The Kroger Company sells ground coffee in containers. The containers bear instructions for making the coffee and a representation of the approximate number of cups that can be made from the amount in the container. However, the complaint for this class action alleges that the containers “grossly overstate the number of cups of coffee that can be made from their contents.”
The class for this action is all citizens of California who bought one or more of the products in California between the earliest point permitted by the statute of limitation and the date of class certification. A Consumer Subclass has also been defined for all those in the above class who bought the product for personal, family, or household purposes.
The products at issue include the following roasts or blends in various container sizes:
- Breakfast Blend Mild Roast
- 100% Colombian Medium Dark Roast
- Decaf Classic Medium Roast
- French Roast
- Premium Blend Medium Roast
- Reduced Caffeine Lite Medium Roast
- Select Brand Medium Roast
- Special Roast Medium Roast
- Supreme Blend Medium Roast
As an example, the complaint points to a container of Select Blend Medium Roast that shows a little box at the bottom of the front label stating that the container makes about 235 cups of coffee.
The directions on the back of the container offer two different ways of making the coffee: “Use one rounded tablespoon of coffee for each 6 fl oz. of cold water OR Use ½ cup of coffee for every 10 servings.”
According to the complaint, however, the container will not make the promised 235 cups with either of those recipes. With the single-cup method, the complaint alleges that the container makes only around 173 cups, and with the ten-cup method, it makes only around 216 cups.
The complaint calculates that a tablespoon of ground coffee weighs about 5 grams. It alleges, “Kroger, however, recommends the use of a ‘rounded tablespoon,’ which is larger than a tablespoon.” The coffee in the 30.5-ounce or 864-gram container will thus make no more than 172.8 or around 173 cups.
Page 11 of the complaint shows a chart of the various product sizes, in ounces, the number of cups the containers claim to offer, the actual maximum number of cups using one tablespoon (as opposed to one rounded tablespoon), and the difference between the two numbers.
The complaint points to a group called the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) that has a “Golden Cup Standard.” This standard, the complaint claims, “recommends a coffee-to-water ratio of 55 grams per liter, plus or minus 10%. … Thus, the SCA recommends approximately 9 to 11 grams (roughly two tablespoons) of coffee for every six fluid ounce cup that is brewed.” That is roughly double the recommended amount of coffee per cup called for on the back of the can, meaning that each cup is relatively weak.
The complaint alleges that the number-of-cups promise on the containers is deceptive.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Kroger Ground Coffee Number of Cups Promises California Complaint
January 13, 2022
The Kroger Company sells ground coffee in containers. The containers bear instructions for making the coffee and a representation of the approximate number of cups that can be made from the amount in the container. However, the complaint for this class action alleges that the containers “grossly overstate the number of cups of coffee that can be made from their contents.”
Kroger Ground Coffee Number of Cups Promises California ComplaintCase Event History
Kroger Ground Coffee Number of Cups Promises California Complaint
January 13, 2022
The Kroger Company sells ground coffee in containers. The containers bear instructions for making the coffee and a representation of the approximate number of cups that can be made from the amount in the container. However, the complaint for this class action alleges that the containers “grossly overstate the number of cups of coffee that can be made from their contents.”
Kroger Ground Coffee Number of Cups Promises California Complaint