Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator
How much coffee do I need?
Pick your brew method and how much you want. We'll give you the coffee and water in grams, or in level tablespoons if you've no scales.
Brew methodOne bag (about 14 g) per cup, no grinder, no scales. Pour 200 ml for a balanced cup, less for stronger, more to stretch it.
Coffee to water ratios by method
| Method | Ratio | Per 500 ml | Grind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drip coffee bag | 1 bag per ~200 ml cup | 2 to 3 bags (about 14 g each) | pre-ground |
| Pour over | 1:17 (60 g/L) | 30 g | Filter |
| Filter machine | 1:17 | 29 g | Filter |
| Plunger (French press) |
1:17 (60 g/L) | 30 g | Plunger |
| Percolator | 1:15 | 33 g | Plunger |
| AeroPress | 1:13 | 38 g | Aeropress |
| Moka pot | self-measuring (~1:10) | fill basket level | Stovetop |
| Cold brew (ready to drink) |
1:8 | 63 g | Cold Brew |
| Cold brew (concentrate) |
1:5 | 100 g | Cold Brew |
How ratios work
A coffee to water ratio just says how much water each gram of coffee gets. 1:16 means 16 g of water for every 1 g of coffee: a clean, balanced filter cup. Lower numbers (1:12) brew stronger and heavier; higher numbers (1:17) brew lighter and brighter. Every method has its own range because of how long the water and coffee spend together. For the step-by-step on each, see our brew guides.
Quick answers
What is the best coffee to water ratio?
1:16 to 1:17 is the widely agreed sweet spot for filter, pour over and plunger. The SCA Golden Cup range is 1:16 to 1:18, and James Hoffmann brews at 60 g per litre (30 g to 500 ml). AeroPress runs stronger, around 1:13. Adjust to taste from there.
How many grams of coffee per cup?
For a single 250 ml cup, about 15 g of coffee at 1:17 (60 g per litre). That's roughly two level tablespoons of grounds. Our drip bags hold about 14 g, dosed for one cup of about 200 ml.
How do you measure coffee without scales?
One level tablespoon of ground coffee is about 7 g, so a 500 ml plunger brew (30 g) needs roughly four and a half level tablespoons. It's approximate, but close enough. Coffee is forgiving.
How much water for a drip coffee bag?
About 200 ml for a balanced cup, less for stronger, more to stretch it, poured in slow stages. Each Grounded Drops bag holds about 14 g of coffee.