Coffee Calculator: Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Getting the coffee-water ratio right is the key to a great cup of coffee. But coffee measurement is a confusing topic, and “how much ground coffee per cup” doesn’t have a simple answer. Grams to milliliters? Ounces to grams? How many scoops of coffee? What if I like it strong? Do I need a scale? We built this simple coffee calculator to help you figure out the best coffee-water ratio. 

Coffee Calculator: Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Understanding Coffee Measurements 

• There are two kinds of "cups": the measuring cup you use to make desserts, which holds eight fluid ounces of water, and the coffee cup from which you drink, which holds 6 ounces of coffee. Mugs typically hold a bit more coffee (about 8 ounces). We’ve accounted for those differences as a setting in our coffee calculator.
  

• Using a scale can help you be precise about your coffee-to-water ratio, scoops, measuring cups, and spoons work just fine. The reason coffee professionals use a scale is because coffees vary in density and weight. For example, a scoop of light roast will typically weigh more than the same scoop of dark coffee!
  

• If you want to up your coffee game, we always recommend a few simple tricks: use filtered water; buy fresh, whole bean coffee; and grind right before you brew. For reference, Bean Box single-serve bags (found in our sampler boxes) brew four to five 6-ounce cups of drip or pour over coffee, and Bean Box 12-ounce bags make 32-plus cups of coffee.
  
  
• Under the hood, the coffee grounds to water ratio is determined by the brew method, with a 16-1 (water to coffee) ratio as the standard for drip or pour over coffee. To brew stronger, use more coffee grounds or less water.

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