Coffee Break German
Audio course: German audio lessons in which a native speaker teaches the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio, notes and video.
Prices checked 17 Oct 2026 · How we check
Is Coffee Break German worth it?
Yes, if you like learning by listening, on a walk or a commute, and want a teacher to explain why German works the way it does; the podcast lets you try every season free before you pay for any course.
What it costs. The podcast is free; one season's online course is $269 once.
What's free. The podcast, free for good: the audio lessons of all three seasons, about 15 to 20 minutes each. A season's paid course adds a bonus audio lesson, notes and a video for each lesson.
Skip it if you want exercises that mark your answers, an app with a daily plan, or a course to an advanced level: Coffee Break German is three seasons of audio lessons with notes, from absolute beginner to upper intermediate.
Free One season's online course: $269 once
In our comparison: strongest on the free tier and offline use, weakest on speaking practice.
- Annual plan
- —
- Monthly plan
- —
- Lifetime plan
- $269 once, one season of 40 lessons: audio, bonus audio, lesson notes and video lessons
- Free tier
- Free to keep using
The podcast, free for good: the audio lessons of all three seasons, about 15 to 20 minutes each. A season's paid course adds a bonus audio lesson, notes and a video for each lesson. - Languages
- 1
- Speech recognition
- —
- Live tutoring
- No
- Offline mode
- Yes
- Placement test
- —
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- The podcast is free to try any season. No refund once a course has been downloaded: its policy says all sales are then final; within 7 days it will consider swapping a course for another level if it is too easy or too hard.
- Platforms
- Web
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How a Coffee Break German lesson works
- What you do
- Listen to a lesson of 15 to 20 minutes: a native-speaking teacher explains a point and learner Mark tries it, asks questions and makes mistakes, and you answer aloud along with him. A season's paid course adds a bonus audio lesson, notes and a video of each lesson with the words on screen; in Season 3 the bonus lesson explains the whole conversation word by word, and a translation challenge tests you.
- What comes back
- You compare your answer with the recording; nothing marks it.
- Not included
- A live teacher or stated CEFR levels.
How a lesson works in an audio course
Plans and prices
Every consumer plan on Coffee Break German's own pricing page or app-store listing, in US dollars unless marked. Per month is the plan price divided by its term. Each price is what the seller was charging on the day we checked it. When a plan was on sale, its regular price is shown under the sale price; a crossed-out figure that is only a comparison, such as a year at the monthly rate, is in the plan's note.
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The podcastFreeOn its website, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. | Other | $0 | $0/mo | the audio lessons of all three seasons |
| One season's online courseOnline coursePaid once, on the Coffee Break Academy, with unlimited access afterwards; £199 in pounds. Season 3's course adds a translation challenge to each lesson, and its bonus lesson explains the whole conversation word by word (its Academy page). | Lifetime | $269 | one-time | one season of 40 lessons: audio, bonus audio, lesson notes and video lessons |
Before subscribing, compare trial, cancellation and refund terms, including how purchases through an app store differ.
What Coffee Break German says about itself
| Feature | What Coffee Break German says |
|---|---|
| CEFR levels | — |
| What it is | Audio lessons of 15 to 20 minutes in which a native speaker teaches German to a learner, Mark, who asks questions and makes mistakes as you would, with a cultural correspondent, Julia, in three seasons of 40 lessons from absolute beginner to upper intermediate; the podcast is free, and each season's online course adds bonus audio, lesson notes and video lessons. |
| Languages offered | 1: German |
| Free tier | The podcast, free for good: the audio lessons of all three seasons, about 15 to 20 minutes each. A season's paid course adds a bonus audio lesson, notes and a video for each lesson. |
| Platforms | Web · The podcast plays in any podcast app; the online courses run on the Coffee Break Academy website. There is no Coffee Break German app of its own in Apple's US App Store (searched 16 Oct 2026; Radio Lingua's only app there is Coffee Break TV, a separate video subscription). |
| Offline mode | Yes |
| Speech recognition | — |
| Live tutoring | No |
| Placement test | — |
| Refund or trial | The podcast is free to try any season. No refund once a course has been downloaded: its policy says all sales are then final; within 7 days it will consider swapping a course for another level if it is too easy or too hard. |
| Company | Radio Lingua Ltd, United Kingdom |
How Coffee Break German compares
Coffee Break German is strongest on the free tier and offline use, weakest on speaking practice. Each criterion is scored out of 5 from what each app says about itself and from independent reviews, to compare apps that do the same job; it is not a review of the app. How we score.
| Feature | Score (of 5) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching depth | 3 | German audio lessons in which a native speaker teaches the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio, notes and video |
| Speaking practice | 1 | — |
| Language coverage | 1 | 1 language |
| Free tier | 5 | Free for good; paid extras add more |
| Price per month | – | Free; One season's online course: $269 once; a one-time price is not scored as a price per month |
| Trial and refund | 2 | The podcast is free to try any season. No refund once a course has been downloaded: its policy says all sales are then final; within 7 days it will consider swapping a course for another level if it is too easy or too hard |
| Offline use | 4 | Works offline |
| Staying power and bugs | – | Not available |
Languages you can learn on Coffee Break German
1 language as listed by Coffee Break German.
How far its courses go
- German: Three seasons: Absolute beginners, Lower Intermediate and Upper Intermediate; 120 lessons, 40 in each season, of about 15 to 20 minutes.
Compare Coffee Break German
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References
- Coffee Break German: course page (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Coffee Break Academy: German Season 1
- Coffee Break Languages: refund and cancellation policy (checked 16 Oct 2026)