Coffee to water ratio calculator

Start from the coffee you have or the cup you want. Pick a ratio and get the grams of coffee and water.

320g water

20 g coffee + 320 g (ml) water at 1:16

62.5 g of coffee per kg of water: stronger than the SCA's 55 g per kg.

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How it's calculated

A ratio of 1:16 means 16 g of water for every 1 g of coffee.
Water = coffee × ratio. Coffee = water ÷ ratio. A gram of water is about a millilitre, so you can measure water in ml.
Strength = coffee ÷ water × 1,000, in grams of coffee per kilogram (about a litre) of water.
For comparison, the Specialty Coffee Association's home brewer standard (SCA 310) tests at 55 g of coffee per kg of water, which is about 1:18.2. The other presets (1:16 for pour-over and Chemex, 1:15 for French press) are common starting points, not standards. Adjust to taste.
Brew water temperature matters too: the SCA's Gold Cup standards specify 92 °C (about 198 °F) as the minimum.

Worked example

20 g of coffee at 1:16 needs 20 × 16 = 320 g (about 320 ml) of water. That's 20 ÷ 320 × 1,000 = 62.5 g per kg, a little stronger than the SCA's 55 g per kg. To brew 500 g of water at the SCA ratio of 1:18.2 you'd need 500 ÷ 18.2 = 27.5 g of coffee.

Sources

Coffee standards (SCA 310: Home Coffee Brewers) — Specialty Coffee Association
SCA Standard 310 (member document) tests home brewers at 55 g of coffee per kg of water.
Brewing temperature and the sensory profile of brewed coffee — Specialty Coffee Association
The Gold Cup standards specify 92 °C as the minimum brew temperature.

Questions

Grams or millilitres of water?

Either. A millilitre of water weighs about a gram, so the numbers are the same. Weighing on a kitchen scale is the most accurate.

Why weigh coffee instead of using scoops?

A scoop of coffee weighs different amounts depending on the roast and the grind, so the same scoop can give a different ratio each day. Grams don't change.

My coffee tastes weak or bitter. Is the ratio wrong?

Maybe. The ratio sets strength; grind size and brew time set extraction. Change one thing at a time. A lower ratio number (1:15) is stronger, a higher one (1:18) is lighter.

Does it remember my recipe?

Yes, in this browser. Press Save to keep a recipe in the list below the calculator. The full Pourover app adds a pour timer, beans and tasting notes.

By the All Things AI team · Last tested 17 October 2026 · Questions or a wrong number? support@allthingsn.com