How Many Cups of Coffee Are in a 12 oz Bag? (And How Often to Reorder)
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Short answer: a 12 oz bag of coffee makes about 23 eight-ounce cups, or about 15 twelve-ounce mugs, at a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio. Brew stronger and you get a few less; brew lighter and you get a few more. Coffee Bop's individual coffee bags come in 12 oz sizes, so here is how far one goes, and how often to reorder. All the numbers below are estimates: your cup size and your recipe decide the real count.
How do you work it out?
A 12 oz bag holds 12 ounces by weight, which is about 340 grams of coffee. It is not 12 fluid ounces.
Our brewing guide recommends about 1 gram of coffee for every 16 to 17 grams of water. Water weighs about 30 grams per fluid ounce, so:
- An 8 oz cup uses about 237 grams of water, which needs about 15 grams of coffee at 1:16.
- 340 grams divided by about 15 grams per cup is about 23 cups per bag.
The same formula works for any cup: divide 340 by the grams of coffee you use per cup.
Cups per 12 oz bag, by cup size and strength
| Cup size | Stronger (1:15) | Standard (1:16) | Lighter (1:17) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 oz (a coffee maker "cup") | about 29 | about 31 | about 33 |
| 8 oz cup | about 22 | about 23 | about 24 |
| 12 oz mug | about 14 | about 15 | about 16 |
| 16 oz travel mug | about 11 | about 11 to 12 | about 12 |
The coffee you pour is a little less than the water you started with, because the grounds hold some water back.
Why isn't a "12-cup" coffee maker 12 mugs?
Most drip machines count a "cup" as 5 or 6 ounces, not a full mug. A full 12-cup pot uses 60 to 72 ounces of water, which at 1:16 takes roughly 110 to 135 grams of coffee. That works out to about 2.5 to 3 full pots per 12 oz bag.
No scale? Use scoops, roughly
A standard coffee scoop holds 2 tablespoons, which is roughly 10 grams of ground coffee. The weight varies with the roast and the grind, so treat these as rough guides:
- 8 oz cup: about 1.5 scoops (3 tablespoons)
- 12 oz mug: about 2 scoops
- A 12 oz bag: about 34 scoops
A kitchen scale takes the guesswork out, and it works the same way for whole bean and ground coffee.
How long does a 12 oz bag of coffee last?
At a standard 1:16 ratio:
| Your habit | A 12 oz bag lasts about |
|---|---|
| One 8 oz cup a day | 3 weeks |
| Two 8 oz cups a day | 11 to 12 days |
| One 12 oz mug a day | 2 weeks |
| Two 12 oz mugs a day | 1 week |
| Two people, one 12 oz mug each a day | 1 week |
A bag that lasts about two weeks fits comfortably within the freshness guidance in our storage guide.
How many bags should you order each month?
Coffee Bop's Subscribe & Save ships monthly and saves 10%. To choose your quantity, multiply the coffee you use each day by 30:
| Your habit | Coffee per month | Bags per month |
|---|---|---|
| One 8 oz cup a day | about 445 grams | 1 to 2 |
| Two 8 oz cups a day | about 890 grams | 2 to 3 |
| One 12 oz mug a day | about 665 grams | 2 |
| Two 12 oz mugs a day | about 1,330 grams | 4 |
Round up if you never want to run out. Round down if you would rather finish every bag before the next one arrives. You can change quantities, skip, pause or cancel from your account.
Pick a coffee from our coffee collection, then choose Subscribe & Save on the product page. Not sure where to start? Try the 3-Origin Sampler first. It is a one-time purchase, and once you have found your favorite, you can subscribe to it. More on how it works: Subscribe & Save.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups of coffee are in a pound?
About 30 eight-ounce cups at a 1:16 ratio. A pound is 16 ounces, or about 454 grams.
How many tablespoons of coffee do I need per cup?
About 3 level tablespoons for an 8 oz cup at 1:16, since a tablespoon of ground coffee weighs roughly 5 grams. Adjust to taste.
Is a 12 oz bag of coffee the same as 12 fluid ounces?
No. Coffee is sold by weight. A 12 oz bag holds about 340 grams of coffee, enough for about 23 eight-ounce cups.
Does whole bean or ground change how many cups I get?
No. The weight is the same either way. Scoop measurements can differ a little because whole beans and ground coffee pack differently, so weighing is the most accurate. Choosing between the two? Read Whole Bean vs. Ground Coffee.