Carry your own mug around. Constant vigilance, especially if you’re around Koerner’s or the nest. Lots of free coffee around.

The cheapest coffee on campus is definitely sprouts – It’s still in the old sub. Simply put a loonie in the bowl at the coffee station and fill your mug up, or any of the quaint china in the racks under the station. You almost always will be the only grad student around. It’s a nice place to work, especially if you do NOT want internet – a cold draught makes you want to pee, but you tell yourself you only can after you finish typing this paragraph.

Edit: The cheapest coffee on campus is actually sprouts’ sister cafe – seedlings. Situated at the north end of the campus in the same building as Koerner’s Pub, it offers coffee for just 75 cents.

Make your own coffee – The coffee making experience can be cathartic, bordering on masochistic if you use a burr grinder for the beans (the physical effort itself will wake you up). Getting the setup in place can be a considerable investment (A Hario burr grinder costs 42 and an aeropress 38). You could also get a blade grinder for much cheaper at the risk of your coffee having a burnt taste.

Pseudocoffee pls luv mi – Tim Hortons French Vanilla. I’m surprised it has a non-zero caffeine content (60mg) and provides those good ol’ calories (250).

Nicest coffee – Boulevard coffee roasting company – Started by a PhD brethren of UBC, they roast their beans in house (immaterial). Their coffee’s got a high caffeine content (important) without the burnt acidic flavors thrown in.

Frappuccino – When you want a frappucino (almost always) but don’t have the money (because Vancouver rental prices), here’s a tip (hat tip to Squakfox) – Pinch of Xanthan gum which prevents the components from separating.

1 cup coffee

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of Xanthan gum (Thx Ferran Adria, many appreciate)