We’ve all been there. You find yourself staring at an empty coffee pot, and you’re the one in charge of starting today’s brew. How much coffee goes into the filter for a full pot? How much coffee do you add for half a pot?
You might even notice that your 16oz travel mug definitely holds more than the 2 cup line on the carafe. How many cups does this thing actually hold, anyway?
Today, we’re going to walk you through two ways to measure coffee grounds: the quick way, which uses a coffee scoop or tablespoon, and the precise way, which uses a kitchen scale (spoiler: this is how you start taking your coffee game to the next level).
A standard coffee scoop holds approximately two tablespoons of coffee grounds. Therefore, if you’re following the Golden Ratio, you would use one coffee scoop for every six ounces of water.
How Much Coffee Do I Use In a Coffee Maker (Drip Machine)?
When you need to find out how much coffee per cup to put into a coffee maker, the size of the pot and number of cups that it makes is going to be your guiding rule. Here’s a quick reference guide for adding grounds to your coffee maker:
| Cups of Coffee to Brew (Labeled on Coffee Maker, typically 6 oz cups) | How Much Ground Coffee per Cup | Measurement of Water (US Standard 8 oz Cup) |
| 1 | 2 TBSP | 3/4 |
| 2 | 4 TBSP (¼ Cup) | 1 1/2 |
| 4 | 8 TBSP (½ Cup) | 3 |
| 6 | 12 TBSP (¾ Cup) | 4 1/2 |
| 8 | 16 TBSP (1 Cup) | 6 |
| 10 | 20 TBSP (1 ¼ Cups) | 7 1/2 |
| 12 | 24 TBSP (1 ½ Cups) | 9 |
We’ve mentioned this already, but always check to see if the markings have units listed next to them. If it actually measures ounces, you’ll need to adjust the amount of coffee grounds in our chart up by another third (number of tablespoons x 1 ⅓) to get the same ratio.
And there you go, a quick method for adding grounds to your coffee maker!
However, the scoop method doesn’t take into account that volume is not the best way to measure your coffee grounds. A tablespoon of finely ground, dark roasted coffee is not going to give you the same results as a tablespoon of coarsely ground, medium roast coffee.
So let’s move on to a more precise way to measure coffee grounds for a consistently great cup of coffee:
How Many Scoops of Coffee do I Need for a Pour Over?
For pour over coffee, a good starting point would be 1 ½ scoops (3 TBSP) of coffee per 8 oz of water.
A general coffee-to-water ratio for the pour over method is somewhere around 1:15-1:18. The ratio is subjective, however, and should be adjusted to individual preference.
My Nemesis: The Coffee Scoop
FAQ
How many cups is a coffee scoop?
What is a coffee measuring scoop equivalent to?
How do you measure coffee without a scoop?
How much coffee is in an average scoop?
What is a coffee scoop size?
Coffee scoop size is often determined by the type of grounds used for preparing a cup of coffee. Generally, experts suggest one tablespoon of grounds for every six ounces of water. For example, if you are making 24 ounces of coffee, this would equate to four tablespoons, or one standard sized scoop.
How many coffees can one have in a day?
Specialists recommend for the general population have 3 cups of coffee per day. Caffeine at high levels can have side effects on your health. Some of these effects can be insomnia, headache, and irritability.
What is a coffee scoop?
A scoop is a commonly used measuring tool in the kitchen, but its size can vary depending on what it’s being used for. When it comes to baking and cooking, there are standard measurements for scoops that help ensure accurate recipes and consistent results. A standard coffee scoop typically holds about two tablespoons of ground coffee .
How many scoops of coffee in a cup?
For a standard strength of four cups of coffee, combine 36 grams of coffee with 20 ounces (equivalent to 2 1/2 measuring cups) of water. This roughly translates to 4 level scoops of coffee or 8 level tablespoons. If you prefer a stronger brew, increase the coffee to 41 grams (around 4 1/2 scoops or 9 tablespoons). Is 3 scoops of coffee too much?