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Fundamentals
Coffee-to-water ratios
A coffee-to-water ratio is just a way to decide how much coffee to use for the amount of water you’re making. A gentle place to start for most filter coffee is 1:16: that means 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. For one generous mug, try 15 grams of coffee with 240 grams of water. Prefer a stronger cup? Try a little more coffee. Like it lighter? Use a little less. There’s no need to get it exactly right on the first try.
Espresso uses a much tighter ratio, often around 1:2, meaning 18 g of coffee yields about 36 g of liquid. Measuring by weight with a kitchen scale is more consistent than scoops, since beans differ in density.
Quick takeaways
- Start at 1:16 and adjust to taste.
- Ratio changes strength. Grind and time change extraction.
- Write down your ratio so you can repeat a good cup.