Coffee Ratio Calculator
Coffee and water for pour-over, French press, AeroPress, cold brew and espresso.
About this tool
Choose a brew method to load a typical ratio, adjust it or nudge it stronger or milder, and say whether you know the water or the coffee. Enter the amount, or a number of 250 ml cups. The calculator shows the coffee in grams with a rough tablespoon count, the water, how much coffee you will actually pour after the grounds soak some up, and the usual grind size.
How coffee ratios work
A brew ratio is coffee to water by weight. At 1:16, every gram of coffee gets 16 g of water, which is 16 ml. So 500 ml of water needs about 31 g of coffee for a pour-over, and because wet grounds keep about twice their weight in water, you pour about 437 ml. A French press at 1:15 with 20 g of coffee takes 300 ml of water. Typical starting points are 1:15โ1:17 for filter and French press, about 1:12 for AeroPress, 1:7 for a moka pot and about 1:5 for a cold brew concentrate that you dilute later. Espresso is measured differently, as dose to the weight of liquid in the cup, and 1:2 is the classic: 18 g in, 36 g out in roughly 25โ30 seconds. A kitchen scale is far more consistent than scoops, since a level tablespoon of ground coffee is only roughly 5 g. Honest limits: taste is personal. If coffee is bitter, grind coarser or brew for less time. If it is sour or weak, grind finer or use more coffee. The cooking converter switches units, the recipe scaler resizes recipes and the timer times the brew. Ratios explained: how to simplify, scale, and divide an amount in a given ratio covers the maths.
Frequently asked questions
How much coffee for 500 ml of water?
About 31 g at a 1:16 ratio, or 33 g at 1:15 for a stronger cup.
What is the best coffee to water ratio?
Around 1:15 to 1:17 suits most filter methods. The Specialty Coffee Association's golden cup standard is close to 1:18 at the weaker end.
How many grams is a tablespoon of coffee?
A level tablespoon of ground coffee is roughly 5 g, but it varies with the grind and the bean, so a scale is more reliable.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.