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
🌙
☕
Based on a standard 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio and our catalog's average $2.02/oz across 374 priced specialty coffees.
💰
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.
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.