Food
Coffee Ratio Calculator
Enter coffee dose and ratio (or target water) to see brew water and yield.
What coffee-to-water ratio should I use?
Brew ratio keeps coffee repeatable: water mass ≈ coffee dose × ratio, so a 1:16 brew uses 16 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee (grams of water ≈ millilitres). Pour-over and batch brew often sit around 1:15–1:17; espresso uses a much tighter ratio and is better handled with yield-focused recipes. Scale the dose with the servings field when you are filling several cups from one brew. Grind size and contact time still drive extraction as much as the ratio — this page will not fix a bitter or sour cup on its own. Weighing beats scoop volume. For dough-style baker maths in the kitchen see baker’s percentage.
Worked example
18 g coffee at a 1:16 ratio → 288 g water (~288 ml), roughly 1.2 cups if you treat 250 ml as a cup. Two servings at the same dose use 36 g coffee and 576 g water.
Limits and assumptions
Infusion-style ratios only. Espresso, concentrate recipes and cold brew steep times need different methods.
Frequently asked questions
What does 1:16 mean?
One part coffee to sixteen parts water by weight. It is a ratio, not a percentage of a finished drink.
Can I use tablespoons instead of grams?
You can approximate, but bean density varies — a scale is more consistent cup to cup.
Is this for espresso?
Not really. Espresso recipes usually quote dose and liquid yield; use a dedicated espresso ratio if you brew that way.
How do I batch for guests?
Raise the servings field (or multiply coffee and water together) and keep the same ratio.