Coffee beans · Cups per bag
How many cups of coffee in 250g, 500g and 1kg?
Short answer: it depends on the dose your brewer uses. An automatic like a Jura or DeLonghi uses 8–10g a cup, so 1kg makes about 100–125 coffees, 500g about 50–60, and 250g about 25–30. A Breville double shot uses 18g, so 1kg is about 55 doubles. A plunger uses about 15g a cup, so 1kg is about 65. At $40–50 a kilo, that is 40–60 cents a cup from an automatic and 70–90 cents for a Breville double.
- Dose per cup: automatic 8–10g (up to 12g on the strongest setting), espresso double 18g, stovetop 15–18g, plunger 15g per 250ml, filter machine about 60g per litre.
- One coffee a day gets through a 250g bag in about four weeks – right at the edge of the freshness window.
- Two a day uses 500g a month; four a day uses a kilo.
- Buy the bag size you will finish in a month. A kilo that takes ten weeks is stale before it is done.
Cups per bag by brewer
| Brewer | Dose per cup | 250g | 500g | 1kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic – Jura, DeLonghi (normal strength) | 8–10g | 25–30 | 50–60 | 100–125 |
| Automatic on strongest setting | 11–12g | 20–22 | 40–45 | 80–90 |
| Espresso machine, double shot (Breville) | 18g | 13–14 | 27–28 | 55 |
| Espresso machine, single shot | 9g | 27 | 55 | 110 |
| Stovetop, 3-cup moka | 15–18g | 14–16 | 28–33 | 55–65 |
| Plunger, one 250ml cup | 15g | 16 | 33 | 65 |
| Filter machine, 1 litre jug | 60g | 4 jugs | 8 jugs | 16 jugs |
| Aeropress | 15g | 16 | 33 | 65 |
How long each bag lasts
| Coffees a day (automatic) | 250g lasts | 500g lasts | 1kg lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | About 4 weeks | About 8 weeks – too long | Too long |
| 2 | About 2 weeks | About 4 weeks | About 8 weeks – too long |
| 3–4 | About a week | About 2 weeks | About 4 weeks |
| Household of 4, one each | A week | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Office of 10 | 2 days | 4 days | About a week |
Beans peak in the first few weeks after roasting, so match the bag to the month: 250g for one a day, 500g for two, 1kg for four or more. Anything that will take longer than five or six weeks should be a smaller bag ordered more often – how long do coffee beans last?
Cost per cup
| Beans per kilo | Automatic (9g) | Breville double (18g) | Plunger (15g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30 (supermarket) | 27c | 54c | 45c |
| $40 | 36c | 72c | 60c |
| $50 | 45c | 90c | 75c |
| $60 (specialty single origin) | 54c | $1.08 | 90c |
Milk adds 30–45 cents to a flat white. Even at specialty prices the whole drink is around a dollar, against $5.50–7 at a café and $1–1.80 in pods before milk – is it cheaper to make coffee at home?
Why an automatic uses less coffee
Jura and DeLonghi machines dose 8–12g and extract in a short shot, with the strength setting changing the dose. A Breville double uses 18g because the semi-automatic method builds a bigger, heavier shot. Neither is wrong; the automatic simply gets more cups from a bag. If your automatic’s coffee tastes weak, turn the strength up before assuming you need more expensive beans.
Which bag to buy
- 250g: one coffee a day, or trying a new coffee.
- 500g: two a day, or one person on a Breville.
- 1kg: four or more a day, a household, or a home office. Also the right size for offices – office coffee bean supply.
Orders over $60 – about two 500g bags – ship free, and the Roasters Club takes 15% off every order and times deliveries to your usage.
The right bag, on the right schedule
250g, 500g and 1kg bags roasted in Melbourne, delivered weekly, fortnightly or monthly at 15% off with the Roasters Club. Free shipping over $60.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups of coffee does 1kg of beans make?
About 100–125 from an automatic at 8–10g a cup, 55 double shots on an espresso machine at 18g, and about 65 plunger cups at 15g.
How many cups in 250g of coffee beans?
About 25–30 from an automatic, 13–14 double shots from a Breville, 16 plunger cups.
How long does 1kg of coffee beans last?
About a month at four coffees a day from an automatic, or about two weeks on a Breville making four doubles a day.
How much coffee does a Jura use per cup?
8–10g on a normal setting, up to about 12g on the strongest. That is 100–125 cups per kilo.
What does a cup of home coffee cost?
40–60 cents in beans from an automatic at $40–50 a kilo, 70–90 cents for a Breville double, plus 30–45 cents of milk for a flat white.