How much coffee per cup?

At 1:16, about 15–16 g per 250 mL cup; at the SCA's 55 g/L, 14 g. A standard scoop is roughly 7 g, so two rounded scoops per mug. Enter the water you want in 'Coffee for my water' and the page gives the grams.

What is the golden ratio for coffee?

The SCA's Golden Cup standard: 55 g of coffee per litre of water, ± 10%, which is a ratio between about 1:16.5 and 1:20 and centres on 1:18. Choose the SCA preset to use it directly.

What ratio for a French press or pour-over?

French press is usually brewed around 1:15 (a 1 L press takes 65–70 g); pour-over and drip around 1:16 to 1:17; AeroPress anywhere from 1:12 for a strong cup to 1:17. The presets cover these; adjust by one point either way to taste.

Is the ratio by weight or by volume?

By weight, but water's density makes millilitres and grams interchangeable, so 1:16 means 16 g or 16 mL of water per gram of coffee. Coffee itself should always be weighed — its volume varies with the grind.

Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator (SCA Golden Cup, Pour-Over, French Press)

Water for a coffee dose, or coffee for a volume of water, at the SCA standard or common method ratios, with the strength in g/L.

Inputs

Find

Coffee grounds(g)

1 g500 g

Water (coffee mode)(mL)

10 mL10,000 mL

Ratio preset

Water : coffee ratio (custom)

130

Include CalculateEveryday mark

Water needed

288 mL

Working: 18 g × 16 = 288 mL (288 g) of water
Strength: 62.5 g per litre — stronger than the SCA band (55 g/L ± 10%)
Ratio: 1:16
Cups (250 mL): 1.2

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What each Coffee to Water Ratio input means

Find: Work out the water for the coffee you have, or the coffee for the water you want to brew.
Coffee grounds: Ground coffee by weight, in grams. A level tablespoon of ground coffee is roughly 5 g, but beans vary, so a scale is better.
Water (coffee mode): Water in millilitres, which is also grams. A mug is about 250–350 mL.
Ratio preset: A starting ratio for a brew method — pour-over, French press, AeroPress, espresso, cold brew — or the SCA's Golden Cup ratio. Choose custom to set your own.
Water : coffee ratio (custom): Grams of water per gram of coffee, for the custom setting: 16 means 1:16. A smaller number makes stronger coffee.

Coffee to Water Ratio formula

water (g or mL) = coffee (g) × ratio · coffee (g) = water ÷ ratio · strength in g/L = 1,000 ÷ ratio · SCA: 55 g/L ± 10% = 49.5–60.5 g/L

W = C \times r, \qquad \text{g/L} = \frac{1000}{r}

A brew ratio is grams of water per gram of coffee: 1:16 means 16 g of water for every gram of grounds, so 18 g needs 288 g — and because a millilitre of water weighs a gram, 288 mL. The Specialty Coffee Association's Golden Cup standard puts the sweet spot at 55 g of coffee per litre, plus or minus 10%, which is a ratio of about 1:18; most pour-over and drip recipes sit a little stronger at 1:15 to 1:17, immersion methods like the French press around 1:15, and espresso is a different game at 1:2 by beverage weight. The page works either way — water for your dose or dose for your water — shows the strength in grams per litre and whether it lands inside the SCA band, and converts to cups.

Coffee to Water Ratio worked example

18 g of coffee at 1:16: 18 × 16 = 288 mL of water, a single large pour-over. That is 1,000 ÷ 16 = 62.5 g of coffee per litre — a touch stronger than the SCA band of 49.5–60.5 g/L, which is normal for pour-over. At the SCA ratio (1:18.2) the same 18 g would take 328 mL. Working backwards, a 500 mL French press at 1:15 wants 500 ÷ 15 = 33 g of coffee.

More Coffee to Water Ratio examples

Half a litre in a French press at 1:15: 500 ÷ 15 = 33.3 g of coffee, 66.7 g per litre — stronger than the SCA's band, as French press usually is.

Cold-brew concentrate from 30 g of coffee at 1:8: 30 × 8 = 240 mL of water, to be diluted before drinking.

Where the Coffee to Water Ratio calculator can give the wrong answer

Grounds absorb about twice their weight in water, so the brew you drink is less than the water you poured: 288 mL in gives roughly 250 mL out. Scale the water up if the cup matters more than the ratio.
Espresso ratios are dose to beverage weight (1:2 means 18 g in, 36 g out), not dose to water, and the page's espresso preset follows that convention.
Ratios assume a grind and brew time that suit the method. The same 1:16 tastes weak with a coarse grind and short steep and harsh with a fine grind; the ratio sets the ceiling, extraction sets the taste.
Cold brew concentrate at 1:8 is meant to be diluted; the g/L figure for it will read as far too strong, correctly.
Measure by weight, not scoops: a 'tablespoon' of coffee is 5–8 g depending on grind and roast.

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Coffee to Water Ratio reference table

Grams of coffee for a given amount of water
Water	1:15	1:16	1:17	1:18
250 mL	16.7 g	15.6 g	14.7 g	13.9 g
350 mL	23.3 g	21.9 g	20.6 g	19.4 g
500 mL	33.3 g	31.2 g	29.4 g	27.8 g
1 litre	66.7 g	62.5 g	58.8 g	55.6 g

Source: Arithmetic: water ÷ ratio; the SCA Golden Cup is 55 g per litre ± 10%, about 1:18

Coffee to Water Ratio FAQ

: At 1:16, about 15–16 g per 250 mL cup; at the SCA's 55 g/L, 14 g. A standard scoop is roughly 7 g, so two rounded scoops per mug. Enter the water you want in 'Coffee for my water' and the page gives the grams.
: The SCA's Golden Cup standard: 55 g of coffee per litre of water, ± 10%, which is a ratio between about 1:16.5 and 1:20 and centres on 1:18. Choose the SCA preset to use it directly.
: French press is usually brewed around 1:15 (a 1 L press takes 65–70 g); pour-over and drip around 1:16 to 1:17; AeroPress anywhere from 1:12 for a strong cup to 1:17. The presets cover these; adjust by one point either way to taste.
: By weight, but water's density makes millilitres and grams interchangeable, so 1:16 means 16 g or 16 mL of water per gram of coffee. Coffee itself should always be weighed — its volume varies with the grind.