Find the perfect balance between coffee beans and water for your favorite brew method.
Custom
Pour Over (Strong – 1:15)
Pour Over (Standard – 1:16)
Pour Over (Light – 1:17)
French Press (1:12)
Espresso (1:2)
Aeropress (Standard – 1:10)
Cold Brew Conc. (1:8)
Your Brewing Recipe:
Understanding the Coffee-to-Water Ratio
The secret to a consistently delicious cup of coffee isn't just the quality of the beans—it's the precision of your coffee-to-water ratio. This ratio determines the strength (TDS) and the extraction level of your brew. Using a scale and a calculator ensures that you aren't guessing every morning.
Pro Tip: 1 gram of water is exactly equal to 1 milliliter (ml). Most coffee enthusiasts use grams for both water and coffee for maximum accuracy.
Recommended Ratios for Different Methods
Method
Ratio Range
Description
Espresso
1:1 to 1:3
Intense, concentrated, and heavy-bodied.
French Press
1:12 to 1:15
Immersion brewing creates a fuller, textured body.
Pour Over
1:15 to 1:17
The "Golden Ratio" range for clarity and nuance.
Cold Brew
1:4 to 1:8
Concentrate intended to be diluted with water or milk.
Real-World Calculation Examples
Standard Pour Over: If you have 20g of coffee and use a 1:16 ratio, you need 320g of water (20 x 16).
Morning French Press: For a 500ml carafe at a 1:15 ratio, you need approximately 33.3g of coffee (500 / 15).
Double Espresso: For an 18g basket at a 1:2 ratio, your target yield is 36g of liquid espresso.
How Coffee Absorption Affects Yield
It is important to remember that coffee grounds absorb roughly twice their weight in water. If you brew with 20g of coffee and 320ml of water, your final drink will be approximately 280ml, as the grounds will retain about 40ml of water. This calculator accounts for the input water needed to reach your desired flavor profile.
function updateRatioPreset() {
var preset = document.getElementById("brewMethod").value;
if (preset !== "custom") {
document.getElementById("waterRatio").value = preset;
}
}
function calculateCoffee() {
var beans = parseFloat(document.getElementById("coffeeWeight").value);
var ratio = parseFloat(document.getElementById("waterRatio").value);
var resultArea = document.getElementById("resultArea");
var summary = document.getElementById("coffee-summary");
var yieldInfo = document.getElementById("yield-info");
if (isNaN(beans) || beans <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid weight for coffee beans.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(ratio) || ratio <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid brewing ratio.");
return;
}
var waterNeeded = beans * ratio;
var estimatedYield = waterNeeded – (beans * 2);
// Ensure yield isn't negative for weird ratios like espresso
if (estimatedYield < 0) estimatedYield = waterNeeded * 0.9;
summary.innerHTML = "Use " + waterNeeded.toLocaleString() + "ml (or grams) of water for " + beans + "g of coffee.";
yieldInfo.innerHTML = "Estimated final drink volume: ~" + Math.round(estimatedYield) + "ml (after grounds absorption).";
resultArea.style.display = "block";
// SEO Analytics event simulation
console.log("Calculation performed: " + beans + "g at 1:" + ratio);
}