How Many Cups of Coffee in a 12 oz Bag?

When buying coffee beans, one of the most common questions is “How many cups of coffee can I make with a 12 oz bag?” If you find yourself frequently running out of coffee, use this guide to learn exactly how much coffee a standard 12 oz bag will produce.

On average, you can expect to brew 20 to 30 cups of coffee from a 12 oz (340 gram) bag. However, the exact number depends on several factors:

Your cup size – Standard coffee mugs range from 8-12 oz. We based our estimate on a 10 oz mug.

Your coffee to water ratio – The golden standard is 1:15 (60g coffee to 900g water). A higher ratio will use more beans per cup.

Your brew method – Methods like drip and pour over use roughly the same ratio. Espresso is much more concentrated.

How strong you like your coffee – Some people prefer a higher concentration for bolder flavor.

By thinking through these aspects, you can better gauge coffee usage and determine optimal purchasing frequency. Read on to understand the math behind typical coffee bag sizes.

Coffee Bag Sizes

The average person buys a 12 oz bag every 2-3 weeks. Other standard sizes include:

1 lb (16 oz)

2 lb

5 lb bags for wholesale/commercial customers

For maximum freshness, buy whole bean coffee in smaller batches that align with your brewing habits.

Coffee to Water Ratios by Brew Method

The ratio of coffee to water impacts flavor and caffeine levels. Here are common ratios:

Auto-drip machine: 1:15 ratio (60g coffee per 900g water)

Pour over: 1:15 to 1:17 ratio

French press: 1:12 to 1:15 ratio

Espresso: 1:2 ratio (14g coffee for 28g espresso shot)

Given the 1:15 ratio for drip and pour over, a 12 oz bag (340g) yields around 567g or 22.5 10 oz cups of coffee. Adjust the ratio up or down based on your preferred strength.

Getting the Most From Your 12 oz Coffee Bag

To summarize, you can expect approximately 20-30 10 oz cups of drip/pour over coffee per 12 oz bag. Buy whole beans in smaller batches to ensure freshness and tweak coffee-to-water ratios to suit your taste. With some simple planning, you’ll never run out unexpectedly again!