Coffee Bean to Water Ratio Calculator (Pourover)

For pour-over, most baristas use 1:15 to 1:17 (coffee to water). Start with 1:16 as your baseline. Light roasts work well at 1:15, medium at 1:16, dark at 1:17. The SCA standard is 1:16.73 (55g coffee per liter of water). Adjust to taste - stronger coffee = lower ratio (1:14-1:15), lighter = higher ratio (1:17-1:18).

For an 8oz (240ml) cup of coffee, use 15-18g coffee depending on strength. For a 12oz (355ml) mug, use 22-27g. For a full 32oz (950ml) carafe, use 55-60g coffee. Remember: 1g coffee extracts to approximately 1.5-2g liquid coffee, so your yield will be less than the water input.

Grind size affects extraction, not the ratio itself. Finer grinds extract more quickly (use pour-over, medium-fine). Coarser grinds need more contact time. Always dial in grind first, then adjust ratio to tweak strength. The ratio gives you the starting point, taste tells you if you need to adjust.

Weak coffee: grind finer, increase coffee amount, or reduce water. Bitter/over-extracted: grind coarser, reduce brew time, or decrease ratio. Make one change at a time. Most home brewers grind too coarse - aim for table salt consistency for pour-over. The golden rule: taste, adjust, repeat until perfect.