Buffet planners working out quantities
Before choosing a pack size, you need to clarify the unit behind “6 pint”, the capacity of the cups and the recommended quantity of the chosen mix. The 1 kg powders mentioned here are not ready-to-serve drinks.
Who are these tips for?
People in charge of serving
If you’re preparing the drink in advance or in batches, check that your equipment can mix it, serve it and keep it hot throughout the buffet.
Planners mindful of ingredients
To give guests the information they need, compare the ingredients, sugars and allergens for the exact product, and remember to include any liquid added during preparation.
What should you check before buying?
First decide how much you need to serve, then calculate how much mix you’ll need based on the recommended quantity for your chosen product. You can then compare suitable options for your buffet by looking at how they’re served and what they contain.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Volume and yield | Clarify the unit of “pint”, the capacity of your cups and the amount of powder needed per volume of liquid. | I need to know how many cups to prepare before choosing how many packs to buy. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise working this out. |
| Preparation and serving | Check your equipment’s usable capacity and whether it can mix and keep your chosen recipe hot. | To serve without interruption, I need a preparation method that fits the way the buffet is organised; around 29% of consumers would prioritise this. |
| Sugars and allergens | Compare sugar content on the same basis, and check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. | If guests have dietary requirements, I want to be able to tell them what’s in the drink. Around 21% of consumers would put its ingredients first. |
| How much to order | Work out how many packs you’ll need based on the recipe’s yield, and check how to obtain your chosen product. | I want to have enough mix for the wedding day, without guessing the yield from the pack weight alone; around 14% of consumers would prioritise availability and ordering. |
What buffet mistakes should you avoid?
-
Assuming 1 kg of powder makes 1 litre of drink
The pack’s weight doesn’t determine how much drink you’ll serve. That depends on the recommended quantity, the liquid used and the size of your cups.
Start with the volume you want to serve and the instructions for the exact product to work out how much you’ll need.
-
Choosing a powder based on its Nutri-Score alone
According to Santé publique France, displaying the Nutri-Score is voluntary. If it appears on a product, it doesn’t replace the ingredients list or nutritional information.
To compare mixes, read the full label for each product, whether or not it displays a Nutri-Score.
-
Forgetting to include the prepared drink when giving allergen information
Ingredients vary between powders, and adding milk changes the contents of the drink you serve to guests.
Keep the packaging and provide information about the ingredients in the drink as prepared and served.
Brands and ranges to consider
These chocolate powder products offer useful comparisons for ingredients and pack size. You’ll need to calculate the yield using the instructions for the product you choose.
Banania
According to Banania, its Original chocolate powder is available in a 1 kg pack, among other sizes. The recipe combines cocoa, cereals, banana and honey.
- Banania gives a recommended serving of 15 g with 200 ml of semi-skimmed milk.
- The recipe contains wheat. Check the pack you choose for warnings about traces of milk and soya.
Nesquik
The 1 kg tin featured by Carrefour lets you compare a chocolate powder in this pack size.
- The ingredients list shown by Carrefour states that it contains 23% low-fat cocoa powder.
- This product contains soya lecithin. Its weight alone isn’t enough to calculate how much drink you’ll serve.
Poulain
Carrefour lists Super Poulain in a 1 kg tin.
- The ingredients information shown states that it contains 14.5% low-fat cocoa.
- The recipe lists soya lecithin. Check the recommended quantity before calculating how many cups you can make.
Carrefour Classic'
KaoMix is a Carrefour Classic' chocolate powder available in a 1 kg pack.
- Carrefour’s product information states that this product contains 20% low-fat cocoa.
- It warns that the product may contain traces of milk. Check the label on the product you choose and consider the recipe you’ll serve.
P'tit Déli (Marque Repère / E.Leclerc)
E.Leclerc lists a 1 kg pack of P'tit Déli instant chocolate mix.
- The ingredients information shown states that it contains 21% low-fat cocoa.
- To work out how much you’ll need for the buffet, check the recommended quantity for this product rather than relying on the pack size alone.
Powders and mixes available on Joybuy
This selection includes powders in different pack sizes and a mix in individual sachets. For your buffet, compare each recipe with the amount you need to serve and the equipment you plan to use.
Image unavailable
Suchard hot chocolate powder, 20% cocoa, 1 kg
Before choosing this pack for your buffet, check the recommended quantity per cup and the capacity of your cups to work out how much it will make.
Image unavailable
VAN HOUTEN VH2 cocoa powder, 34%, 1 kg
If you’re preparing the drink in batches, check the instructions for this product to work out how much powder and liquid you’ll need.
Image unavailable
DAMTUH Pokémon hot chocolate, 10 sachets of 20 g
For individual servings, compare the number of sachets with the number of cups you expect to serve, and check the ingredients for this variant.
Image unavailable
BENCO Less Sugar chocolate granules, 400 g
If you’re considering this pack size for your buffet, work out how many packs you’ll need using the recommended quantity for this recipe, not the 400 g weight alone.
Image unavailable
Bananina Original chocolate powder, 1 kg
If you’re making several cups, check the recommended quantity for Bananina Original and the ingredients for the exact product before deciding how much to use.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Nutri-Score compulsory on chocolate powder?
No. Santé publique France says that displaying the Nutri-Score is voluntary. When choosing a product sold in France, check its ingredients list and nutritional information too.
Can you work out how much hot chocolate a 1 kg pack will make?
Not from the pack size alone: you need to know the recommended quantity and the volume of liquid in the recipe you choose. Banania, for example, gives a recommended serving of 15 g with 200 ml of semi-skimmed milk; this quantity doesn’t automatically apply to other products.
What should you check when giving guests allergen information?
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product, then take account of any liquid you add. If you make the hot chocolate with milk, the information you give guests should describe the finished drink, not just the powder.