How Many Cups of Coffee Does a 12-Ounce Bag Make?

QUESTION: – How many cups of coffee does a 12-ounce bag make? – Glen C.

ANSWER: – If you do a search for how many cups of coffee you can get out of a 12-ounce bag, and really take the time to read through the first page of results, you will be surprised at how many different answers you end up with. It seems that no one can come to an agreement on the number of cups of coffee are in a 12-ounce bag. The reason for all the confusion is simple. There are a large number of variables that one must consider when trying to determine the answer to this question.

In just the first page of results, we tallied up a lot of different answers. Coffee detective assumes that you are referring to a 9 oz cup of coffee, and gives a rough estimate of 22 cups of coffee from a 12-ounce bag. Monsieur coffee gives you two different lists of possible outcomes, depending on the coffee strength and the ratio of coffee to water you prefer to use when brewing your coffee, and depending on the size of your coffee cup. Depending on the variables, you could end up with anywhere between 64 tiny cups of coffee, to 9 massive cups, and anywhere between 11 cups of strong coffee and 19 cups using less coffee for a weak coffee-to-water ratio.

Above Average Coffee comes to the number of 32 cups of coffee per 12 ounce bag by suggesting 2 tablespoons per 8 ounce serving, and an average of 64 tablespoons in each 12 ounce bag. Answers Drive offers up a whopping 62 9 oz cups. Lucky Belly suggests 2.5 tablespoons of coffee should be used for every 6 fluid ounces and estimates that you will get about 68 6-ounce servings out of a 12-ounce bag of coffee.

That’s a lot of different answers for the same question, and that’s just on the first page of google results. The reason for all the confusion is that none of the websites are using the same formula to get to their answer. Most of the articles we looked at used different ratios and different cup sizes to come to their conclusions. One website simply listed all of the possible variations in graphs.

It makes perfect sense that coffee enthusiasts would have plenty of differing opinions over how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Every coffee lover has their personal preference and when it comes to coffee, opinions can vary wildly when it comes to strength of brew method, acidity, type of coffee, roast level preference, and much much more. In the world of coffee, there is no general consensus on what the best practices are. As a general rule most coffee drinkers brew their coffee with a water temperature at 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit, the cold brew movement is growing in popularity. And it seems that no one can agree at what temperature coffee is best served at, with different schools of opinions which range all the way from 180 degrees to 140 degrees F and lower.

So, how many cups of coffee does a 12-ounce bag make? In order to get an accurate answer, much more information is needed. What is your cup size? If you are talking 6 oz cups of coffee (which is the standard serving size for coffee), you are going to get a lot more cups than if you were looking for the amount of 12 or 16 ounce cups one can get out of a pound of ground coffee. What kind of coffee maker are you using? What is your preferred brewing method? Different methods of brewing call for different amounts of coffee in order to get the perfect cup. What strength do you prefer your coffee to be?

The 12 ounce bag is still a 12 oz bag of coffee beans, whether you buy pre-ground coffee or a bag of beans. With whole bean coffee there may be a bit of waste lost in the grinder, you are still getting around 12 ounces of coffee either way. The difference in how many cups you will get out of the grounds will come down to the ratio that you use and the size of your coffee cup. The most popular ratios for brewing a great cup of coffee are 1:17 and 1:18 coffee to water. If you are drinking 12 ounce cups of coffee with these ratios in mind, you will get either 16 or 17 cups out of a 12-ounce bag of coffee.