Have you ever considered how much energy your coffee maker expands, each morning, to prepare a cup of delicious coffee for you? As you know, coffee is the ideal morning beverage for staying motivated and aware. However, it also costs you a few hundred dollars each year. Do not get us wrong. We are not suggesting that you give up your favorite morning coffee to save a few hundred dollars every year. Instead, we would want to assist you to obtain a clear image of how much energy you will need to prepare a cup of great coffee, and provide some energy-saving suggestions.
Before we get into the meat of this post, let us look at a basic calculation that will help you calculate how much energy every gadget in your home is using. It’s a daily routine for most people to wake up and start their pot of coffee in the morning. Not many stop to think about just how much energy their coffee maker uses and how much it can cost you in the long run. There are a few things you can do to reduce the impact on the world around you and your wallet.
What is the definition of wattage?
A wattage is a unit of electrical power that indicates how much electricity your electrical gadgets require to function. Wattage is calculated by multiplying the volts by the amps. Thus, the quantity of energy utilized is measured in amps, and the force of the energy is measured in volts. The good news is that you do not have to compute this for yourself unless you want to; manufacturers advertise this information!
black USB cable plugged in a white electric socket
Wattage is significant for one reason: it affects your energy cost. For example, every time you switch on a light or plug in your coffee maker, you consume energy, which the utility company charges you. If you are looking to save money and lower your energy cost, kitchen equipment, like your espresso machine, are a wonderful place to start!
How Much Electricity Does A Coffee Maker Use?
First, a clarification: when talking about energy usage for brewing coffee, we will not discuss the energy it actually takes to get the grains into your office. While that process (from harvest to roasting and transportation) takes up approximately 60 percent of the total energy needed to get the beverage into your favorite mug, it won’t affect your bottom line. Instead, we’ll focus on what matters most: the kilowatt-hours (kWh) needed to turn on the coffee pot and brew the coffee.
The exact energy needed, of course, depends on the exact coffee maker in your office kitchen. That said, regardless of machine, the goal is the same: heat up water from about 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degrees, the recommended average to optimize coffee taste, and also the standard temperature for most coffee machines. Accomplishing that rise in temperature typically takes about 1000 Watts and takes about 5 minutes. So on average:
Energy cost per coffee pot = 0.083-kilowatt-hours
That might not seem like a lot but think about it further. How much does a pot of coffee typically last in your office? Especially early in the week or during the long project, the answer is probably not long. With a single kilowatt-hour, you can brew about 12 pots of coffee – but that might not even get you through Monday.
Different Brewing Types by Energy Efficiency
Standard drip machine has a range of 750 to 1200 watts depending on the model you purchase. A huge amount of this energy is used to heat the water from room temperature to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. These machines usually keep the carafe heated as well for about 2 hours until they automatically shut off. A single-cup coffee maker uses more energy per cup than a drip coffee maker. A single cup in a single-serve coffee machine takes about 300 watts. A kilowatt-hour with this machine will net you around 4 cups of coffee.
Ten cups of coffee made in an automatic drip coffee maker only use 1000 Watts on average. Ten cups in a single-serve would be three times that amount. If you only make yourself one cup a day, then a single-serve machine will save power. If you have an office of people to provide for it’s best to go with a drip coffee machine. Espresso machines use around 1000 to 1500 Watts of power. If you wanted to make ten espresso shots, at 45 seconds a shot, it would take about 1.56 Kilowatt-hours of energy. This, much like the single-serve, is best for small serving if you are energy conscious.
Tips to Save Energy While Brewing Office Coffee
Try getting an energy-efficient coffee machine. If you shop around, you can find coffee machines that have lower wattage ratings and automatic shut-off settings that will save power. If you are just making a daily cup of coffee for yourself, try a single-serve machine or make your coffee a different way. Frequent cleaning will help keep your machine energy efficient. If your machine isn’t cleaned properly, then build-up on the inside will cause it to take longer to heat up. The longer it takes to heat up, the more energy it will waste.
Take a step and go green with reusable filters. Reusable filters won’t make your coffee machine use less energy, but it will bring down the amount of waste you are creating when you make your coffee. This can save energy in the big picture of things. Turn it off when you aren’t using it. A Lot of energy goes to keeping your pot of coffee hot. Only make what you need and turn off the hot plate when you don’t need it. You can also try cold brew options to replace your morning coffee. Since these don’t need heat to make it will reduce power consumption.
Conclusion
It’s surprising just how much power is used in a simple thing like making coffee. If you want to be more environmentally conscious or, just want to save a few bucks on that electric bill, consider these options for reducing your energy footprint. Just a few changes can go a long way to helping you and the world we live in.
