Why 1:16 for pour-over?

It's SCA's 'golden ratio' that produces a balanced cup — strong enough to taste, not so concentrated it loses clarity. Move toward 1:15 for fuller-body, 1:17 for brighter and lighter.

Espresso is a 'brew ratio' from dry dose to liquid output (yield). 18g in → 36g out = 1:2, the classic 'normale'. 1:1.5 is a 'ristretto', 1:3 is a 'lungo'.

Grams or milliliters of water?

Water is ~1 g/mL, so 400g water ≈ 400mL. Coffee shops weigh because scales are more precise than volume.

Does grind size really matter?

Yes — too fine = bitter over-extraction, too coarse = sour under-extraction. The grind hints (fine for espresso, coarse for French press / cold brew) are starting points; tune from there.

Coffee Brew Ratio Calculator

Specialty coffee uses ratios like 1:16 (one gram of coffee per 16 grams of water) to keep brews consistent. This tool gives you method-specific defaults — pour-over 1:16, French press 1:15, AeroPress 1:14, espresso 1:2, cold brew 1:8 — plus grind size and brew time reminders. Type either coffee or water and the other side recalculates from the current ratio, so you can plan a brew from either end ("I have 25g of beans" or "I want 400ml of coffee").

—

Coffee : Water ratio: 1 : 16

Coffee (g)Water (g / ml)

Coffee

25 g

Water

400 g

Cups (≈240ml)

≈ 1.7

Grind size

Medium

Brew time

3–4 min

Ratio

1 : 16

Ratios are starting points — adjust to taste. Going stronger? Lower the ratio (1:15 instead of 1:16). Bitter? Coarser grind or shorter time.

How to use

Pick a brewing method — the ratio, grind, and time defaults snap to it.
Adjust the ratio slider for stronger (lower number) or weaker (higher number) coffee.
Type the coffee or water amount you have — the other re-derives. The cups estimate assumes 240ml per cup.

Frequently asked questions

Why 1:16 for pour-over?: It's SCA's 'golden ratio' that produces a balanced cup — strong enough to taste, not so concentrated it loses clarity. Move toward 1:15 for fuller-body, 1:17 for brighter and lighter.
Why is espresso 1:2?: Espresso is a 'brew ratio' from dry dose to liquid output (yield). 18g in → 36g out = 1:2, the classic 'normale'. 1:1.5 is a 'ristretto', 1:3 is a 'lungo'.
Grams or milliliters of water?: Water is ~1 g/mL, so 400g water ≈ 400mL. Coffee shops weigh because scales are more precise than volume.
Does grind size really matter?: Yes — too fine = bitter over-extraction, too coarse = sour under-extraction. The grind hints (fine for espresso, coarse for French press / cold brew) are starting points; tune from there.

Related tools

Baker's Percentage Calculator

Scale bread recipes by baker's percentage — enter your flour weight and each ingredient as a percentage of flour to get exact gram weights, total dough weight and hydration.

Everyday 0 0

Caffeine Half-Life Calculator

Pick a coffee / tea / cola dose and see how much caffeine is still in your bloodstream now, in an hour, in six — and when it'll drop below the sleep threshold.

Everyday 0 0

Water Intake Calculator

Estimate daily water needs from weight, activity, climate, and pregnancy/breastfeeding status — gives a target and a 4-block schedule.

Everyday 0 0

Rule of Three Calculator

Solve a proportion a/b = c/d — enter any three values, leave one field empty, and the fourth is found by cross-multiplication.

Everyday 0 0

Fibonacci Sequence Generator

Generate the first N Fibonacci numbers — 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 … — with exact big-integer precision, and see the last term, the running sum and the golden-ratio approximation of the final two terms.

Everyday 0 0

Percentage Calculator

Work out percentages, what-percent, and percent change in one place.

Everyday 0 0