One of the vital steps in making a great cup of coffee is to consider how much coffee per cup. If you understand the principles as well as the golden ratio of coffee ground and water, you can live up to the barista-quality coffee.
Thus, let’s refer to this article to figure out the most basic information for measuring suitable coffee grounds.
How Much Coffee Per Cup?
According to the “Golden Ratio” recommended by the SCAA, we need 8.25 grams of whole bean coffee (± 0.25 grams) per 5 oz cup (5.07 fluid ounces of water or 150 ml). You can try the golden ratio above as a standard coffee amount, then adjust it each time you drink to fit your own taste.
Golden Ratio
The golden ratio is regulated by the American Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA). All people worldwide use this ratio as the standard for making coffee.
Let’s check the proportions distributed between the coffee grounds and the volume below:
– Coffee grounds: 1 gr
– Water volume: 18 ml
Thus, you just follow this 1:18 ratio to have a cup of coffee with the standard aroma and taste of coffee. Depending on the capacity of the coffee cup you use or the need to use coffee, you can easily adjust to having a suitable coffee ground amount.
In particular, this ratio helps simplify everything, especially for those who are quite lazy in measuring the amount of coffee.
Moreover, from the above ratio, we have several others with many different flavors discovered. Please check the list below:
– 1:15 has a bold and bright taste
– 1:16 tastes smooth and bright
– 1:17 tastes smooth and round
Different brewing methods influence the ratios mentioned above, so you need to determine the brewing method to decide the right ratio for each.
How Many Grams Of Coffee Per Cup Do People Often Use?
Although the information above shows the specified golden ratio of coffee and water, you need to consider the type of drink you want to make. Different drinks will require different amounts of coffee.
For a regular cup of coffee, there are ratios that many people enjoy. You can base on it to find a suitable amount of coffee for you.
Many coffee lovers in the US typically use 14-15 grams of coffee grounds with 8 oz of water (250 ml).
When they want to drink coffee with a smaller cup size, they will use 5 oz of water (150 ml) and keep the same amount of coffee to increase its rich flavor.
A small cup of coffee is often used in the morning because it both saves time with a low amount of drinking and ensures enough coffee for refreshing the mind.
In other countries, there are differences. For example, it’s usually 6.7 oz in Japan, while in Canada, it’s about 7.6 oz. The amount of coffee used is also completely different, depending on how a person enjoys it.
Thus, the advice for you in finding the most suitable amount of coffee per cup is to base it on a standard ratio or others. After just a few times, you can easily figure out how much coffee is perfect for yourself.
Conversions
In many different countries or regions, quantification has different calculation methods, so it confuses. That’s why people use many measurement unit types when considering how much coffee per cup.
For example, you can measure the coffee amount in grams, tablespoons, or cups. For the water volume, the units are often milliliters, tablespoons, and cups.
Therefore, you should know the basic unit conversion. Please refer to the conversion below:
– 1 Tbsp ~ 1/16 cup
– 2 Tbsp ~ 1 Scoop
– 1 Tsp ~ ⅓ Tbsp
– 3 Tsp ~ 1 Tbsp
The standard use of coffee grounds is 2 Tbsp, measured at ⅛ cup, and weighs about 10.6 grams.
How Much Ground Coffee Per Cup?
In order to make a great cup of coffee, you should use the proper ratio of coffee grounds to water. The general rule is 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of coffee grounds per 6 ounces (180 ml) of water.
However, this is just a guideline because it completely depends on the grind size and brewing method that you use. For instance, if you use a French press, you should use a coarser grind and if you use an espresso machine, you should use a finer grind.
In addition, the amount of coffee grounds also depends on your personal preferences. If you like your coffee to be strong, use more coffee grounds. If you like it to be weaker, use fewer coffee grounds.
What Tools Are Suitable To Measure Coffee Ground?
How do you calculate the accurate amount of coffee for yourself? Surely you have been using one of the three ways below. Let’s take a look to see what works best.
Tablespoon/Teaspoon
You will often hear about tablespoons or teaspoons in many places because they are the basic tools for calculating the amount of coffee.
They can measure an accurate amount of coffee ground for every cup you make, so all you need is your favorite ratio by the unit that is a tablespoon.
You can refer to some of the transformations related to the tablespoon below if you are using this tool regularly.
– 1 Tbsp = 3 Tsp
– 1 Tsp = ⅓ Tbsp
Coffee Scoops
The coffee scoop’s size is often similar to the size of 1 tablespoon. However, there are several types of coffee scoops in the market with different sizes depending on the type of coffee or the amount of coffee you brew.
For example, there are coffee scoops that have a size of 30ml (It is as 2 times as the tablespoon).
Otherwise, manufacturers produce coffee scoops only for coffee, so it is easier to buy than a tablespoon. If you want a tablespoon, you need to buy a set including many measurable spoons.
Read more: How big is a coffee scoop
Scale
Scale is a great idea to help you accurately measure how many grams of coffee per cup. It’s pretty cheap and you can buy it at any tool shop.
However, using a scale will take more time than using a spoon or scoop. Therefore, you should not consider using a scale if you do not have too much time to accurately measure the amount of coffee.
How Many Tablespoons Of Coffee Per Cup?
As mentioned above, people usually use 2 Tbsp coffee grounds, so if you use Tsp you will need 6 scoops.
Besides, you can refer to some ratios below that use tablespoons for an 8oz cup of coffee:
– 1 cup: 2 tablespoons coffee + 8 oz water
– 2 cups: 4 tablespoons coffee + 16 oz water
– 3 cups: 6 tablespoons coffee + 24 oz water
– 4 cups: 8 tablespoons coffee + 32 oz water
– 5 cups: 10 tablespoons coffee + 40 oz water
How Many Coffee Scoops Per Cup?
As you might know, 1 scoop of coffee equals 2 tablespoons. So, if you use a standard-sized coffee scoop, it would be 2 tbsp per cup. This is the ideal ratio to make a rich and flavorful cup of coffee.
Oftentimes, people use 1 scoop per cup of coffee. But when they want light coffee, using 1 scoop – 1.5 scoops for 2 cups is ideal.
How Many Ounces In a Cup Of Coffee?
The size of a cup influences the amount of coffee ground you need to brew. According to National Coffee Association, one cup equals 5 ounces (about 150 ml).
A cup of coffee can vary in size but typically contains around 236ml of liquid (In the United States). This is the equivalent of 8 US fluid ounces or just over 0.5 UK pints.
Of course, the size of a cup is not an accurate unit to measure coffee grounds. The real key is how much water you use for brewing because it determines the strength of coffee.
How To Measure Coffee Grounds?
The first and most important rule is to use a digital scale for measuring coffee grounds. If you don’t have one, it’s time to buy one as this is an indispensable tool for making a consistent cup of coffee.
Moreover, the second rule is that you need to zero out or tare the weight of your filter. It’s important to do this step to make sure that you’re only measuring the coffee grounds, not the weight of your filter.
After that, you can start adding coffee grounds to your filter. Depending on how much water you use and how strong you like your coffee, the number of coffee grounds will vary.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend using 1oz (28g) of coffee grounds for every 16oz (454g) of water. For example, if you’re making a 12-cup pot of coffee, you’ll need to use 3 cups or 648g (12 x 54g) of water and 18 tablespoons or 126g (3 x 42g) of coffee grounds.
Keep in mind that the ratio of coffee to water can be adjusted to suit your taste. If you like your coffee on the weaker side, use less coffee. If you like it stronger, use more. Experiment until you find the perfect ratio for your taste.
The Detail Ratio For Each Kind of Coffee
The coffee-water ratio varies in type.
Drip Coffee
Drip coffee uses a filter to make coffee. After pouring water into the filter, including coffee grounds, the coffee drops will drip onto a carafe available below.
So, how much coffee is enough for one drink?
Depending on the filter capacity, you can measure the amount of coffee. The reason for that is the filter will retain the amount of coffee you use.
For example, when you use a ratio of 1:15, the result you have is actually 1:13. The filter often holds 2 grams of water.
Therefore, when making coffee by dripping, many people try from 1:17 to 1:20 ratio to ensure that they get the desired amount of coffee and still preserve the full flavor.
French Press
Making coffee with French Press is very flexible in proportioning. The reason is that the amount of ground coffee you use is directly related to the amount of water poured into the pot. You can choose any ratio you want to ensure the flavor you love.
Unlike drip coffee, the French Press brews coffee directly. You will stir the coffee powder in boiling water, then use the plunger to push the coffee grounds to the bottom for filtering. This method can keep all the extracted coffee liquid.
Moreover, you can change the coffee ratio when you brew it without worrying about re-brewing the new one.
Espresso
Espresso coffee is one of the strong coffee brewing styles. Many people like the quickness of drinking coffee and the strong bitter taste of espresso. Therefore, surely espresso uses a different ratio of the coffee ground as compared to other methods.
The difference comes from the exact weight of the extracted coffee grounds. For example, with 18 grams of ground coffee, the extracted liquid will be doubled, meaning 36 grams or a 1:2 ratio. You can consider changing the coffee ground or coffee-extracted liquid to get the best flavor.
Thus, espresso is more versatile than other kinds of coffee as it brings various ratios and flavors.
Cold Brew
Cold brewing is one of the most popular and versatile coffee-making methods. The more extraction time at room temperature you have, the more coffee you need.
Cold-brew lovers have set the typical ratio for this coffee to be 1:10 to 1:13.
Thus, to compare with other methods, you have to use more coffee grounds for each cup you want to brew.
The Detail Ratio For Multi-Serving
This section will help you determine how much coffee to use per cup for serving many people at the same time. It will save your coffee ground and make sure everyone has a cup of coffee with the best flavor.
Coffee For 8 Cups
Typically, people drink about 5 oz (150 ml) of coffee per time. Therefore, to make 8 cups of coffee, we have the following calculation:
– 8 (cups) x 5 (oz/cup) = 40 (oz/ 8 cups)
When you convert it to ml, we have: 40 oz = 1200 ml
Then, based on the golden ratio, we can calculate and have 67 gr coffee ground for 8 cups.
– For 8 cups: 67 gr coffee ground + 1200 ml water
Coffee For 10 Cups
Similar to the above calculation, we have:
– 10 (cups) x 5 (oz/cup) = 50 (oz/ 8 cups)
Convert: 50 oz = 1500 ml
Required coffee ground: 83 gr
– For 10 cups: 83 gr coffee ground + 1500 ml water
Coffee For 12 Cups
Similar to the above calculation, we have:
– 12 (cups) x 5 (oz/cup) = 60 (oz/ 8 cups)
Convert: 60 oz = 1800 ml
Required coffee ground: ~ 100 gr
– For 12 cups: 100 gr coffee ground + 1800 ml water
You should note that this calculation depends on the coffee machine you use.
Below are examples of coffee machines. When brewing 12 cups, you need:
– For BrewSense Maker ( Model KF7150BK – Drip Coffee): 12 Tbsp for 12 cups
– Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker (Model 46202C0): 12 Tbsp for 12 cups
– Mr. Coffee: 9 Tbsp for 12 cups
– Cuisinart Coffee Maker: 10 Tbsp for 12 cups
To sum up, how much coffee per cup for multi-serving, let’s check this table below:
| Cups (5 oz, brew) | Coffee Ground (Gr) | Tablespoons |
| 1 | 8.3 | 1.6 |
| 2 | 16.6 | 3.2 |
| 5 | 41.5 | 8 |
| 6 | 49.8 | 9.6 |
| 8 | 66.4 | 12.8 |
| 10 | 83 | 16 |
| 12 | 99.6 | 18.2 |
| 14 | 116.2 | 22.4 |
| 20 | 166 | 32 |
Tablespoons Of Ground Coffee vs Tablespoons Of Coffee Beans
There is a difference between tablespoons of ground coffee and tablespoons of beans. A tablespoon of coffee beans will produce around 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of ground coffee.
This means that you need to use more coffee beans to make a cup if you want it to be stronger. When making coffee, most people use a general rule of thumb which is 1 tablespoon of ground beans for every cup of coffee.
This produces a coffee that is around medium strength – not too strong, but not too weak either. So, if you want to make a stronger cup of coffee, you should use more coffee grounds.
For example, if you want to make a 3-cup pot of coffee, you would use 3 tablespoons of coffee beans, which will produce around 6 tablespoons of ground coffee. You can also use this rule to make a weaker cup of coffee by using fewer coffee grounds.
If you want to make a 1-cup pot of coffee, you would use 1 tablespoon of coffee beans, which will produce around 2 tablespoons of ground coffee.
Read more: Ground coffee vs whole bean
Tips For Brewing Great Coffee Every Time
The key to making consistently great coffee is nailing the basics. Here are some essential tips for brewing delicious coffee each and every time.
– Use fresh, cold water: Always start with fresh, cold water for the best-tasting cup of coffee. Filtered water is ideal, but if you don’t have a filter, simply use cold water from the tap.
– Use freshly ground coffee beans: Using freshly ground coffee beans will make a big difference in the flavor of your coffee. If you can, grind your beans right before brewing. If you don’t have a grinder, you can use pre-ground coffee, but know that the flavor won’t be as fresh.
– The golden rule of coffee brewing: The general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of coffee for every 6 ounces (180 ml) of water. This is called the “golden ratio” and will produce a rich, balanced cup of coffee.
– Experiment with ratios: Once you’ve mastered the golden ratio, you can start to experiment with different ratios to find what you like best. If you want a stronger cup of coffee, use more coffee. If you prefer a weaker cup, use less.
– Use the right size filter: Be sure to use the right size filter for your coffee maker. A too-small filter will result in muddy coffee, while a too-large filter will allow the water to flow through too quickly, resulting in weak coffee.
Additional Information About Some Coffee Brands
Here are some recommendations based on coffee brands that you can refer to for measuring your coffee.
– Starbucks: Some brands like Starbucks will use less coffee per cup because the coffee is dark roasted. This one produces more coffee flavor than light or medium roast. Therefore, you will not be surprised to find that the amount of coffee per cup that Starbucks uses may be less than usual.
– Luzianne Coffee: The recommended amount of coffee is one large teaspoon per cup.
– Kaffee Hag Coffee (Decaf): They usually use one tablespoon (evenly round) for every 8oz of water. You will get the best taste if you try this ratio.
– Maxwell House and Sanka (Decaf): Both brands recommend using two tablespoons for every 6 oz of water.
In addition, you may find information such as “round” tablespoons. People often consider the “round” tablespoon as one and a half times the casual tablespoon.
Above is some additional information about the appropriate amount of coffee that each brand recommends. Using more or fewer coffee grounds is still up to you. Just remember that the flavor you want is the most important thing.
FAQs Of How Much Coffee Per Cup
1. How much coffee is too much?
Caffeine is a stimulant that can have adverse effects on the human body, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, and even dizziness.
Although there is no official guideline for how much coffee is too much, it is generally recommended that healthy adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
2. Why is a cup of coffee 6 oz?
In America, a cup of coffee is 6 fluid ounces (180ml), while in Europe, it is closer to 4.25 fluid ounces (125 ml). This difference comes down to the size of the coffee cup. In America, we use 8-ounce mugs for our coffee while in Europe they prefer smaller cups.
The size of the cup will affect how much coffee you need to make a perfect cup. If you’re using an 8-ounce mug, you’ll want to use 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of coffee grounds. For a 4.25-ounce European cup, you’ll only need 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of coffee grounds.
3. How many cups in a coffee pot?
In general, one coffee pot usually takes around 4 to 12 cups of coffee, depending on its size. In detail, 4-cup coffee makers make 14 ounces of coffee while 12-cup machines can brew up to 36 ounces of coffee.
4. How many coffee beans per cup?
In general, 0.38 ounces (or 10.6 grams) of coffee beans per cup. This is just an approximation because it depends on the grind size and brewing method that you use.
As you know, coffee beans are roasted seeds of the coffee plant. They have been cultivated and harvested for centuries in tropical countries around the world.
The first step of making a cup of coffee is to grind these coffee beans. Depending on the brewing method, you will need different grinds size of the bean.
For example, if you want to make a cup of coffee using an espresso machine, you need to use very fine grinds. On the other hand, if you want to make a cup of French press coffee, you should use coarse grinds.
Final Thoughts
Till there, have you decided how much coffee per cup is yet?
You should determine your needs in advance, then calculate the necessary amount of coffee grounds. For example, if you only need to make a single cup, you should follow the golden ratio to brew and adjust after many times to get the perfect cup of coffee.
Hopefully, the article helps you measure the suitable amount of coffee grounds for each brew. As a result, you have the best experience for every cup of coffee you make.
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Almost 20 years already spent committed to coffee and more than 3 years of experience as a barista at Starbucks. Madelyn Doyle graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Science from the University of California and finished the Coffee Skills Program at the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).