Coffee Brew Ratio
Common coffee:water ratios with a quick water calculator.
Overview
The Coffee Brew Ratio calculator gives you the right amount of water for a given dose of ground coffee, expressed as the familiar ratios that baristas use: 1:15 for filter, 1:2 for espresso, 1:8 for a stovetop moka. Enter the grams of coffee or the grams of water and the calculator fills in the other side instantly.
It's a daily-driver for home pour-over fans, AeroPress experimenters and anyone who suspects their coffee has been wandering in and out of brewed strength for weeks. The tool answers long-tail queries like "how much water for 20g coffee", "Hoffmann V60 ratio", "espresso ratio 1 to 2" and "Aeropress coffee water grams".
How it works
The ratio is the mass of brew water divided by the mass of dry coffee. The calculator uses gram-to-gram throughout because water mass and volume coincide at room temperature (1 g equals 1 mL), so you can read the answer as millilitres if you prefer volume.
Preset ratios cover the major brewing methods: espresso 1:2, ristretto 1:1.5, lungo 1:3, moka pot 1:8, AeroPress 1:14, V60 filter 1:15 to 1:17 and French press 1:15 to 1:17. The calculator also lets you enter a custom ratio for experimentation.
Examples
V60 (1:16): 20 g coffee → 320 g water
Espresso (1:2): 18 g coffee → 36 g water
French press (1:15): 500 g water → 33 g coffee
AeroPress (1:14): 15 g coffee → 210 g water
FAQ
Is 1:15 weak or strong?
1:15 is the common middle of the road for filter coffee. 1:14 is stronger and slightly more intense; 1:17 is lighter and brings out more tea-like flavours. Most cafés serve between 1:15 and 1:17.
Why are espresso ratios so different from filter?
Espresso is a concentrated extraction at high pressure. Filter coffee uses far more water per gram and brews much longer. The "right" ratio depends on the brewer, not just taste.
Should I weigh or measure by volume?
Weight is more reliable. Coffee bean density varies by roast and grind, so a tablespoon of finely ground espresso roast weighs more than a tablespoon of light filter grind.
How does grind size interact with the ratio?
Grind size mostly affects extraction speed, not the strength dictated by the ratio. A finer grind extracts more solubles at the same ratio, so very fine plus very long can taste bitter even at a "weak" ratio.
Does water hardness matter?
Yes. Hard water under-extracts and tastes flat; very soft water over-extracts. The Specialty Coffee Association recommends 150 mg/L total hardness as a target.