Ahh yes, the Golden Ratio. The perfect balance between coffee and water for brewing that perfect cup. One of the biggest barriers to entry we hear when talking to home brewing beginners is knowing the right coffee-to-water ratio. Especially if you’re leaving the world of Keurig (bless your soul) or trying to cut back on purchasing your daily cup of coffee, learning a new brew method and experimenting with the right recipe seems daunting – and even a waste of good coffee.
A brew ratio is simply a guide to help you figure out how much water and coffee you should use for brewing.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when chatting with coffee nerds about brew ratios:
SCAA, the Specialty Coffee Association of America, has come out with their golden ratio, which is approximately. 1:18. So, therefore they recommend 55 grams of coffee for 1000 ml (grams) of water.
Obviously this golden ratio depends on your brew method, type of coffee, and personal taste preference. Rather than prescribe a specific golden ratio, we want to help you find your own, so we’ve put together a guide and best practices to equip you on this journey.
Take a spoon and slurp up each coffee. This will help coat your palate to get a better taste. In a notebook, write down your thoughts on each. Is it too weak, too strong? Is the coffee savory, sweet, fruity, bitter? Try to figure out your favorite. After you’re done tasting, unveil which is which to see what’s your golden ratio.
Obviously you’ll want to tweak this ratio depending on your brew method and taste preferences, but this test will help steer you in the right direction for understanding your palate. (Plus it’s fun to do with friends!)
Update: It’s now 2019, three years since we first published our technique to help you find your preferred “Golden Ratio.” In these past three years, we’ve brewed countless cups of coffee and have worked closely with many baristas to grow our coffee knowledge. To aid in your Golden Ratio journey, we’ve gathered a few more tips to hone your coffee-to-water ratios.
Johnny Randolph, Fellow’s former coffee education lead, tailors his coffee-to-water ratio depending on whether he’ll be adding any “extras” to his brew.
If you add milk and sugar, Randolph suggests brewing a densier 1:15 ratio because the body and flavor will hold up better to the added dairy and sweetness.
If you’re drinking your coffee black, Randolph suggests his personal favorite ratio of 1:17. “This ratio gives the different compounds more room. Extra water gives the flavor more space, and it’s easier to notice subtleties in the brew,” Randolph says.
Dylan Siemens, a United States Brewers Cup Champion and lead barista trainer for Onyx Coffee Lab, landed on a 1:16 ratio (22 grams of coffee to 350 ml of water) when brewing with our Stagg [X] Dripper.
We now have three certified Q Graders on the Fellow team, the highest achievement in sensory coffee assessment. We asked one of them, our Roaster Partnerships Manager Eric, on his thoughts on the Golden Ratio.
“Ive always been a bit thrown off by that term,” says Eric. “To me, a Golden Ratio would be a ratio that brews the best cup of coffee always, despite roast profile, bean density, and water temp. That ratio doesnt exist.”
If you’re looking for general guidance, here’s Eric’s routine: “I typically start with a 1:16 ratio, 205°F water and adjust my grind size based on what I taste in the cup. But there is so much that can change my approach to really dialing in a brew recipe: roast profile, bean density, brew method or device, if I am brewing for more or less people, etc. Also, coffee tastes different from person to person. Experimenting is most important. The brewer should find what tastes the best to them. There is no one right way to brew an excellent cup of coffee.”
Remember, if you find a coffee-to-water ratio you like, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it until the end of days. Your “Golden Ratio” can and should be fluid and ever changing as your preferences, taste buds, and brewing methods evolve. We create new custom recipes for coffees all the time, altering the ratio to suit each unique roast. You can explore these recipes in our Brew Talks!
For drip coffee, we recommend a water to coffee ratio of 17:1. This translates to about 10 grams of coffee for every 6oz cup of coffee. For a stronger pot of coffee, use a water to coffee ratio of 15:1. Learn how to best brew with a coffee maker.
Coffee Grind: Coffee beans should be ground right before brewing to extract the freshest, most consistent flavor & have minimal air contact which can drastically change coffee flavor.
The SCAA defines 10 grams or 0.36 oz. per 6-oz cup as the proper measure for brewed coffee using the American standards.
The simple answer is: for most home coffee brewing is 2 Tbsp. (10.6 g) of ground coffee beans per 6 oz. of water. A standard coffee measure should be 2 Tbsp. (2 Tbsp. = 1/8 cup = 10.6 g).
It needs to be pointed out that some coffee pot manufacturers deviate from the 6 oz. per cup standard. You should check the total water capacity of your pot before assuming that the pot will be measured in 6 oz. cups.
The ratio for the perfect balance of coffee & water is called the “Golden Ratio.” This ratio was developed by the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) to ensure the best cup of coffee or The Golden Cup Standard.
Obviously this golden ratio depends on your brew method, type of coffee, and personal taste preference. Rather than prescribe a specific golden ratio, we want to help you find your own, so we’ve put together a guide and best practices to equip you on this journey.
Update: It’s now 2019, three years since we first published our technique to help you find your preferred “Golden Ratio.” In these past three years, we’ve brewed countless cups of coffee and have worked closely with many baristas to grow our coffee knowledge. To aid in your Golden Ratio journey, we’ve gathered a few more tips to hone your coffee-to-water ratios.
If you’re drinking your coffee black, Randolph suggests his personal favorite ratio of 1:17. “This ratio gives the different compounds more room. Extra water gives the flavor more space, and it’s easier to notice subtleties in the brew,” Randolph says.
Take a spoon and slurp up each coffee. This will help coat your palate to get a better taste. In a notebook, write down your thoughts on each. Is it too weak, too strong? Is the coffee savory, sweet, fruity, bitter? Try to figure out your favorite. After you’re done tasting, unveil which is which to see what’s your golden ratio.
“Ive always been a bit thrown off by that term,” says Eric. “To me, a Golden Ratio would be a ratio that brews the best cup of coffee always, despite roast profile, bean density, and water temp. That ratio doesnt exist.”
Coffee Brewing Ratios Explained
FAQ
What is the best coffee ratio for drip machine?
What proportion is drip coffee?
What are the ingredients in golden ratio coffee?
What is a good ratio for drip coffee?
The term implies that the given ratio is the perfect one to use for specific brewing methods. The golden ratio for drip coffee is 1:18, or if you want to be more precise, it’s 1:18.18. It’s defined as 55 grams per liter of drip coffee brewed, which means if you are brewing half a liter, use 27.5 grams of coffee and 13.75 grams for 250 ml of coffee.
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 the Golden Ratio for a home drip coffee maker?
It’s an industry standard that’s used by baristas and home coffee drinkers alike. When the side of a bag of coffee beans says to use 1 tablespoon of ground coffee to a cup (6 oz.) of water, it’s simplifying the golden ratio for your home drip coffee makers. The golden ratio is between 1:15 and 1:18.
What is a golden ratio in coffee brewing?
The term golden ratio is one that you will see in coffee brewing circles frequently. The term implies that the given ratio is the perfect one to use for specific brewing methods. The golden ratio for drip coffee is 1:18, or if you want to be more precise, it’s 1:18.18.