The school has a couple of the large commercial urn-type percolating coffee makers (probably bought by the PTO in years past). So we use those.
The large one holds 60-100 cups. There's a smaller one that holds about 40-50. For us, it's the cheapest way to make large-volume coffee. We just buy coffee at the grocery store, like a large can of Folgers.
Our cafeteria folks have a personal size coffee maker(like a 12-cup Mr. Coffee) back their area. If we run low and just need a little more, we use it to make some quick supplemental pots and and pour them into the urn as it takes about 45 minutes to brew.
We don't offer coffee that often - usually only at morning events. When we do, it's just the one pot. We don't provide regular and decaf.
During our big winter event (Holidays around the world/Breakfast with Santa) we offer coffee, hot chocolate, and OJ. For that one, we use one coffee urn for hot water and one for coffee. We have the Swiss Miss Cocoa envelopes for people to mix up their own as needed.
I just bought one of those coffee urns for work. I think it was a 60 cup size for $79 or so. Let me know if you need me to verify. I think most of them have the same basic features (safety lock lid, handles that don't get hot, ability to view liquid level from outside, light that indicates when coffee ready.)
We have coffee at our big events. We own a big coffee maker and buy our own supplies and use those. The school also has an even bigger coffee maker that we sometimes use.
However, we got a new Starbucks in our area and if we give them advance notice they will donate a cambro (insulated coffee server) filled with 40 cups of coffee. They proved milk, half and half, and all types of sweeteners plus cups, lids, napkins, etc. We give them a big thank you!
We never have decaf but usually have juice besides the coffee.
We provide coffee at our meetings. We buy our own products and someone on the board is usually "elected" to fill the hospitalitiy position for the year or split the responsibility between another board member and themselves. We provide both regular ("high test"), decaf and hot water. We have our own decanters and it is brewed at home and bought it. There are teabags and hot chocolate packets for non-coffee drinkers such as yourself. On the way to the meeting the person usually stops and buys milk and a box of goodies.
All the cups, sugar, coffee and incidentals are kept by this person at their home for the year.
Here's a simple question from a non-coffee drinker.
I assume you have coffee at most of your larger evening events like Open House or a Family Night. Right?
And if so, how/what do you provide? Do you buy a big jug of coffee at Dunkin Donuts? Does someone brew at home and bring in? Do you have a large coffeemaker that your PTO owns (what kind -- drip or other?)? Do you use something that the school has? (what?).
Any detail you can provide will be really helpful for a project we're working on.
