Coffee to water ratio calculator

Choose a brewing method and calculate the missing coffee, liquid, or ratio value.

Water
ml
Ratio 1:n

Coffee needed

31.25 g

Ratio1:16
Coffee31.25 g
Water500 ml
MethodFilter coffee

For an everyday water recipe, 1 ml is treated as 1 g.Read explanation below

Contents

Scale a coffee recipe without guessing

Coffee grounds and water balanced in a proportional brewing recipe

The calculator keeps coffee and liquid in a fixed 1:n relationship. Choose what is missing, enter the other two values, and get a recipe that can be scaled from one cup to a larger batch.

Three quantities, one proportion

A ratio of 1:16 means 16 g of water for every 1 g of dry coffee. The same relationship can find any of its three parts.

C=LnL=Cnn=LCC=\frac{L}{n}\qquad L=Cn\qquad n=\frac{L}{C}

CC is the coffee mass, LL is water or beverage output, and nn is the second number in 1:n. Keep the values in compatible mass units. For ordinary water recipes, the calculator treats 1 ml as approximately 1 g.

Read the liquid field before brewing

For filter coffee, French press, AeroPress, and cold brew, the liquid field means water added before brewing. For espresso it means the beverage collected in the cup. An 18 g dose with 36 g in the cup is 1:2 even though the machine uses more water internally.

The method presets are editable starting points: 1:16 for filter, 1:15 for French press and AeroPress, 1:5 for cold brew concentrate, and 1:2 for espresso. Beans, grind, water, temperature, and time can all change the cup, so the displayed ratio is a recipe record rather than a promise of ideal flavour.

Examples worth checking on a scale

Filter for two cups. With 500 g of water and a 1:16 ratio, coffee equals 500 รท 16 = 31.25 g. Rounding to 31.3 g is practical on a 0.1 g scale.

French press from an available dose. A 20 g dose at 1:15 needs 20 ร— 15 = 300 g of water. The drink served will be smaller because the wet grounds retain some water.

Double espresso. Dividing 36 g of beverage output by 18 g of dry coffee gives 2, so the ratio is 1:2.

Cold brew concentrate. At 1:5, 700 g of water needs 140 g of coffee. This describes a concentrate before any later dilution.

What the ratio cannot tell you

The calculation does not estimate extraction, strength, caffeine, retained water, evaporation, ice, or bypass water. It also cannot judge grind size, roast, brew temperature, pouring technique, or brew time.

When a cup works, record all three values together. Doubling 20 g coffee and 300 g water to 40 g and 600 g preserves 1:15, but the brewer still needs enough capacity and the same technique.

Questions about coffee ratios

The notation is compact, so the main source of confusion is what the liquid number represents.

What does a 1:16 coffee ratio mean?

It means 16 units of water for every 1 equal mass unit of dry coffee. For example, 20 g of coffee pairs with 320 g of water.

How much coffee do I need for 250 ml of water?

At 1:15 use about 16.67 g; at 1:16 use 15.63 g; at 1:17 use 14.71 g. Choose the ratio first, then adjust after tasting.

Can I treat millilitres of water as grams?

For an everyday coffee recipe, yes. The calculator approximates 1 ml of water as 1 g. Use a scale when repeatability matters.

Why is there less drink than the water I added?

Ground coffee and the filter retain some water. The filter modes describe water before brewing, not the final beverage volume.

How is an espresso ratio calculated?

Divide beverage mass in the cup by the dry coffee dose. A 36 g espresso from 18 g of coffee is 1:2.

Can I double every amount?

Yes, multiplying coffee and liquid by the same factor keeps the ratio unchanged. Check the brewer capacity and keep the preparation method consistent.

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