DOUBLE OR QUITS?

 I was asked an interesting question last week. How many cups of coffee should i get from 1kg of coffee. My immediate answer was 50-54 cups is the standard figure.

The person asking this question said he was told, by a reputable coffee company, that he should be aiming to get 100 cups per kilo. This dealer insisted that he should only be selling single shots of coffee, and that way improving his margins.


I was somewhat perplexed by this. Firstly, the coffee shop in question have an old school three head machine, which has given years of faithful service - always with double shot filter baskets in the portafilters.


Secondly, to now change this to single shots would mean sourcing single shot filter baskets and switching the double shots out. Not a big job at all, but it does lead on to a number of other challenges.


Are you going to sell your coffee in smaller cups? How will your customers, used to a normal double shot (which, in my opinion is the industry norm) react to this?


But the more important thing is how do you fill the cup, now that you only have a single shot. You could, very easily allow the extraction to run for longer. Bad, bad idea. Over extracted coffee is bitter and unpleasant tasting.


You could simply add more hot water - Americano style. Not a great solution either, really, as now the coffee will be too weak - not a great coffee experience ever.


I’ve had one or two of these experiences, but these are coffee shops that I only try once!


Let’s briefly consider the margin argument. A kilo of coffee costs the shop between R150-R200. Fifty cups at R25 = R 1,250 per kilo. I really don’t see a margin issue here. Granted, the coffee is not the only cost, but that’s still a really great return.


I am a firm believer that the double shot is really what you, as a private user, or as a coffee seller, should be aiming for at all times. Keeping your customers happy is what will draw them back again and again, and that’s better than stretching your coffee too thin!


Till next time

Chris


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