Coffee Ratio Calculator
Great coffee is mostly arithmetic. Decide how much water you are brewing, choose a coffee-to-water ratio, and the dose of ground coffee follows automatically. This calculator does that math for you: type a water amount in grams or millilitres, pick a ratio from 1:14 (strong) to 1:18 (mild), and it returns the exact coffee weight you need, the approximate number of 8 oz cups, and where the brew sits on the strength scale. No more eyeballing scoops, just a repeatable number you can hit every morning.
How to use the coffee ratio calculator
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1
Enter your water amount
Use grams or millilitres: for water they are practically identical (1 ml of water weighs about 1 g). A single mug is roughly 250 g; a full carafe is 1000 g or more.
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2
Pick a brew ratio
Choose 1:14 to 1:18. A lower number means more coffee per unit of water (stronger); a higher number means less coffee (milder). 1:16 is a balanced all-rounder for pour-over and drip.
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3
Read your coffee dose
The calculator divides the water by the ratio to give the coffee weight in grams, then estimates the cup count and labels the strength so you can adjust before you grind.
The formula
The coffee-to-water ratio is written as 1 : X, where one part coffee is brewed with X parts water by weight. To find the coffee dose:
coffee (g) = water (g) ÷ ratio
So a ratio of 1:16 means you divide the water by 16. The strength rises as the ratio number falls, because each gram of water carries more coffee.
A worked example
Say you want to brew a 500 g pour-over at 1:16:
coffee = 500 ÷ 16 = 31.25 g
You would grind about 31 g of coffee for 500 g of water, close to two heaped tablespoons. That 500 g of water makes roughly 2 cups at the 8 oz (≈240 g) cup size used here. Switch to 1:14 and the dose jumps to 35.7 g for a punchier brew; switch to 1:18 and it drops to 27.8 g for a lighter, tea-like cup.
Ratio cheat sheet
| Ratio | Coffee for 500 g water | Strength | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:14 | 35.7 g | Strong | Bold drip, robust beans, milk drinks |
| 1:15 | 33.3 g | Strong-ish | Full-bodied pour-over |
| 1:16 | 31.3 g | Balanced | Classic pour-over and drip |
| 1:17 | 29.4 g | Mild | Bright, delicate single origins |
| 1:18 | 27.8 g | Mild | Light, high-volume batch brewing |
Pitfalls to avoid
- Volume is not weight for coffee. A “scoop” or “cup” of beans varies wildly with roast and grind. A 0.01 g kitchen scale beats any spoon.
- Espresso uses a different ratio. Espresso brew ratios are usually 1:2 to 1:2.5 (output to dose), this tool targets filter and immersion brewing, not espresso.
- Grind and time still matter. The ratio sets concentration, but a too-coarse grind or too-short brew will taste weak even at 1:14. Dial those in separately.
- Account for absorbed water. Ground coffee retains roughly 2 g of water per gram of coffee, so your cup yield is always slightly below the water you poured.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most filter and pour-over brewing, 1:16 is the widely recommended starting point, balanced, forgiving and close to the SCA golden-cup standard. Go toward 1:14 if you like it bolder, or 1:18 for a lighter cup, then fine-tune to taste.
Either works. One millilitre of water weighs almost exactly one gram at brewing temperatures, so 500 ml and 500 g are interchangeable here. Grams are slightly more precise because a kitchen scale removes any guesswork about container shape.
The calculator estimates cups using an 8 oz (about 240 g) cup, so 500 g of water is roughly 2 cups. Bear in mind the grounds absorb some water, so the liquid in your cup will be a little less than the water you started with.
Not directly. Espresso is described by a brew ratio of output to dose (commonly 1:2), which is a different relationship. This tool is built for filter, drip, French press and other immersion or percolation methods where water-to-coffee weight is the key number.
Only the water amount and the brew ratio. You do not need a file, an account or a spreadsheet; the calculator simply uses the values you type to compute the coffee dose.
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