Iced coffee drinkers can get a cheaper caffeine fix at home this summer

Want to stretch your dollar as coffee prices rise? There are growing options to buy premade cold brew in the grocery store or make it in your kitchen.

People are buying more iced coffee — often where it’s pricier.

Call it a convenience premium, but in a year when coffee prices have hit record highs, getting a cold caffeine fix on the go this summer could dent your wallet more than you’re used to. Now, many consumers are finding better bargains in grocery stores and by brewing at home.

At cafes and restaurants, 35% of coffee orders are cold, up 7 percentage points since 2017, said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage analyst at the research firm Circana. But as coffee drinkers have long known, cold orders tend to be costlier.

During the first quarter, U.S. consumers paid $3.08 on average for a cup of regular coffee, $5.14 for cold brew and $5.46 for a latte, according to digital payments processor Toast. Typically higher-priced cold drinks — like iced shaken espressos and matcha tea lattes — helped Starbucks offset a traffic decline in the second quarter.

“If you want the cheapest option, go ahead and get it at a retailer,” said Seifer, adding that convenience stores also “might be able to undercut quick-service restaurants’ pricing a little bit.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/save-money-iced-coffee-cold-brew-prices-rcna156876

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