Coffee Brewing Guide
Coffee dose and water per serving for pour over, French press, AeroPress, moka pot, espresso, drip and cold brew, with each ratio's source where there is one. How it works
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About the Coffee Brewing Guide
Drip coffee at the SCA's test ratio of 55 g of coffee per kg of water is 1:18.2, or 13.7 g of coffee for a 250 ml cup; French press at Stumptown's 56 g to 850 g is 1:15.2, and an espresso shot at Counter Culture's recipe is 18 g of coffee for 36 g in the cup. The guide gives the dose, water, time and temperature for seven methods, with the source of each ratio. Pour over (1:16) and moka pot (1:10) are a common starting point with no published source behind them.
Coffee and water by brew method
| Method | One serving | Coffee per serving | Ratio | 2 servings | Water temperature | Source of the ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour Over | one 250 ml cup | 15.6 g | 1:16 | 31.3 g coffee, 500 ml water | 90–96 °C (194–205 °F), borrowed from the SCA test for home brewers as a starting point | A common starting point, not a published standard |
| French Press | one 250 ml cup | 16.5 g | 1:15.2 | 32.9 g coffee, 500 ml water | about 96 °C (205 °F), just off the boil (Stumptown) | Stumptown: 56 g coffee to 850 g water |
| AeroPress | one AeroPress batch | 17 g | 1:12.9 | 34 g coffee, 440 ml water | 90–96 °C (194–205 °F) (Stumptown gives 195–205 °F) | Stumptown: 17 g coffee to 220 g water (Counter Culture uses 18 g to 210 g) |
| Moka Pot | one small cup | 6 g | 1:10 | 12 g coffee, 120 ml water | Not given by the sources used here | A common starting point, not a published standard |
| Espresso | one shot: 18 g of coffee, 36 g in the cup | 18 g | 1:2 | 36 g coffee, 72 g in the cup | Not given by the sources used here | Counter Culture: 18 g dose, 36 g in the cup |
| Drip | one 250 ml cup | 13.7 g | 1:18.2 | 27.5 g coffee, 500 ml water | 90–96 °C (194–205 °F) for the slurry (SCA Standard 310-2021) | SCA Standard 310-2021: 55 g of coffee per kg of water |
| Cold Brew | 125 ml of steeping water | 15.6 g | 1:8 | 31.3 g coffee, 250 ml water | Steep in the refrigerator (Counter Culture) | Counter Culture: 1:8 concentrate; Stumptown: dilute 1:1 |
Standard strength. The ratio is grams of water per gram of coffee; for espresso it is grams of liquid in the cup per gram of coffee. An AeroPress batch is 220 ml and a moka pot cup 60 ml.
Pour over dose by strength (2 servings, 500 ml of water)
| Strength | Coffee | Ratio | Coffee per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighter | 28.1 g | 1:17.8 | 56 g |
| Standard | 31.3 g | 1:16 | 63 g |
| Stronger | 34.4 g | 1:14.5 | 69 g |
Lighter and Stronger use about 10% less or more coffee: an adjustment of this tool, not a published standard.
Frequently asked questions
- How much coffee for 2 cups of pour over?
- 31.3 g of coffee for 500 ml of water at 1:16, the tool's two 250 ml servings. Lighter (about 10% less coffee) is 28.1 g and Stronger 34.4 g. 1:16 is a common starting point, not a published standard, so change the dose by a gram or two to taste.
- What is the SCA coffee to water ratio?
- SCA Standard 310-2021 tests home coffee brewers at 55 g of coffee per 1.000 kg of water, about 1:18.2, and requires the slurry to reach 90 to 96 °C (194 to 205 °F). It is a test method for machines, not a rule for every brew; the guide uses it for drip, where 4 cups (1,000 ml) take 55 g.
- How much coffee do I use in a French press?
- Stumptown's recipe is 56 g of coffee to 850 g of water (1:15.2), with water just off the boil at about 205 °F (96 °C), ground coarse, stirred at 1 minute and pressed at 4 minutes. The guide scales it to 16.5 g per 250 ml cup, or 49.4 g for 3 cups (750 ml).
- What is the espresso ratio?
- Counter Culture pulls 18 g of coffee to 36 g of liquid in the cup in about 28 seconds, 1:2 by weight. One serving here is one shot, so 2 servings are 36 g of coffee and 72 g in the cup. The guide shows grams, not ml, because the recipe gives a weight, and it gives no water temperature because the source gives none.
- What is the ratio for cold brew coffee?
- Counter Culture brews a 1:8 concentrate in the fridge, starting at about 14 hours, and dilutes it between 2:1 and 1:1 with water; Stumptown steeps for 16 hours (14 to 18 works) and dilutes 1:1 with water or milk. One serving here is 125 ml of steeping water, so 4 servings are 500 ml of water and 62.5 g of coffee, and the grounds keep some of the water.
- Why does my coffee taste bitter, sour or weak?
- Start with the grind. Stumptown's Kalita Wave guide says bitter usually means over-extraction, so grind coarser or pour a little faster, and sour or weak usually means under-extraction, so grind finer or pour more slowly. If the cup tastes balanced but too strong or too thin, change the dose instead: Lighter and Stronger use about 10% less or more coffee, 28.1 g or 34.4 g in place of 31.3 g for 2 cups of pour over. That 10% step is this tool's own, not a published rule.
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