Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator
The coffee to water ratio decides how strong your coffee is: drip coffee usually uses 1:16, which is 62.5 g of coffee per liter of water. This calculator works out the amounts for every method – from the water, from the coffee you have or from the number of cups.
Example: What do you know: Amount of water · Brew method: Drip / pour over (1:16) · Amount of water 500 ml → Result: 31.3 g of coffee to 500 ml of water. Source: Specialty Coffee Association – Coffee Brewing Standards (Golden Cup: 55 g/L, 90,5–96,1 °C). Updated: .
How it is calculated
The coffee to water ratio states how much water goes with each gram of coffee – at 1:16 that is 16 g (16 ml) of water per gram. A smaller ratio makes stronger coffee and a larger one a milder cup. Because a milliliter of water weighs about a gram, grams and milliliters convert directly here.
Guideline ratios by method
- SCA “Golden Cup”: 55 g of coffee per liter of water (about 1:18), with a tolerance of ±10%.
- Drip and pour over: mostly 1:15 to 1:17; the tool uses 1:16 (62.5 g/L).
- French press: 1:15; AeroPress often 1:12 to 1:15.
- Espresso: 1:2 (for example 18 g of coffee, 36 g of drink).
- Moka pot: about 1:7 to 1:10. Cold brew: 1:5 to 1:8 as a concentrate.
How to use the calculator
Choose the brew method and enter either the water, the coffee you have or the number of cups. The result appears at once, together with tips on grind, temperature and time. The “Own ratio” field lets you tune the strength to your taste. For other kitchen measures there is the cups to grams converter, and for boiled eggs the egg boiling time calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much coffee per liter of water?
For drip coffee 55 to 65 g, which is about 1:16. With 500 ml of water that is roughly 31 g of coffee.
How much coffee for a French press?
About 1:15, so 67 g of coffee per liter. For a 350 ml mug that is roughly 23 g.
How many scoops of coffee is that?
Depending on grind and scoop, a heaped tablespoon weighs about 6 to 8 g. Because of that spread, weighing on a kitchen scale is much more accurate.
What is the right ratio for espresso?
The usual is 1:2, that is 18 g of ground coffee for 36 g of espresso in the cup. Shorter shots (ristretto) are about 1:1.5 and longer ones (lungo) 1:3 to 1:4.
Why does my coffee taste too strong or too weak?
Check the ratio first: more water makes it milder. If it stays bitter or sour, the cause is usually grind size, water temperature or brew time.
Sources and legal basis
- Specialty Coffee Association – Coffee Brewing Standards (Golden Cup: 55 g/L, 90,5–96,1 °C)
- Wikipedia – Coffee preparation (brewing methods and amounts)
As of: · Editorial policy
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