Coffee beans price comparison Australia: which bag is really cheaper?

Coffee beans price comparison: read per 100g, not per bag

The quick answer: skip the bag price and read the price per 100g. Then compare beans with beans, think about how fast your house gets through a bag, and check whether the special is a real low before it goes on your list.

Coffee beans come in small bags, big bags and everything in between. The price on the front tells you what the bag costs. It does not tell you what the coffee costs, and that is the number to compare.

We make Discount Trolley, so the bias is obvious. The app shows the unit price on each product page, right under the shelf price. On a bag of beans that line reads per 100g, so bags of different sizes can be lined up on the same number.

• Price per 100g beats price per bag.
• Compare beans with beans.
• Check the special before you stock up.

Why a bigger bag is not always a better buy

A 1kg bag can work out cheaper per 100g than a small bag of the same coffee, but not every time. Specials land on small bags too, and a small bag on special can beat a big bag at its normal price.

There is a second catch. Once a bag is open, the beans start to lose flavour. A 1kg bag only wins if your house finishes it while it still tastes the way you like. If one person has one cup a day, a smaller bag at a slightly higher price per 100g can be the better buy.

So line the bags up on price per 100g first. Then be honest about how much coffee your house really drinks before you reach for the biggest bag.

• Bag size is a packaging choice.
• A special can flip the big bag versus small bag sum.
• Buy a size you will finish while it tastes good.

Beans, ground, single origin and blends: compare like with like

Price per 100g only helps when you compare the same kind of coffee. Whole beans, ground coffee, pods and instant often share an aisle, but they are different products. Keep this check to beans against beans.

On the beans shelf, single origin bags, blends, organic bags and roast strength all change the price. None of them is wrong. Pick the style you like first, then let the price per 100g decide between the bags that fit.

If you are not sure a cheaper bag will suit you, try a small bag before you commit to a big one. A big bag you do not enjoy is not cheap.

1. Beans against beans, not against ground or pods.
2. Pick your style first, then compare price per 100g.
3. Try a small bag before you buy a big one.

House brand vs name brand coffee beans

Supermarket house brand beans sit on the shelf next to the big coffee names. At ALDI, for example, you will find Lazzio beans. House brands can be good value, but do not assume it. Put one house brand bag and one name brand bag you would happily drink side by side, in the same style, and let the price per 100g decide.

Name brand coffee moves on and off special, so the gap between the two can change from week to week. On a good week a name brand bag can beat the house brand. On another week it might not. The only way to know is to check the number on the day you shop.

When you find a bag you like, save it as a favourite so you can reopen it fast next time instead of hunting through the aisle again.

• Test one house brand and one name brand in the same style.
• Check the gap on the day you shop.
• Favourite the bag you like.

Coffee specials and stocking up without overpaying

Coffee specials come and go, and a big tag makes it easy to buy on the badge instead of the price. A loud special on a big bag can still work out dearer per 100g than a smaller bag at its normal price.

Before you load up, open the product in Discount Trolley and look at the price history. Dete, our koala, reads that history and holds up one sign: Good time, Wait if you can or About usual. When there is not enough history yet, the sign says Not sure yet. Tap the sign to see the chart.

Today's deals is the other quick check before you leave home. It shows what is on special now with the was-price next to it. A real low is a fair time to buy a bag ahead, as long as you will drink it before it goes stale. For more on judging a deal, read how to spot a fake supermarket special and when a bulk buy grocery deal is worth it.

• Buy on a real low, not on a loud tag.
• Check price history before you stock up.
• Read the was-price, not only the badge.

Compare coffee beans across stores on one list

Most of us grab coffee in the same trip as everything else, so it belongs on the same list. Add the bag you want to My List in Discount Trolley next to the milk and bread, and the list shows a count for each store so you can see where your lines sit before you leave.

To check the same bag at other stores, open the product page and scroll to Compare Stores. It shows the same product at other stores where data is available, and it tells you plainly when a product is not stocked somewhere, so you do not make a wasted trip.

For an example, open the Lazzio Brazil Single Origin Coffee Beans 1kg page on Discount Trolley and look at how the unit price reads per 100g under the price. For the habit on any staple, read how to use unit prices to find the cheapest groceries. If ALDI is one of your stops, read ALDI vs Coles prices: Special Buys vs everyday unit price. To weigh a second stop, read should you split your grocery shop across two stores.

• One list for coffee and the rest of the shop.
• Compare Stores for the same bag at other stores.
• Check while you have signal, then shop the list.

What Discount Trolley does (and does not) claim about coffee beans

Discount Trolley helps you check the grocery price information that is available for the bags on your list. It does not promise savings, crown one brand or store as the cheapest forever, or carry the full range at all stores. Prices and specials change, so check again on the day you shop.

Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, IGA, Harris Farm, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse where data is available. Not affiliated with those stores. The shelf can differ from the screen. Live prices need a connection.

For more staple comparisons, see toilet paper price comparison Australia, cheese price comparison Australia and compare milk prices on one list.

• No invented savings or rankings.
• No forever cheapest brand or store.
• No affiliation with the supermarket chains.

Questions shoppers still ask