For drip coffee and pour-over, a reliable starting point is 1:16.7 – one gram of coffee for every 16.7 grams of water. That works out to about 14 grams of coffee for 8 fluid ounces (237 ml) of water, or 60 grams per liter.
You don’t have to treat that number as a hard and fast rule. For drip coffee and pour-over, a practical range is 1:15 for a stronger cup, 1:16.7 for a balanced starting point, and 1:18 for a milder cup.
The recommended starting ratio varies by brewing method. The calculator below starts drip and pour-over at 1:16.7, French press at 1:18.3, and AeroPress at 1:16.
Coffee-to-water ratio calculator
Use this formula when you know how much water you want to brew:
Water in ounces × 29.57 ÷ ratio number = coffee in grams
For example, 16.9 fluid ounces (500 ml) of water at 1:16.7 needs about 30 grams of coffee. The calculator handles the conversion, so you don’t have to do arithmetic before coffee has turned on your brain.
1. Select brew type:
2. How many Servings?
Amount of Water needed:
Amount of Coffee needed:
Coffee Grind:
How to brew:
Here's a little timer for your french press brew
TIME : 4:00
Coffee-to-water ratio chart
The chart below uses the drip and pour-over starting ratio of 1:16.7, equivalent to 60 grams of coffee per liter. The dose is the coffee’s weight before brewing, whether you start with whole beans or grounds.
| Water | Coffee | Approximate ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 fl oz (250 ml) | 15 g | 1:16.7 |
| 11.8 fl oz (350 ml) | 21 g | 1:16.7 |
| 16.9 fl oz (500 ml) | 30 g | 1:16.7 |
| 25.4 fl oz (750 ml) | 45 g | 1:16.7 |
| 33.8 fl oz (1,000 ml) | 60 g | 1:16.7 |
| 42.3 fl oz (1,250 ml) | 75 g | 1:16.7 |
How much coffee grounds per cup?
“One cup” can mean several different things. A US measuring cup is 8 fluid ounces, a typical mug may hold 10 to 12 ounces, and many drip-machine markings represent only 5 or 6 fluid ounces. Apparently, the coffee world decided that “cup” should be more of a suggestion than a measurement.
For that reason, the most accurate approach is to measure the water you’ll actually use.
| Finished size | Water | Coffee at 1:16.7 |
|---|---|---|
| Small cup | 6 fl oz (177 ml) | 10.5-11 g |
| Standard cup | 8 fl oz (237 ml) | 14 g |
| Medium mug | 10 fl oz (296 ml) | 18 g |
| Large mug | 12 |