Plan on 1 cup of coffee per guest for an evening event, and 1.5 cups per guest for a morning event, a long day or a coffee station that stays open for hours. With a liquid coffee concentrate, each cup needs 20 ml of concentrate and about 160 ml of milk. Here's what that means for your guest list.
Quick table
Guests | Cups (1 per guest) | Coffee concentrate | Milk | Cups (1.5 per guest) | Coffee concentrate | Milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 50 | 1 litre | 8 litres | 75 | 1.5 litres | 12 litres |
100 | 100 | 2 litres | 16 litres | 150 | 3 litres | 24 litres |
200 | 200 | 4 litres | 32 litres | 300 | 6 litres | 48 litres |
500 | 500 | 10 litres | 80 litres | 750 | 15 litres | 120 litres |
1,000 | 1,000 | 20 litres | 160 litres | 1,500 | 30 litres | 240 litres |
Based on 20 ml of STIR and 160 ml of milk per cup: 1 litre of concentrate makes about 50 cups with 8 litres of milk.
How many cups per guest?
Event | Cups per guest |
|---|---|
Evening reception or sangeet | About 1 |
Wedding morning (haldi, pheras) or brunch | About 1.5 |
Conference or full-day workshop | 2 (morning and afternoon breaks) |
Coffee station open all evening | 1.5 |
If you're serving both hot and iced coffee, split the cups 50:50 for an evening event in summer, and 70:30 in favour of hot in winter.
The rest of your shopping list (per 100 cups)
Item | Amount |
|---|---|
Coffee concentrate | 2 litres |
Milk | 16 litres (use full-cream for iced coffee) |
Sugar | About 1 kg (2 tsp a cup), or keep it on the side |
Ice (iced coffee only) | About 15 kg per 100 iced glasses |
Cups or glasses | 110 (allow 10% for breakage and refills) |
How to serve it without a machine
Batch it: mix 1 litre of concentrate with 8 litres of milk in large jugs or dispensers.
Hot coffee: keep the mix in insulated flasks or a heated urn.
Iced coffee: keep jugs in the fridge or on ice and pour over ice when serving.
Filter coffee station: serve South Indian filter coffee in steel tumblers and dabaras for a traditional touch.
Planning tips
Add 20% if your guests are big coffee drinkers or the event runs late.
Order 2 weeks ahead. We dispatch from Mumbai or our Karnataka factory: 3–5 working days to metro cities and 6–7 elsewhere.
Leftovers keep. Unopened pouches last 9 months, so extra concentrate isn't wasted.
Add an affogato or espresso martini station for the after-party: 20 ml of concentrate per drink.
Get the coffee
STIR comes in 1 litre pouches that make about 50 cups each. See coffee for weddings and coffee for caterers, or message us on WhatsApp with your guest count and date. For ideas on the setup, read the machine-free wedding coffee bar.
FAQs
How much coffee for 100 guests? About 2 litres of coffee concentrate and 16 litres of milk for 100 cups. Plan 3 litres if guests may have seconds.
How much coffee for 500 guests? About 10 litres of concentrate and 80 litres of milk, or 15 litres if you expect 1.5 cups per guest.
Do I need to hire a coffee machine and barista? No. Concentrate is poured into milk, so your caterer's staff can serve it.
Can I prepare it before the event? Yes. Mix jugs or flasks just before service and keep them hot or cold.
How far ahead should I order? At least 2 weeks before the event.
