Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator
Coffee and water amounts for the ratio, brew method and number of cups you choose
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Works out how much ground coffee and water to use for a brew ratio, a brew method or a number of cups, and estimates how much coffee ends up in the cup. Use it when a recipe gives a ratio such as 1:16 and you want grams.
How to use
- Pick a "Brew method"; its start ratio fills "Ratio (coffee : water)" and the source of that value is shown under the result.
- Under "Start from", choose "Cups", "Water", "Coffee" or "Find the ratio" and fill in the visible fields.
- For iced coffee, set "Share of the water as ice"; the page splits the water into hot water and ice.
- For pour-over, read the "Pour-over schedule" table for the bloom and each pour.
- Type a name and press "Save as my recipe" to keep a ratio you like.
How it works
- Water = coffee × ratio. In "Cups" mode the page adds back the water the grounds keep (2 × the coffee weight by default), so the cups are full.
- For espresso the ratio is coffee to the drink in the cup by weight, so 18 g at 1 : 2 gives 36 g.
- Extraction yield % = brewed coffee weight × TDS % ÷ coffee dose.
- Start ratios come from named sources and are a place to begin, not a rule. Saved recipes stay in this browser on this device.
Questions and answers
- How much coffee for 500 ml of water?
- At 1:16, 500 ÷ 16 = 31 g. At 1:15 it is 33 g, and at 1:18 it is 28 g.
- What does a 1:16 coffee ratio mean?
- One gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. Since 1 ml of water weighs about 1 g, that is 20 g of coffee for 320 ml of water.
- Why is there less coffee in the cup than the water I poured?
- Wet grounds keep about twice their weight in water. 20 g of coffee with 320 g of water gives roughly 280 g of coffee.
- How do I dilute cold brew concentrate?
- A common start is 1 part concentrate to 1 part water or milk, or 2 : 1 for a stronger drink. The "Cold brew dilution" tab gives the amounts for the drink size you want.