factor in descaler and filters before you decide.
Picks for each route
- Bean-to-cup on a budget: the De’Longhi Magnifica S, £299.00 at Currys (checked 3 Oct 2026). Our guide to bean-to-cup machines under £500 covers more options.
- Nespresso Original: the CitiZ, £174.99 at Currys (checked 3 Oct 2026). Our Nespresso CitiZ review goes into the detail.
Where to go next
Our bean-to-cup machines and pod machines hubs cover each type in more depth, and our coffee beans section compares supermarket beans.
Downsides of each route
- Bean-to-cup: a higher price up front, more cleaning, and savings that shrink fast if you use bigger doses or pricier beans.
- Nespresso: a higher cost per cup, extra waste from capsules, and only two drink sizes (espresso and lungo) on the CitiZ.
FAQ
Is a bean-to-cup machine cheaper than Nespresso? Per cup, usually yes, if you use a single-shot dose and budget beans: about 10p against 25p in our example. Overall, it depends on how many cups you drink, because the machine costs more up front.
How long does a bean-to-cup machine take to pay for itself? With our example prices and a 7g dose, about 14 months at two cups a day, or about 7 months at four.
Does a bean-to-cup machine use more electricity? We couldn’t find published per-cup energy figures, so we can’t say. Currys lists 1450W for the Magnifica S and 1260W for the CitiZ.
Can you use cheaper pods in a Nespresso machine? Original machines like the CitiZ take supermarket pods made for the Original system, such as the L’Or and Starbucks pods we priced.
