How Many Cups of Coffee in a Pound? (Chart of 6 Brew Methods)

So just how many cups of coffee are in a pound of coffee beans? And how do brew method, strength, and roast affect it? In this post, I dive pretty deep to share my measurements and findings in a couple of simple charts. (Metrics include espresso cups, coffee mugs, travel mugs, and liters/ounces.)

On average, you can make about 30 cups of coffee with one pound of coffee. If you favor espresso, you can make 153 double shots with one pound of ground coffee. Even with these variables, the wider range can be from 5 to 30+ cups of coffee for every pound of coffee (bean or grounds).

There are a number of factors affecting this and I’ll cover this in this post.

How Many Cups in a Bag of Coffee?

To understand just how much coffee one pound can make, we need to consider a number of factors.

First, how are the grounds being measured? Coffee is typically measured by either weight or volume. Measurements by weight are more accurate and by volume (scoop) are easier.

I used both methods to note the weight and rough volume measurement (tbsp) in the chart. Many serious coffee drinkers do everything by weight. But that makes a small fraction of the coffee-drinking population. To keep everyone happy, I included both.

And in addition to figuring things out by weight and volume, your brew method also matters. Some types of coffee consume more grounds than others – for the same volume of finished coffee.

There are at least 5 variables to determine cup count per pound:

1. Method of brewing: The method of making coffee will affect how much weight/volume of ground coffee is consumed.
2. Coffee strength: The stronger you like your coffee, the more ground coffee it requires.
3. Type of roast: The darker the roast, the lighter (and larger) each bean will be. (Learn more about the types of coffee bean roasts.)
4. Cup size: The number of cups will be most affected by the size of each cup. An espresso cup holds from 2-3 fluid ounces while a standard coffee mug can hold from 8-12 fluid ounces.
5. A minor factor affecting these measurements include loss from grinding when working from whole bean coffee. A small percentage of coffee will be lost when grinding, but should be less than 1% of total weight.

For this post, the cup size refers to the volume of coffee produced. For example, the coffee mug measure of 10 oz, is to actually produce 10 oz of brewed coffee. It would probably be served in a 12 oz cup (or larger).

How Many Cups of Coffee in a Pound? Chart

Here’s how many cups of coffee a pound of grounds will make, based on six different methods.

Cups of Coffee from 1 Pound:	Espresso Cups (2 oz)	Coffee Mugs (10 oz)	Travel Mugs (16oz)	Liters of Brewed Coffee	Ounces of Brewed Coffee
Espresso Double Shot	25	5	3	1.51 L	51 oz
Drip / Pour Over	153	30	19	9.08 L	306 oz
French Press	89	17	11	5.30 L	179 oz
Moka Pot	122	24	15	7.26 L	245 oz
Cold Brew (Concentrate)	80	16	10	4.73 L	159 oz
Cowboy Coffee	153	30	19	9.08 L	306 oz

As I’m sure you noticed, some of these metrics aren’t that useful. It is unlikely that you’ll make a travel mug of espresso. Or that you’ll put cowboy coffee in an espresso cup. But I included all variables so it’s easier to compare.

How Many Liters of Coffee in a Pound? Chart

Here’s how to calculate the total volume of coffee that each brew method can produce. The final two columns (Liters / Ounces) show the total capacity that one pound of coffee grounds can make.

In case grams are foreign to you, there are 454 grams in 1 pound.

Liters of Coffee from 1 Pound	Tbsp of Grounds per Batch	Grams of Coffee Per Serving	Water (ml/oz)	Liters of Brewed Coffee	Ounces of Brewed Coffee
Espresso Double Shot	3 tbps	18 g	60 / 2	1.51	51
Drip / Pour Over	2 tbps	12 g	240 / 8	9.08	306
French Press	5 tbps	30 g	350 / 11.8	5.30	179
Moka Pot	2.5 tbps	15 g	240 / 8	7.26	245
Cold Brew (Concentrate)	16 tbps	96 g	1000 / 33.8	4.73	159
Cowboy Coffee	2 tbps	12 g	240 / 8	9.08	306

Okay, so now let’s move on to some other common questions.

How much does 1 tbsp of coffee weigh?

One tablespoon of ground coffee weighs roughly 6 grams (0.21 oz).

The coffee grounds I weighed were a medium roast by JustUs (Tierra Madre) and ground to espresso grind in my kitchen. Weight can vary, depending on the coarseness of the grind, darkness of the roast, and if the grounds are packed or heaping/rounded.

And just as a side note, I made sure to zero out the weight (tare the scale) of the empty tablespoon before weighing the coffee.

How much does the grind of the coffee affect its weight? Let’s compare by weighing some whole beans.

How much does 1 tbsp of beans weigh?

One tablespoon of coffee beans weighs roughly 5 grams (0.18 oz).

The beans I weighed were medium roast Kicking Horse (Z-Wrangler). The weight can vary depending on how you scoop the beans, a generous tablespoon (like mine) will weigh more than one less generous.

How many tablespoons of coffee in 1 pound?

• Ground Coffee: There are roughly 75 tablespoons of ground coffee in one pound of coffee. This is based on a weight of 6 grams per tablespoon.
• Coffee Beans: There are roughly 90 tablespoons of coffee beans in one pound of coffee. This is based on a weight of 5 grams per tablespoon.

Can I measure coffee with a tablespoon?

Do Tablespoons Actually Measure Differently? In researching this post, I read some sites that suggested that tablespoons aren’t an accurate measurement. Not that a tablespoon is an inaccurate way to measure coffee – which it is. But that the tablespoon measurement is just a visualization and not an accurate measurement of volume.

If you have also read this, fear not. The universe isn’t actually melting around us and losing its ability to maintain order.

• 1 tablespoon equals 0.5 fluid ounces

A tablespoon is a precise measurement of volume. The volume measurement of a tablespoon is fixed. But tablespoons are a variable measurement when it comes to weight because a tablespoon of a light material weighs less than an equal measurement of a heavy material.

For example, a tablespoon of cotton balls weighs far less than one of sand (although they can have the same volume). And in the coffee world, a tablespoon of dark roast coffee weighs less than a tablespoon of light roast.

Summary of Data by Coffee Method

Here are my findings, organized by the brew method. They follow the same order as the above charts.

1. How Many Double Shot Espressos Per Pound?

Espresso Method: 1 lb produces 1.51 liters of coffee. This is equivalent to 25 2-ounce espresso cups.

• Method: Espresso
• How many cups from 1 pound? 25 espresso cups, 5 coffee mugs, or 3 travel mugs.
• Strength: Double shot
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb produces 1.51 liters (51 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 2 ounces, double shot of espresso.
• Weight: 18 grams of coffee per double shot (3 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 60 ml / 2 oz

While there are many ways to pull an espresso shot, I chose the popular double shot for this comparison.

2. How Many Drip Coffees Per Pound?

Drip Coffee Method: 1 lb produces 9.08 liters of coffee. This is equivalent to 30 10-ounce coffee mugs.

• Method: Drip / Pour Over
• How many cups from 1 pound? 153 espresso cups, 30 coffee mugs, or 19 travel mugs.
• Strength: Regular
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb of ground coffee produces 9.08 liters (306 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 10 ounces
• Weight: 12 grams of ground coffee per mug (2 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 240 ml / 8 oz
• The drip coffee method is one of the most common ways to make coffee at home. They include a drip coffee maker, pour-over, and Chemex coffee makers.

Here’s what we’re using to make drip coffee right now: Ninja Coffee Maker

3. How Many French Press Cups Per Pound?

French Press Coffee Method: 1 lb produces 5.3 liters of coffee. This is equivalent to 17 10-ounce coffee mugs.

• Method: French Press
• How many cups from 1 pound? 89 espresso cups, 17 coffee mugs, or 11 travel mugs.
• Strength: Regular
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb of ground coffee produces 5.3 liters (179 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 10 ounces
• Weight: 30 grams of ground coffee per mug (5 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 350 ml / 11.8 oz

4. How Many Moka Pot Shots Per Pound?

Moka Pot Coffee Method: 1 lb produces 7.26 liters of coffee. This is equivalent to 122 2-ounce espresso cups.

• Method: Drip / Pour Over
• How many cups from 1 pound? 122 espresso cups, 24 coffee mugs, or 15 travel mugs.
• Strength: Regular
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb of ground coffee produces 7.26 liters (245 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 2 ounces
• Weight: 15 grams of ground coffee per mug (2.6 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 240 ml / 8 oz

Right now, we’re using the Bialetti Venus (6-cup).

5. How Many Cold Brew Coffees Per Pound?

Cold Brew Coffee Method: 1 lb produces 4.73 liters of coffee concentrate. This is equivalent to 16 10-ounce coffee mugs.

This method differs from the others because it is concentrated. See below the bullet list for details on dilution.

• Method: Cold brew
• How many cups from 1 pound? 80 espresso cups, 16 coffee mugs, or 10 travel mugs.*see additional calculations below.
• Strength: Regular
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb of coffee grinds produces 4.73 liters (159 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 10 ounces
• Weight: 96 grams of ground coffee per mug (16 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 1000 ml / 33.8 oz

This method differs from the others. Because this is a concentrate, it is frequently mixed at a ratio of 1:1 or even 1:2. Water and milk are commonly added to cold brew concentrate.

• 1:1 Dilution Ratio: How many cups from 1 pound? 160 espresso cups, 32 coffee mugs, or 20 travel mugs.
• 1:2 Dilution Ratio: How many cups from 1 pound? 240 espresso cups, 48 coffee mugs, or 30 travel mugs.

So what looks like one of the least efficient methods of making coffee can actually become the most economical because of the concentration/dilution factor.

Here’s more about how to make cold brew at home.

6. How Many Cups of Cowboy Coffee Per Pound?

Cowboy Coffee Method: 1 lb produces 9.08 liters of coffee concentrate. This is equivalent to 30 10-ounce coffee mugs. 

• Method: Cowboy Coffee
• How many cups from 1 pound? 153 espresso cups, 30 coffee mugs, or 19 travel mugs.
• Strength: Regular
• Roast: Medium roast
• Coffee Production: 1 lb of ground coffee produces 9.08 liters (306 oz) of coffee.
• Coffee Cup Size: 10 ounces
• Weight: 12 grams of coffee grounds per mug (2 tablespoons).
• Volume of Water: 240 ml / 8 oz
• This is a fairly rough way to make a cup of coffee. It is basically a boiled coffee – cooked over an open fire. Learn more about cowboy coffee.

How many ounces in a cup of coffee? Standard plus 17 Other Sizes

More reading: Find the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life.

Your Turn

How did your coffee come out? Are you figuring out how much your coffee beans are costing per cup? Let me know how much mileage you’re getting from your pound of grounds.