The poll of 2,000 people found those aged 28-43 outspend the younger Gen Z, who fork out £676 on average.
Whereas thrifty Boomers – those aged 60-69 – spend just £260 a year getting their coffees on the move.
The study found that the average coffee drinker will spend more than £29,000 in their lifetime – on 4,123 pints or 515 gallons of takeaway brews.
And 27 per cent think they spend a lot on takeaway coffee.
However, of the 35 per cent whose workplaces offer free instant coffee, 37 per cent would rather spend money on a ‘nice’ one from outside the office walls.
The research was commissioned by McDonald’s UK, which has slashed its coffee prices, as TV and radio presenter, Jordan North, surprised passersby in London with a blind coffee tasting – with a McCafe.
The study found 49 per cent of coffee drinkers don’t feel ‘human’ in the morning until they’ve had their first cup.
With latte (23 per cent), cappuccino (21 per cent) and a flat white (11 per cent) the top choices.
And while 74 per cent prefer the beverage milky, 18 per sent like it black.
Nearly two fifths describe themselves as a true coffee lover but nine per cent reckon they’re a ‘full on caffeine addict’.
Almost a third (30 per cent) are so pernickety about their daily cup they don’t trust friends, family or colleagues to make it to the exact specifications they get with a takeaway cup.
And those polled, via OnePoll.com, believe a coffee on the go should cost £1.86 a cup, nearly half the £3.40 the average takeaway coffee costs, according to FreshGround.co.uk.
Costs aside, 56 per cent said coffee is a luxury they don’t want to live without – with people buying an average of two takeaway cups of the stuff weekly.
Jordan said: “Getting up early to do the show every morning means I absolutely need my coffee, especially on-the-go.
“You know I love a good bargain – whether it’s Americano or Latte – you don’t want it to cost a lot.
“It was great seeing the reaction from the public when they realised the coffee was from McDonald’s.”
