Brewing for a party, meeting, or event? Enter your guest count and we'll tell you exactly how many grounds, 12oz bags, and dollars to plan for — no guessing, no dregs, no last-minute coffee run.
Ground coffee needed
15.6 oz
(444 g)
30
Total cups
1.9 gal
Water needed
2
12oz bags
$31.44
Est. cost
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Based on a standard 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio and our catalog's average $2.02/oz across 374 priced specialty coffees.
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Buying in bulk for a group?
The best-value-per-ounce ranking is built for exactly this — real specialty coffee that won't blow the catering budget.
At the default settings: 1.5 cups per guest, 8 fl oz cups, drip/filter brewed at a 1:16 ratio.
Guests
Water needed
Grounds needed
12oz bags
Est. cost
10
0.94 gal
7.8 oz (222 g)
1
$15.77
20
1.87 gal
15.6 oz (444 g)
2
$31.55
50
4.69 gal
39.1 oz (1,109 g)
4
$78.86
100
9.37 gal
78.2 oz (2,218 g)
7
$157.73
200
18.75 gal
156.5 oz (4,436 g)
14
$315.46
500
46.87 gal
391.2 oz (11,090 g)
33
$788.64
Frequently Asked Questions
How much coffee do I need for a party of 20?
For 20 guests at a standard 1.5 cups each (8 fl oz cups, drip/filter at a 1:16 ratio) you need about 15.6 oz (444 g) of ground coffee — roughly 2 standard 12oz bags — and about 1.9 gallons of water. Scale up or down with the calculator above.
How many cups does a 12 oz bag of coffee make?
A standard 12 oz (340 g) bag brewed at a 1:16 ratio makes about 22-23 eight-ounce cups of drip or pour-over coffee — fewer with bigger mugs, or with the slightly stronger 1:15 French press ratio.
How much coffee should I plan per person for a meeting or event?
A common catering rule of thumb is 1.5-2 cups per person for morning events (breakfast meetings, brunches) and closer to 1 cup per person for afternoon or evening events, since fewer people refill after lunch. Round your guest count up slightly — running out is worse than a partial bag left over.
What percentage of guests usually want decaf?
Most catering guides plan for roughly 10-20% of coffee drinkers wanting decaf. Use the decaf slider above to split your bag count, then check our Best Decaf Coffees ranking to pick a specific bag.
Does the brew method change how much coffee I need for a crowd?
Yes. Drip/filter and pour over both use a 1:16 ratio by weight, while French press is brewed slightly stronger at 1:15 — about 7% more grounds for the same water. Use our Brew Ratio Calculator for other methods, or the Coffee Scoop to Grams Converter if you're measuring a big batch by the scoop.
Is it better to buy too much coffee or too little for an event?
Buy slightly more than the calculator's minimum — an unopened bag keeps for months in a sealed, cool, dark spot, while running out mid-event isn't recoverable. Rounding your guest count up by 10-15%, or buying one extra 12oz bag, is a cheap insurance policy.