A Chicago writer publishes a list of thrifty ways to enjoy your favorite drink, SBUX takes a major hit from Ronald McDonald, and Philips recalls its Senseo machines.

Was Uncle Sam unkind to you this tax season? Are you looking for a way to penny pinch wherever you can, even at your own coffeemaker? The Chicago Sun-Times published a list of “13 ways to save cash on coffee yesterday” that may help you find some ideas for saving on your daily grind.

Among them is the always obvious brew it at home and at work, but writer Phil Lempert also surprised me with a few tips like adding cocoa or chicory to your grounds to make them last longer. He also suggests freezing any leftover coffee into ice cubes instead of tossing it down the drain. With summer coming, you can toss a few into a glass of iced coffee and they won’t dilute the flavor like regular ice cubes will.

To check out all of the Windy City paper’s tips, click here.

SBUX takes a hit from the Golden Arches

Could McDonald’s McCafe be taking another big step towards winning the coffee war? Starbucks shares fell yesterday after Deutsche Bank downgraded their stock from hold to sell citing McDonald’s recent success with McCafe as a deciding factor.

“The threat is real, and it has yellow arches,” Deutsche Bank’s analysts wrote. “[W]e expect MCD will extract a significant toll on SBUX’ performance, beginning this summer in earnest.”

As the day ended yesterday, Starbucks shares had lost another 28 cents, falling to $11.58 per share. The green mermaid company also had newspapers nationwide in an uproar last weekend as more than 100 additional store closures left many without jobs.

Meanwhile, Mickey D’s stock is holding steady and closed at $53.95 per share yesterday. Investing website The Motley Fool called it a “recession proof” stock way back in July of last year, and it looks like the fools might be right.

Philips recalling Senseos

If you own a Senseo coffeemaker, you might want to check and see if it’s part of a recall Royal Philips Electronics issued Tuesday. The company says several million Senseo coffeemakers have a safety defect that needs to be corrected.

Philips says a heavy buildup of chalk within the machine in combination with a sudden power surge could cause the Senseo’s internal boiler to burst and spill hot water. So far, no one has been injured because of the defect, but Philips doesn’t want to take any chances.

The machines were sold in the Netherlands, Belgium, the US, France, and Germany. A spokesperson for Philips said Tuesday the policy on repairing or replacing the machines varies by country. Nevertheless, Philips has set aside approximately $40 million for the recall.

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