Coffee-to-water ratio calculator

Choose a brewing method and how many cups you want. Change any number and the rest follow.

Ratio1 : 16

Change servings, coffee or water and the others update. Water by weight: 1 ml ≈ 1 g. The grounds hold back roughly twice their weight in water, so you get a little less coffee in the cup.

How the calculator works

A brewing ratio is the weight of water for each gram of coffee. At 1 : 16, 20 g of coffee takes 320 g of water. Because a millilitre of water weighs about a gram, you can read water in grams or millilitres.

Each method starts from a common ratio, and the strength setting moves it by one step: stronger uses less water per gram, lighter uses more. These are starting points, not standards; adjust to your beans and taste.

MethodStarting ratioCup size used
Pour-over1 : 16250 ml
French press1 : 15250 ml
Drip machine1 : 16250 ml
AeroPress1 : 15220 ml
Cold brew concentrate1 : 8120 ml (dilute to taste)

What it doesn't measure

The calculator works out quantities only. How strong the coffee tastes also depends on grind size, water temperature, brew time and the beans. The grounds also hold back some water, so the finished cup is slightly smaller than the water you pour.