Coffee Ratio Calculator
Get the coffee and water for any brew ratio and method, including how much you actually end up with in the cup.
Your details
1 g of water is 1 ml
Details
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Use
31.3 g coffee
with 500 g of water at 1:16.0 — about 438 g in the cup
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
Coffee
31.3 g
about 5.9 tbsp ground
Water
500 g
500 ml
In the cup
438 g
63 g held by the grounds
Strength
62.5 g/L
- Brew ratio
- 1:16.0
- Coffee
- 31.3 g
- Water
- 500 g
- Beverage yield
- 438 g
- Suggested grind
- Medium-fine
| Method | Ratio | Coffee for 500 g water | Grind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over / V60 | 1:16 | 31.3 g | Medium-fine |
| Drip machine | 1:16 | 31.3 g | Medium |
| French press | 1:13 | 38.5 g | Coarse |
| AeroPress | 1:14 | 35.7 g | Fine to medium |
| Chemex | 1:17 | 29.4 g | Medium-coarse |
| Moka pot | 1:10 | 50.0 g | Fine |
| Cold brew concentrate | 1:5 | 100.0 g | Coarse |
| Espresso | 1:2 | 250.0 g | Very fine |
What this means
- A ratio of 1:16.0 means 16.0 g of water for every gram of coffee, which works out to 62.5 g per litre. The Specialty Coffee Association's golden cup range is about 55 g per litre, roughly 1:18.
- Grounds hold onto water and never give it back — about 2.0 g per gram of coffee for this method. That is why 500 g of water yields only 438 g of drink.
- Water is measured by weight because 1 g is 1 ml, which makes a kitchen scale the fastest and most accurate measuring jug you own.
How the coffee ratio calculation works
Brew ratio is the single biggest lever on how a cup of coffee tastes, and it is the one most people never touch. It is written as coffee to water by weight — 1:16 means 16 grams of water for every gram of coffee. Everything else, grind size and water temperature and technique, is refinement on top of getting this number right.
Ratio controls strength, which is not the same thing as extraction. Strength is how much dissolved coffee ends up in the water; extraction is what fraction of the ground coffee dissolved. A 1:12 French press and a 1:18 pour-over can be extracted identically and still taste completely different in intensity. If coffee tastes weak, tighten the ratio. If it tastes bitter and harsh, that is usually over-extraction and calls for a coarser grind or a shorter brew, not more water.
The yield figure matters more than people expect. Wet grounds retain roughly twice their own weight in water and keep it, so 500 g of water over 30 g of coffee gives about 440 g of drink, not 500. Brewing to a target cup size means accounting for what the bed keeps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best coffee to water ratio?
For filter coffee, somewhere between 1:15 and 1:17 suits most palates, with 1:16 a reliable starting point. The Specialty Coffee Association's golden cup standard works out to about 1:18. Immersion methods like French press are usually brewed stronger, around 1:12 to 1:15, and cold brew concentrate can go as low as 1:5.
How many grams of coffee per cup?
A 250 ml mug at 1:16 needs about 15.6 g of coffee. Bear in mind that a coffee maker's marked cup is often 150 ml rather than a real mug, so a twelve cup carafe is about 1.8 litres and wants roughly 110 g of coffee.
Why is my yield lower than the water I poured?
The grounds keep it. Coffee absorbs about two grams of water per gram of dry grounds and holds onto it, so a 30 g dose retains around 60 g. Brewing 500 g of water gives you roughly 440 g in the carafe. Cold brew is worse because the contact time is so long.
Should I change the ratio or the grind?
Change the ratio for strength and the grind for extraction. Coffee that is weak but pleasant needs more coffee or less water. Coffee that is sour and thin is under-extracted and needs a finer grind or longer contact. Coffee that is bitter and drying is over-extracted and needs a coarser grind. Adjusting one variable at a time is the only way to tell which was the problem.
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Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.