How Much Coffee Is in a K-Cup?
Your K-Cup may or may not hold enough coffee for two cups–in this post, we’ll share how you can determine how much coffee is truly present in a K-Cup.
Generally, a K-Cup holds about nine to twelve grams of coffee, which is equivalent to 0.3 to 0.4 ounces. However, the exact amount of coffee in a K-Cup depends on the brand and roast. Here’s a breakdown:
- Light roasts and breakfast blends: nine to 9.5 grams
- Medium roast blend: ten to eleven grams
- Dark roast blend: twelve grams
Still, it’s not always that simple.
Black Label by Devil Mountain promises you 200% more caffeine compared to Green Mountain’s Dark Magic cup in the same sized K-Cup, but it’s important to note that packaging takes up about three to four grams of the total weight of the cup.
So, how can you tell the accurate amount of coffee in a K-Cup, and how can you determine if it contains the right amount of caffeine for you?
That’s exactly what we’ll break down for you in the following sections–but before that, you might want to check out our guide on Nespresso versus Keurig to find a suitable coffee maker for yourself. If you decide to go with Nespresso, we also have a post on how to use Nespresso machines!
How Much Coffee Does a K-Cup Hold?
No K-Cups mention the amount of coffee they contain clearly on the cup itself; you might find a lump sum figure on a box of K-Cups, but you won’t find any information on the individual cups. However, you’ll usually find the weight of each cup mentioned on the packaging, which represents the collective weight of two things: ground coffee and packaging, which includes the cup’s filter, foil lod, and plastic shell.
There are currently more than sixty Keurig-approved brands that offer a variety of K-Cups, but for quick calculations, you can determine the total weight of coffee in a cup by subtracting the weight of packaging from its total weight.
The packaging is usually lightweight and only makes up about three to four grams of the total weight–so if a brand tells you their K-Cup weighs eleven grams, expect the coffee content to be around seven to eight grams.
As for the caffeine content per K-Cup, this is specific to each brand and the overall roast of the coffee.
Generally, you can expect a K-Cup to hold about seventy-five to 150 milligrams of caffeine, and you can determine where a K-Cup will fall in this range by considering its roast and its beans. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the roast, the greater the caffeine content. As for the coffee beans, you usually have three choices, they’ll typically be Robusta, Arabica, or a mix.
Robusta beans have twice as much caffeine as Arabica. So, you can find the highest caffeine content in Robusta blends, followed by a mix of Robusta and Arabica beans. Arabica beans alone will have the least amount of caffeine.
How Much Do K-Cups Cost?
Each K-Cup costs about forty to seventy cents; you can buy these cups individually, but it’s more economical to buy a pack of twenty to thirty or so cups. You can also usually find a discount on a bulk purchase, which can last you an entire month.
Are K-Cups Worth It?
This depends on your preferences–if you’re looking for a quick and cheap coffee option, K-Cups are a great choice. But if you can’t compromise on the quality and uniformity of your coffee, K-Cups might not be a suitable option.
To boost your overall coffee quality, check out our recent post on natural coffee creamers so you can keep your morning cup of joe tasty–and healthy.
