How much coffee do I need for 500 g of water?

At the standard 1:16 ratio, 500 g of water needs 31 g of coffee. For a stronger 1:15 cup, use 33 g. Use the calculator above and it does the maths in grams.

Why weigh coffee in grams instead of using spoons?

A tablespoon of ground coffee weighs between 5 and 7 g depending on grind and roast. That 30%+ error is enough to ruin a brew. Weight-based ratios are repeatable shot after shot.

What ratio does James Hoffmann recommend?

For filter coffee he typically recommends starting at 1:16 and adjusting to taste — richer at 1:15, lighter at 1:17. Espresso around 1:2, French press 1:14.

Free tool · Metric · Updated 17 Aug 2026

Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator

Grams in, grams out. Pick your brew method, set your dose or target water, and get the exact coffee-to-water ratio for a consistent cup every morning.

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V60 / Pour-over · ratio 1:16

20 g coffee→320 g water

6.3% strength · ~11 cups

Coffee dose20 g

Water (brew for a target)320 g

To hit 320 g of water at 1:16, dose 20 g of coffee.

1:16 → 320 g water

V60 / Pour-over — sensible ratios

Strength	Ratio	20 g dose → water
Strong	1:14	280 g
Balanced	1:16	320 g
Mild	1:17	340 g

Weight in grams, always. Volume measuring spoons are off by 30%+ depending on the grind.

The ratio cheat sheet for every brew method

Method	Ratio	Range	Dose → water	Notes
V60 / Pour-over	1:16	1:14 – 1:17	15–20 g → 240–320 g	Finer grind, 3 pours, total ~2:45–3:30
French Press	1:14	1:12 – 1:16	28–30 g → 400–420 g	Coarse grind, 4-minute steep, plunge slow
AeroPress	1:15	1:13 – 1:17	15–18 g → 220–270 g	Fine-medium grind, 1–2 min total
Moka Pot	1:10	1:8 – 1:12	18 g → 180 g	Medium grind, stop before it sputters
Cold Brew	1:9	1:6 – 1:12	100 g → 900 g	Coarse grind, steep 12–18 h at room temp
Espresso	1:2	1:1.5 – 1:2.5	18 g → 36 g	Fine grind, 25–30 s extraction

All doses are grams of coffee to grams of water. Brew method guides with full step-by-step recipes live in the Brew Guides.

How to use the calculator

1. Pick your method. Each brew has a sensible ratio range — V60 sits at 1:16, espresso at a punchy 1:2.
2. Set your dose or target water. Slide either — the other number updates automatically. Dosing 20 g? You'll get 320 g of water at 1:16.
3. Adjust to taste. Too strong? Move one point milder (1:17). Tastes flat? Go richer (1:15). It's your cup.
4. Print it. Hit Print for a clean recipe card to keep by the machine.

Take it further

Coffee to Water Ratio: The Complete Guide

The one number every home barista needs — full walkthrough and troubleshooting.

All Free Coffee Tools

Budget finder quiz, cost-per-cup, brew timer and grind-size visualiser.

Frequently asked questions

1:16 (grams) is the everyday standard for filter and pour-over coffee. Espresso is far more concentrated at 1:2, French press around 1:14, and cold brew the strongest ratio at 1:8–1:10.

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