For drip or pour-over coffee, start with 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. That is a 1:16 ratio. It is easy to scale and gives you something consistent to adjust when a cup tastes too strong or too weak.
For example, use 30 g of coffee with 480 g of water. Keep the grind and brewing method the same while you try a different ratio.
How to read the numbers
For filter coffee and immersion recipes, the ratio compares dry coffee with the water you add. At 1:15, the same amount of water uses more coffee than at 1:17.
Espresso is different: its usual ratio compares the dry grounds with the weight of the finished espresso. An 18 g dose producing 36 g of espresso is 1:2.
| Water for a 1:16 filter recipe | Coffee needed |
|---|---|
| 240 g | 15 g |
| 320 g | 20 g |
| 480 g | 30 g |
| 640 g | 40 g |
| 1,000 g | 62.5 g |
To calculate another size, divide the water weight by the second number in the ratio. For 350 g of water at 1:16, that is 350 ÷ 16, or about 22 g of coffee.
Why use a scale?
A scoop can hold different weights depending on the beans, roast and grind. A scale makes it easier to use the same amount when you open a new bag.
Place your brewer on the scale and tare it. Add the coffee, record its weight, then tare again before adding water. For a drip machine with a separate reservoir, weigh the water before filling it. Stay within the machine’s capacity.
Remember that a coffee maker’s “cup” marking may not mean an 8-fluid-ounce US cup. Check the manual if you are translating a recipe from cups to water weight.
Starting recipes by method
| Method | Recipe to try | What the ratio measures |
|---|---|---|
| Pour-over | 22 g coffee / 350 g water, about 1:16 | Dry coffee to water added |
| Drip machine | 30 g / 480 g, or scale to capacity | Dry coffee to water added |
| French press | 30 g / 450 g, a 1:15 recipe; try a coarse grind and four-minute steep | Dry coffee to water added |
| AeroPress | Use a recipe for your model, then keep the dose and water measured | Check whether the recipe includes water added after pressing |
| Espresso | 18 g in / 36 g out, if the dose suits your basket | Dry coffee to finished espresso |
| Moka pot | Follow your pot’s water and basket fill instructions | Use its designed capacity; do not tamp the grounds |
| Cold-brew concentrate | 100 g / 500 g, a 1:5 starting point; dilute the strained coffee to taste | Dry coffee to steeping water, before dilution |
These are recipes to try, not requirements for every coffee. The National Coffee Association’s cold-brew guide also distinguishes concentrated recipes from ready-to-drink brews. For cold brew, follow the brewer’s directions and keep preparation and storage instructions with the recipe.
Strength and extraction are different
Strength describes how concentrated the drink is. Extraction describes how much material has dissolved from the grounds. They affect each other, but a stronger cup is not automatically a better-extracted cup.
If the flavor is pleasant but weak, try a little more coffee for the same water weight. If it is pleasant but too strong, try a little less coffee or dilute the finished drink.
If the cup is harsh, hollow or unexpectedly sour, look at grind, water, temperature and brew time too. Adding more coffee is not always the useful change.
Make one small adjustment
- Write down your dose, water weight and grind setting.
- Decide whether you want to change the strength or the flavor balance.
- Change one variable. For a ratio comparison, keep the brewer, grind and technique steady.
- Taste the next brew and keep the version you prefer.
A short note such as “30 g / 480 g, good flavor but a little strong” is enough. You do not need to rebuild your recipe every time you open a bag.
Choose one coffee while you compare
Using the same coffee removes one more variable. For an everyday medium roast, try Smith River. For a medium-dark option, see Cascades. You can use the same measured approach with Trapper Peak Decaf.
Once you find a cup you like, save the coffee name and recipe together. That is the recipe to return to on a busy morning.
