Coffee Brew Ratio Calculator
Calculate the right amount of coffee and water for your brew method using the standard ratio. Common ratios: 1:15 (medium), 1:17 (lighter), 1:13 (stronger).
Inputs
About Coffee Brew Ratio Calculator
Common ratios by method
Pour-over (V60, Chemex): 1:15 to 1:17. French press: 1:12 to 1:15 (stronger). AeroPress: 1:14 to 1:16. Espresso: 1:1.5 to 1:2.5 (very concentrated). Cold brew: 1:7 to 1:10 (will be diluted before serving).
Weigh, don’t scoop
A "tablespoon" of beans varies wildly by roast level, density, and grind. A scale gives consistent results. Cheap kitchen scales (0.1g resolution) cost under $20.
Grind matters too
Same ratio with finer grind: more extraction (stronger, possibly bitter). Coarser: less extraction (weaker, possibly sour). Dial in by adjusting grind first, then ratio.
The golden-cup band
The Specialty Coffee Association's golden-cup guidance lands around 1:15 to 1:18 for filter brewing. The strength gauge marks that band so you can see whether your ratio is inside it, stronger, or lighter. Espresso and cold-brew concentrates sit far left of the scale on purpose — they are diluted or sipped in much smaller volumes.
Why the brewed yield is less than the water
Wet grounds keep roughly two grams of water for every gram of dry coffee, so a 500 g pour over 31 g of coffee leaves about 438 mL in the carafe. The yield tile uses that 2× rule. It is an approximation for filter and immersion brewing — it does not describe espresso, where the shot volume is set by the machine, not by absorption.
What "Solve for" changes
Pick the amount you want the calculator to work out. The other box stays editable and the calculated one is dimmed and filled in for you, so the two numbers on screen always match the ratio you set.