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How many cups of coffee are in a pound?
Exactly how many cups of coffee can you make with a pound? It all depends on your preferences.
Published October 24, 2021
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Shruti Gupta
Coffee experts@Era of We
So, you find yourself with a pound of coffee in your hand. It's nothing to be shy about; we've all been there. Whether it's a week full of long, boring zoom calls or your final project is due, sometimes we all need some coffee desperately. The first question that pops in your head might be "how much coffee is enough for a cup?" or in this case, "well, how many cups of coffee can I make from a pound?". I’m here to help you figure it out.
The number of cups of coffee you can make from a pound of coffee depends on how you like to prepare and drink them. As an example, if you're someone who enjoys getting whole beans and grinding them on your own, you end up losing approximately one percent of the total coffee weight. Thus, if you were to buy a pound of coffee beans and grind them yourself, you'd be left with 0.99 pounds.
The specifics
A cup equals about 16 ounces; the "golden" ratio for coffee is considered to be one tablespoon of coffee grounds for every 4 ounces of water. Or basically two tablespoons for a cup of coffee. One pound is made up of 32 tablespoons, so you should get about 16 cups of coffee from a pound of coffee beans. On average, you can make about 30 cups of coffee with one pound of coffee, but if you like espresso, you can make a whopping 70 shots. And that should end the debate, but it’s not that simple. If you're a true coffee nerd who’s inspired by the delicious aroma of different notes and textures, there are other variables to consider.
It isn't the same for every cup of coffee. Some might enjoy an espresso, while some a cold brew, and here is where things get interesting. Different methods of making coffee have a different "golden" ratio; let's get into them.
When it comes to a coffee cup per pound, we must consider the following factors:
- The method of brewing
- Coffee strength- how strong you might like it.
- Roast type- the darker the roast, the lighter each bean.
- Cup size: for e.g., espresso vs latte
- Grind- how coarse or fine the grind is.
There are four different methods of brewing coffee, namely:
- Decoction (boiling),
- Infusion (steeping/using a French Press),
- Gravitation feed (drip brew method)
- Pressurized percolation (espresso makers).
Let's talk numbers: A pound of coffee can produce 30 coffee cups of drip/pour coffee, 17 cups if brewed with a French press, 24 cups with a Moka Pot, 16 cups of cold brews.
Decoction:
When you make coffee by boiling or brewing it, we are looking at one tablespoon of coffee grounds for 8 fl ounces, so you should actually get a little less than thirty-two cups of coffee per pound of coffee grounds.
Infusion
The French press or infusion method of making coffee, on the other hand, requires a coarser grind of coffee beans; thus, we're looking at about two tablespoons for 12.2 fluid ounces of water or about 1.33 tablespoons for 8 fluid ounces of water. Since the grind is coarser, you need more of it to interact with water to release its essential oils. Thus, you should be able to get around 24 cups of coffee from a pound of coffee beans.
Gravitation feed (Drip-coffee)
The most common brewing method due to how easy it is to execute; a lot of people make drip coffee with Keurig coffee brewers or other appliances. Usually, to make a cup of coffee, you need about 2 tablespoons of coffee. For a 6-ounce cup, you will get about 24-46 cups of coffee from a pound of coffee beans. But this may vary according to how strong you like your coffee.
Espresso (percolation)
Making an espresso requires pressure to mix coffee and water, and among most coffees, espresso is the most concentrated one. Usually, about 6-7 grams of coffee is required per shot of espresso and accordingly, you will get 60-70 shots of espresso per pound. But this amount may vary depending on the amount of water you add or the number of shots per serving.
In conclusion,
The golden ratio calls for a 1:18 ratio of coffee to water and using this per pound of coffee can give you 34 cups. But if you like it stronger, it may yield fewer cups. And again, if your roast is light, it'll yield more coffee than the dark ones. So guessing the exact number of cups is not possible, but hopefully, with all this info you'll be able to gauge the number of cups as per your preference.
About the author
Shruti Gupta
I like coffee and I like writing, reading, and traveling, all with a cup of coffee in my hand. My recommendation? Brew some coffee (nutty flavors preferred), make it strong, add a little cinnamon and brown sugar, and a touch of soy milk, you've got happiness in a cup! Best served chilled :)
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