The quick answer
A café serving around 100 espresso-based drinks a day uses roughly 11kg of coffee beans a week — one 12kg case. The working is simple: drinks per day × trading days × 18g per double shot. A quieter café on 50 drinks a day needs about 5.4kg (a 6kg case); a busy one on 200 drinks a day needs about 22kg (two 12kg cases).
How to work out your café's weekly coffee
Most cafés build every drink on a double shot dosed at around 18g. Multiply drinks per day by trading days, then by 18g, and you have your weekly coffee in grams. Divide by 1,000 for kilos.
A kilo of beans gives about 55 double shots at 18g, so a 6kg case covers roughly 330 drinks and a 12kg case roughly 660. Count espresso-based drinks only — flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos, americanos and espresso. Filter brew uses a different dose, and tea and hot chocolate use no coffee, so leave them out.
Weekly coffee by drinks per day
| Espresso drinks per day | Drinks per week (6 days) | Coffee per week | Suggested order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 180 | 3.2kg | Three or four 1kg bags, or a 6kg case every fortnight |
| 50 | 300 | 5.4kg | One 6kg case a week |
| 100 | 600 | 10.8kg | One 12kg case a week |
| 150 | 900 | 16.2kg | One 12kg case plus one 6kg case a week |
| 200 | 1,200 | 21.6kg | Two 12kg cases a week |
| 300 | 1,800 | 32.4kg | Three 12kg cases a week — ask about pallet and bulk pricing |
Assumptions: 18g per double shot, one double shot per drink, six trading days a week. Coffee per week = drinks per week × 18g ÷ 1,000. Suggested orders round up to the next case size. Adjust the dose to your own grinder setting.
Build in a margin. Dialling in each morning and test shots after a grind change use coffee that never reaches a cup. Allowing around 10% on top of the table figure is a sensible cushion; a café on 100 drinks a day is then close to 12kg, which is exactly one case.
6kg case or 12kg case: which should a café buy?
The right case size is the one you will use within two to three weeks of delivery. Coffee is at its best in the weeks after roasting, so there is no benefit in holding a month's stock when a smaller case delivered more often does the same job. Redber roasts trade coffee to order — see why roasted to order matters.
As a rule of thumb, under 1.5kg a week suits 1kg bags, 1.5kg to 3kg a week suits a 6kg case ordered fortnightly, and anything above 3kg a week suits a 6kg or 12kg case ordered weekly. The per-kilo price falls as the case gets bigger — see Is It Cheaper to Buy Coffee Beans by the Case?. Free delivery applies to trade orders over £40, so every case qualifies; details are on the delivery and returns page.
What the coffee costs per drink
Using an Italian-style blend from the Trade espresso blends range, the coffee in each double-shot drink costs:
| Format | Price (No VAT) | Double shots at 18g | Coffee cost per drink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caffè Italiano 1kg bag | £22.95 | about 55 | 41p |
| Caffè Italiano 6kg case | £124.00 | about 333 | 37p |
| Caffè Italiano 12kg case | £226.00 | about 666 | 34p |
Working: shots = weight in grams ÷ 18; cost per drink = price ÷ shots. £22.95 ÷ 55.6 = 41p; £124.00 ÷ 333.3 = 37p; £226.00 ÷ 666.7 = 34p. Prices checked 19 October 2026. Coffee is zero-rated, so there is no VAT to add. Milk, cups and labour are not included — use the cost-per-cup calculator to add them.
At 100 drinks a day, a café on 12kg cases spends £226 a week on beans at about 34p a drink. Buying eleven 1kg bags instead would cost £252.45 at 41p a drink, so the case saves about £26 a week (11 × £22.95 = £252.45; £252.45 − £226.00 = £26.45).
Used in this example
Caffè Italiano 12kg Coffee Beans – Wholesale
£226.00 per case · No VAT · price checked 19 October 2026
Allow for decaf and a second coffee
The table covers your house espresso. Most cafés also carry a decaf, and some a guest single origin. Size each from its own sales rather than adding a guess to the house blend — the method is in How Much Decaf Coffee Should a Café Stock?, and the options are in the Trade decaf range.
Placing your first order
If you are opening a new café with no sales history, start with the table row that matches your realistic opening footfall, not your target. A 6kg case and a 1kg bag of decaf is a sensible first week for most new sites; move up to 12kg once the pattern settles. Order online up to £5,000 in one go — above that, use the trade enquiry form for a quote. To choose the blend, request a free trade sample pack and run it through your own grinder first.
Café coffee quantity FAQs
How many espresso shots do you get from 1kg of coffee beans?
At 18g per double shot, 1kg of beans gives about 55 double shots. A 6kg case gives about 333 and a 12kg case about 666.
Should a café buy 6kg or 12kg cases?
Buy the size you will use within two to three weeks. Up to about 3kg a week suits a 6kg case ordered fortnightly; above that, a 6kg or 12kg case ordered weekly keeps the coffee fresh and the per-kilo price lower.
How often should a café order coffee beans?
Weekly or fortnightly works for most cafés. Redber roasts trade coffee to order and delivery is free on trade orders over £40, so there is no saving in holding more than a few weeks' stock.
How much decaf should a café keep alongside its main blend?
Treat decaf as a separate line and size it from your own decaf sales, using the same drinks × 18g method. Our decaf guide sets out the working and a sensible starting stock.
Does free delivery apply to coffee cases?
Yes. Free delivery applies to trade orders over £40, so every 6kg and 12kg case qualifies on its own.
About the author
Matt, Head of New Business
Matt has spent more than 20 years in commercial coffee. At Redber Coffee Roasters he is the first call for businesses setting up a coffee supply, from the first tasting onwards.
Setting up coffee for your café?
Tell us your drinks per day and we will size the first order with you. Call 01483 808580 or email contact@redber-wholesale.co.uk.