Office coffee: calculating cost per cup and monthly needs

How many cups does a kilo of coffee make?

For one espresso, a bean-to-cup or portafilter machine uses around 7 grams of ground coffee. In theory, a kilo therefore makes about 140 cups. Because adjusting the grind, rinsing and larger cups use a little more coffee, it is safer to count on 120 to 140 espressos per kilo in everyday use.

A lungo or café crème uses the same or slightly more coffee depending on the setting, a double espresso about twice as much. For planning, an average of about 130 cups per kilo is enough.

Cost per cup with Dersut espresso beans

At 120 to 140 cups per kilo and the shop prices, the coffee cost per espresso is:

• Domus Marrone, CHF 26.90 per kg: around 19 to 22 centimes
• Optimum Rosso, CHF 29.90 per kg: around 21 to 25 centimes
• Plus Oro, CHF 34.90 per kg: around 25 to 29 centimes
• Non Plus Ultra, CHF 39.90 per kg: around 29 to 33 centimes

Worked example: a team of 15

Take an office with 15 employees who drink an average of two and a half cups a day, on 21 working days a month. That is around 790 cups a month, or about 6 kilos of coffee beans.

With Optimum Rosso, that costs CHF 179.40 a month, around 23 centimes per cup. With Domus Marrone, it is CHF 161.40, around 20 centimes per cup. Because the order is above CHF 100.–, shipping is free. Milk, water, electricity and the machine itself are not included.

Beans, capsules or filter: what pays off at the office?

For teams of around five people or more, a bean-to-cup machine with whole beans is usually the best solution: every cup is freshly ground, espresso, lungo and cappuccino are ready at the touch of a button, and the cost per cup stays low. Capsules are generally much more expensive per serving and create a lot of waste. Simply compare your current price per capsule with the figures above.

Filter coffee is cheap, but it is often less popular with staff used to espresso and cappuccino. For happy teams and visitors, espresso beans in a bean-to-cup machine remain the best choice.

Keeping office coffee good and affordable

A few simple rules make sure every cup tastes good and nothing goes to waste:

• One person is responsible for restocking and cleaning
• Only fill the bean hopper for a few days and close the pack tightly
• Run the machine’s cleaning and descaling programmes regularly
• Order to a schedule so you never run out and stock never gets old
• Choose one blend for everyone, for example Optimum Rosso, popular straight and with milk

A quote for your company

Smaller teams can simply order in the shop. For larger quantities, regular deliveries or several locations, we are happy to prepare a quote with volume prices. Ask without obligation on our companies & office page. To choose the right supplier, also read Coffee for companies and hospitality.