Just a little perspective on the cost of K-cups. First we should clarify that K-cups are premium coffees, so we shouldn't compare to inexpensive bags of coffee. When I was still grinding (premium) beans, I was paying around $3.50 for a quarter pound. I have read that one can get from 32 - 40 cups of coffee from a pound, depending on brew strength. Let's go with 32 for easy math, which would yield about 8 cups in a quarter pound. That would be about 44 cents per cup. I order K-cups online (not mass quantities - about 2 months worth), and the per cup cost is under 55 cents. That's almost no difference in price and doesn't even include all the convenience factors. That being said, you do have to factor in the cost of the "K" machine and how it compares to the cost of a nice coffee brewer.