Specialized Kitchen Tools
Coffee-to-Water Ratio Calculator
Work out how much coffee and water to use for pour-over, French press, AeroPress, cold brew, or espresso.
Measurement System PreferenceAuto-saved
Currently active across all 60 calculators: US Customary (cups, tbsp, oz, °F, in)
Pick a brew method
1 :
Coffee Grounds Required
31.3 g coffee (~1.10 oz)
1 part coffee to 16 parts water, by weight
Brewing tip:
Use water just off the boil, 195-205°F (90-96°C). The grounds hold back about twice their weight in water, so you'll end up with roughly 437 mL of coffee in the cup.
How to use this calculator
- 1Pick a brew method to load a typical ratio, or type your own.
- 2Choose whether you're starting from the amount of water or the amount of coffee.
- 3Enter that amount in grams and read how much of the other you need.
Tip: A lower second number (1:14) makes stronger coffee; a higher one (1:17) makes it lighter.
How it's calculated
Water (g) = Coffee (g) × Ratio; Coffee (g) = Water (g) ÷ Ratio
We do the math at full precision and only round the final answer, so the numbers you see are as close as kitchen measurements allow. The assumptions and limits are listed alongside.
Worked example
Scenario: Brewing a 500g mug of pour-over coffee at a 1:16 ratio.
Inputs500g water at 1:16 ratio
Calculation500 ÷ 16 = 31.25 grams of ground coffee
Result31.3 g coffee grounds for 500 g water
Common questions
Why weigh brewing water in grams instead of fluid ounces?
1 mL of water weighs very nearly 1 gram, so a scale measures both at once, and you get the same cup every morning.