Brewing quantity converter

Type a number in any box and the others in the same section update. Recipes on this site use grams and millilitres.

Weight
Water and liquids

Coffee makers use a smaller “cup” than a measuring cup. Mr. Coffee counts a cup as 5 fl oz (148 ml), so its 12-cup carafe holds 60 fl oz. Other brands differ; check your manual and change the size here.

Ground coffee by the spoon (approximate)

A spoonful of ground coffee can weigh noticeably more or less than these figures, depending on the roast, the grind and how full the spoon is. A coffee scoop can hold anywhere from about 8 to 14 g. For the most accurate result, weigh one level spoonful of your own coffee and enter it above.

Water temperature

Why recipes use grams

Ground coffee varies in how much fits in a spoon: a dark roast, a finer grind or a heaped spoon all change the weight. Grams don't change, which is why most brewing guides, including ours, give coffee by weight. A kitchen scale that reads to 1 g, or better 0.1 g, is the single most useful brewing tool after a grinder.

Water is easier: one millilitre of water weighs about one gram, so you can measure it either way.

Which “cup”?

CupVolumeWhere you see it
US measuring cup8 US fl oz (236.6 ml)US recipes
Metric cup250 mlRecipes from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere
Coffee-maker cupOften 5 fl oz (148 ml); varies by brandCarafe markings and “12-cup” machine sizes

That's why a “12-cup” coffee maker holds far less than 12 measuring cups. Its carafe markings are the easiest way to measure water for that machine.

Exact conversion factors

  • 1 ounce (avoirdupois) = 28.35 g
  • 1 US fluid ounce = 29.57 ml
  • 1 US cup = 8 US fl oz = 236.6 ml
  • °F = °C × 9 ⁄ 5 + 32  ·  °C = (°F − 32) × 5 ⁄ 9

Spoon and scoop weights are not fixed conversions: the converter uses 5 g per level tablespoon and 10 g per scoop as starting points, and lets you set your own.

Sources

Need amounts for a brew? Try the coffee-to-water ratio calculator.