How much coffee for 50 people?

For 50 people at 8 oz each, use about 740 g of ground coffee: 148 level tablespoons (5 g each), or 74 scoops (2 tablespoons each), at the standard 1:16 ratio. That is a little over two 12 oz bags (340 g each), so plan on three. Brew about 400 fl oz (3.1 gallons) of water in total. The basic math behind every row below is in our how much coffee per cup guide.

How much coffee for 40, 50 and 60 people?

This table uses 8 fl oz cups (237 g of water each). Strong is 1:14, standard is 1:16, and in between is 1:15.

Round up, and write the final grams on your shopping list before you buy. A crowd always drinks more than the number of people, and a second cup is common at a long event. Three 12 oz bags (1,020 g) cover 50 people at the standard ratio with plenty to spare, and two bags (680 g) is enough for about 46 cups. For a smaller group, see how much coffee for 20 people. A gallon on its own is on how much coffee for a gallon of coffee, and the full ounce chart is at coffee to water ratio chart by ounces.

Should you use one urn or several pots?

An urn is simplest if you have one, but check the rating. Many urns count a cup as less than 8 oz, so a 50 cup urn often holds less than 400 fl oz. Use the water volume, not the cup number on the urn.

• One large urn: brew once, hold hot. Coffee that sits on heat for hours loses its good flavor, so do not brew it too early.
• Several drip pots: split the total across machines. A 40 oz pot at 1:16 takes about 74 g, and a 64 oz machine takes about 118 g, as on how much coffee for 64 oz of water.
• Two batches: brew 25 cups first, then 25 cups when the first runs low. This keeps every cup fresh.

How much should you grind and how coarse?

Use a medium grind for drip and urn brewing. A scale makes this much easier than counting 148 tablespoons. If you have no scale, use the scoop count and check it against the first pot. The conversion between spoons and scoops is on how many tablespoons are in a coffee scoop, and grams per spoon are on how many grams of coffee in a tablespoon.

How early should you start?

Allow about 15 to 20 minutes per batch for a drip machine and more for a large urn, which has to heat a lot of water first. Start the first batch 30 minutes before guests arrive. Fill the urn or the carafes with hot water before you add coffee so they do not cool the brew. Keep a second batch of grounds measured and ready in a labeled container, so refills take two minutes instead of ten. If the line at the urn gets long, a second small pot on a hot plate keeps people moving without a wait. Put out cream, milk and sugar, since a crowd includes people who take them.

What coffee should you serve a crowd?

Pick something nobody argues about. No. 6 Hegemony is the roaster's pick for the pot everyone in the house drinks without complaining. The label lists cocoa and smooth, with low acidity and heavy body, which makes it very hard to ruin.

Order three bags, ground for drip. Each is $28 for 12 oz with free US shipping, whole bean or ground. If you are buying for a regular event, the subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click. See all ten coffees for a second option, such as one for people who want something lighter.

One more check before the event: measure the water in real ounces, then use the 1:16 row for your headcount.