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Free Tool

Coffee-to-water ratio calculator.

Pick your method, set how many cups you want, and get the exact grams of coffee and water for a balanced brew — plus the grind and temperature to match. Weigh it once and every cup gets repeatable.

StrongerMilder
30 g
Coffee
≈ 6 tbsp
500 g
Water
≈ 16.9 oz

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How to use a coffee ratio

A coffee ratio is just the weight of water divided by the weight of coffee. A 1:16 ratio — one gram of coffee to sixteen grams of water, about 60 grams per litre — is the balanced starting point most of specialty coffee uses. Lower the ratio (1:15, 1:14) for a stronger, heavier cup; raise it (1:17, 1:18) for a lighter, more delicate one. Grams of water and millilitres of water are interchangeable, which makes the math easy: 500 ml of water weighs 500 g.

The single biggest accuracy upgrade is a burr grinder and a $15 scale — weighing beats scooping because bean density varies with roast and size. Dial in your grind with our brewing guide, get your water temperature right with a gooseneck kettle, and for iced season see the best coffee for cold brew.

One thing the calculator can't do: make old coffee taste fresh. The perfect ratio on beans roasted months ago still tastes flat. Ours are roasted after you order, with the roast date on every bag.

Common questions

What is the best coffee-to-water ratio?

Start at 1:16 (about 60 g/L). Go toward 1:15–1:14 for stronger, 1:17–1:18 for milder. French press runs a touch stronger (~1:15), AeroPress stronger still (~1:14), and cold brew concentrate is about 1:5, then diluted.

How much coffee per cup?

For a ~250 ml cup at 1:16, about 15–16 g of coffee — roughly 2 level tablespoons. This calculator does it for any number of cups and any method.

How do I measure coffee without a scale?

One level tablespoon of whole beans is roughly 5 g. It's approximate — a scale is far more consistent — so the calculator shows both grams and an approximate tablespoon count.

Read the full brewing guide Gear guides