Plan a coffee station for any crowd. Enter guests and appetite to get cups, ground coffee, milk and sugar packets for meetings, weddings and morning events.
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This coffee station calculator turns a guest list into a coffee station plan. Enter the number of guests and choose the appetite level, and the cups of coffee per person rate for that level gives coffee cups, ground coffee, milk, and sugar packets. It answers how much coffee per person, how many gallons of coffee for 100 guests, pounds of coffee per person, how much milk for coffee station, and how much sugar and creamer for 100 cups of coffee, with a coffee station supplies list for meetings, weddings, and morning events. It also works as a coffee bar calculator for weddings, meetings, and office mornings.
Competitor guides vary widely because they use different cup sizes and different cups per guest, which is why one guide says five gallons for 100 guests and another says twelve. This calculator fixes both assumptions openly: cups per person are light 1, standard 1.5, and generous 2, and each cup uses 15 grams of ground coffee. Morning events, long conferences, and cold weather push guests toward the generous rate, while short afternoon events suit the light rate. State your cup size on the station sign so guests know what to expect.
Enter the number of guests and pick an appetite level. The calculator returns coffee cups, ground coffee in kilograms, milk in litres, and sugar packets. Plan one sugar packet per cup, and keep extra packets, stirrers, lids, and sleeves to match the cup count plus a small overage. For a coffee station supplies list, add decaf as a separate pot, usually about one quarter of the total for evening events, and label regular and decaf clearly.
Coffee cups equal guests multiplied by cups per person, rounded up. Ground coffee equals cups multiplied by 0.015 kilograms, which is about 33 cups per kilogram, or about 30 cups per pound after rounding for brewing losses. Milk equals cups multiplied by 0.05 litres. For how many gallons of coffee for 100 guests, use 150 cups at standard, which is about 150 eight ounce cups, or about 9.4 gallons, before a buffer. For how much coffee for 50 guests at standard, plan 75 cups, 1.13 kilograms of ground coffee, 3.75 litres of milk, and 75 sugar packets.
How many cups does 1 lb of coffee make depends on cup size and brew strength. At 15 grams per cup, one pound, about 454 grams, makes about 30 cups. Competitor guides that quote 50 cups per pound use smaller six ounce cups, which is why their gallon totals look lower. Pounds of coffee per person at standard are therefore about 0.05 pounds per guest, or about 1 pound per 20 guests, before a buffer. Round ground coffee up to the next half pound or whole bag so you never run out mid event.
For how much milk for coffee station, plan 0.05 litres per cup as a base, and offer whole milk, oat, and almond options with separate jugs and labels. For how much sugar and creamer for 100 cups of coffee, plan 100 sugar packets as a base, plus creamer at one to two tablespoons per cup for guests who take it, which is roughly 100 to 200 single serve tubs. Set the station in flow order: cups, coffee pots, milk, sweeteners, stirrers, and napkins last, so guests do not block the pots while adding milk.
How do I keep coffee hot during a party is answered by equipment, not by brewing more. Use an insulated urn, airpots, or a commercial brewer with warmers, brew in batches, and replace pots every hour or two so coffee stays fresh. Keep the station away from cold draughts, keep lids on pots between servings, and brew a fresh pot before the old one empties. For a wedding, plan a morning style generous rate, since guests drink coffee across a long evening, not just after dessert.
At standard, 100 guests need 150 cups, which is about 9.4 gallons at eight ounces per cup. At light, the same group needs 100 cups, about 6.25 gallons, and at generous it needs 200 cups, about 12.5 gallons.
Plan one cup per person for a short afternoon event, 1.5 cups per person for a standard meeting or wedding, and two cups per person for a morning event, a long conference, or cold weather.
A useful planning rule is about half a cup per person per hour for a steady event. For a two hour event with 50 guests, that gives about 50 cups, which matches the light to standard range in this calculator.
One gallon serves sixteen guests at eight ounces per cup, or about twenty guests at six ounces per cup. Always state the cup size when you quote a gallon figure, since it changes the answer by a quarter.
At standard, 100 guests need 150 cups and 7.50 litres of milk at 0.05 litres per cup. Split milk across whole, oat, and almond options, and bring extra for guests who take a generous amount of milk.
Plan one sugar packet per cup, and one to two tablespoons of creamer per cup for guests who take it. For 100 cups, that is 100 sugar packets and roughly 100 to 200 single serve creamer tubs, depending on your crowd.
You need coffee pots or an urn, cups, lids, sleeves, stirrers, milk options, sugar and sweeteners, creamer, napkins, and a sign showing regular and decaf. Add spoons, a bin for used cups, and spare filters if you brew on site.
Yes, this calculator is built for drip and urn coffee, which is the common host case. Espresso catering uses different doses per drink, so do not use these totals for a barista espresso cart.
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