The quick answer
A 1kg bag of café hot chocolate powder makes about 36 drinks at the usual 28g per 12oz cup, and a 2kg catering tin about 71. Chocolate coins run to around 33 servings at 30g. Vending powder depends on the gram throw set on your machine — at 25g a bag gives 40 cups.
How many drinks a kilo makes, by format
Hot chocolate is sold to the trade in three formats, and each one is dosed differently. The figures below are read from the product pages on our Trade hot chocolate collection on 22 October 2026 — the maker's own serving guidance, not an estimate.
| Format | Dose per drink | Pack size | Drinks per pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zuma Original 25% powder | 28g (12oz drink) | 1kg bag | About 36 |
| Zuma Dark 33% powder | 28g (12oz drink) | 1kg bag | About 35 |
| Zuma Fairtrade Dark 33% tin | 28g (12oz drink) | 2kg tin | About 71 |
| Zuma 56% Peruvian coins | 30g (12 coins) | 1kg bag | About 33 |
| Vending hot chocolate powder | Set on the machine | 1kg bag | 1,000g ÷ your gram throw |
Working: 1,000g ÷ 28g = 35.7 drinks; 2,000g ÷ 28g = 71.4; 1,000g ÷ 30g = 33.3. The Zuma figures are the serving counts printed on each product page. A 12oz drink is 355ml.
The dose is for the chocolate only. Café powders and coins are made up as a paste with a little hot water and topped with steamed milk, so most of the cup is milk from your fridge. Vending and dispense powders are mixed by the machine with hot water (and, on some selections, a milk powder), at whatever gram throw the machine is set to.
Powder, coins or vending powder: which one is yours?
Choose by how the drink is made.
- Café powder (bags and tins) — for a barista making the drink by hand with a steam wand. The Zuma bags and tins are marked not suitable for vending machines, so keep them on the counter. The range is vegan-certified.
- Chocolate coins — real chocolate melted into milk rather than a sweetened cocoa powder, at 30g a serve. Suits a menu that sells hot chocolate as a speciality drink rather than a volume line.
- Vending and dispense powder — formulated to flow through a powder canister, for a hot drinks vending machine, an instant-ingredient machine or a bean-to-cup machine with a chocolate hopper. Our vending hot chocolate range includes a vegan recipe from Dutch Maid and Redber's own 1kg powder for dispense machines using milk.
Vending hot chocolate: servings depend on the gram throw
There is no single answer for a vending bag because the machine decides the dose. The pack gives a recommended throw and your machine's manual shows where to set it; after the first fill, pour a cup and taste it. The table shows what a 1kg bag yields at example settings.
| Gram throw per cup | Cups from a 1kg bag | Bags for 150 cups a week |
|---|---|---|
| 20g | 50 | 3 |
| 25g | 40 | 4 |
| 30g | 33 | 5 |
Working: 1,000g ÷ throw, rounded down; bags = 150 ÷ cups per bag, rounded up. The three throws are example settings for the arithmetic, not a recommendation — use the figure on your pack. 150 cups a week is 30 chocolate selections a day over a five-day office week.
If the machine also adds a milk or topping powder to the chocolate selection, that canister runs down too; both are listed under vending ingredients. For what else goes in the machine, see our guide What goes in a hot drinks vending machine?.
How much to stock for a café
Count the hot chocolates you sell on a normal day, multiply by trading days, and divide by the drinks per bag. Round up — a spare bag on the shelf costs less than running out on a Saturday afternoon.
| Hot chocolates a day | A week (6 days) | 1kg bags a week | A four-week month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 60 | 2 | 7 bags |
| 20 | 120 | 4 | 14 bags |
| 40 | 240 | 7 | 27 bags |
Working: 36 drinks per 1kg bag at 28g; weekly bags = drinks ÷ 36, rounded up (120 ÷ 36 = 3.3 → 4); monthly bags = four weeks of drinks ÷ 36, rounded up (480 ÷ 36 = 13.3 → 14). Use your till figures for December and January rather than an annual average.
At 20 drinks a day the 8-bag case on the Zuma 1kg pages covers a little over two weeks (288 drinks ÷ 120 a week), and the 2kg tin at 71 drinks covers roughly three and a half days. The case clears the free delivery threshold on trade orders over £40 and means one order a fortnight instead of a top-up every few days.
Working out the cost per drink
Divide the pack price by the drinks per pack: a 1kg bag priced at £10.00 (an illustrative figure, not a price) makes 36 drinks, so the chocolate costs 28p a cup (£10.00 ÷ 36 = £0.278). Add the milk, the cup and any toppings for the true cost of the drink in the customer's hand. Our cost-per-cup calculator does the same sum for coffee.
The dose moves the number more than the brand does: a barista who heaps the scoop to 35g turns 36 drinks into 28 (1,000g ÷ 35g = 28.6). Set the dose and give the team a scoop that holds it.
Used in this example
Zuma hot chocolate — trade range
1kg bags, 8-bag cases and 2kg catering tins, all vegan-certified. Serving counts printed on each product page.
Hot chocolate servings FAQs
How many hot chocolates do you get from a 1kg bag?
About 36 drinks of 12oz at the maker's recommended 28g per serve. A heavier scoop or a larger cup reduces the count, and an 8oz cup increases it.
Can I use café hot chocolate powder in a vending machine?
No. The Zuma bags and tins are marked not suitable for vending machines. Use a powder made for a canister, such as the vending hot chocolate range, and set the gram throw on the machine.
How long does an opened bag of hot chocolate keep?
Store it cool and dry and reseal the bag after each use. Zuma's pages for its 48% and salted caramel 1kg bags recommend use within six weeks of opening, which a café selling 10 hot chocolates a day will do comfortably.
Is trade hot chocolate powder vegan?
Not always. The Zuma range and Dutch Maid vending powder are vegan recipes, while Redber Hot Chocolate Powder contains milk. Check the ingredients on each product page before you promise a plant-based drink.
Does the cup size change how many drinks I get?
Yes. The 28g dose is for a 12oz drink. Keep the chocolate in proportion to the cup and a 1kg bag makes more 8oz drinks and fewer 16oz ones.
About the author
John, Business Manager
John helps businesses set up equipment, consumables and ongoing support at Redber Coffee Roasters.
Need hot chocolate for a café, office or vending machine?
Trade prices on every bag, tin and case, free delivery on orders over £40 and online checkout up to £5,000. Call 01483 808580 or email contact@redber-wholesale.co.uk.