Brew School: The 5 Ratios You Actually Need

You don’t need a dozen recipes to make great coffee—just a handful of reliable ratios and a scale. Lock these in, then tweak grind and time to taste.

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Quick cheat sheet (bookmark this)

• Drip machine: 1:16 (1 g coffee : 16 g water) — water at 195–205°F / 90–96°C. 

• Pour-over (V60/Kalita/Chemex): 1:16 — same water temp range. Brew ~2:45–3:30 total. 

• French Press: 1:15 — 4 minutes steep, then press and decant. 

• Cold Brew (concentrate): 1:8 for 12–18 hr, then cut 1:1 with water or milk to serve. 

• Espresso: 1:2 (e.g., 18 g in → 36 g out in 25–30 s). 

Bonus: SCA’s “Golden Cup” target for filter coffee clusters around 55 g/L ±10%—which maps neatly to the 1:15–1:17 range you see above. 

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How to use these ratios (with real-world examples)

1) Drip (auto brewer)

• Start: 1:16. For a 12-oz mug (≈355 g water), use 22 g coffee. For a 16-oz travel tumbler (≈475 g), use 30 g coffee.

• Water: 195–205°F / 90–96°C (most brewers hit this; if yours runs cool, grind finer or dose slightly higher). 

• Tweak: Bitter/dry? Go coarser or toward 1:17. Sour/thin? Go finer or toward 1:15. (SCA’s Golden Cup sits right in this band.)

2) Pour-Over (V60/Kalita/Chemex)

• Start: 1:16. Example: 22 g coffee + 355 g water for a 12-oz cup.

• Method: 30–45 s bloom (2–3× coffee weight), then pour in steady pulses to finish around 2:45–3:30 total.

• Heat: 195–205°F / 90–96°C. Stay closer to 200°F / 93°C for clarity. 

• Why it works: This ratio falls inside SCA’s recommended dose/temperature window for balanced extraction. 

3) French Press (immersion)

• Start: 1:15. Example: 30 g coffee + 450 g water (~16-oz press).

• Method: Pour all the water, stir, steep 4:00, press, and decant immediately to avoid bitterness.

• Why 1:15? Immersion benefits from a slightly stronger dose to keep the cup full and sweet. 

4) Cold Brew (make-ahead)

• Concentrate: 1:8 (coarse grind). Steep 12–18 hr in the fridge.

• Serve: Cut 1:1 with water or milk (adjust to taste).

• Why 1:8? It yields a flexible concentrate with smooth acidity—industry guides commonly recommend it, then diluting to preference. e

5) Espresso (the baseline shot)

• Start: 1:2 ratio—18 g in → 36 g out in 25–30 s at ~9 bar.

• Dial-in: Sour/tart? Go finer or a longer shot. Bitter/ashy? Go coarser or shorter.

• Why 1:2? It’s the modern “normale” sweet spot between ristretto (1:1–1:2) and lungo (≈1:3), balancing body, sweetness, and clarity. 

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Temperature matters (but not as much as the scale)

Staying in the 195–205°F / 90–96°C band is important for filter coffee; within that window you can achieve comparable extractions and choose the flavor balance you like. Don’t overthink it—boil and rest 20–30 seconds if you don’t have a temp-controlled kettle. 

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Troubleshooting by taste (works for any method)

• Too sour/thin: grind finer, increase dose (toward 1:15), or raise water temp slightly.

• Too bitter/dry: grind coarser, decrease dose (toward 1:17), or lower temp slightly.

• Muddy mouthfeel (filter methods): use a paper filter and/or grind coarser.

• Flat cold brew: steep a bit longer or dilute less (1:0.75 instead of 1:1).

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Grab-and-go ratio table

Ratios are starting points—adjust grind and time to taste. SCA’s Golden Cup lives around 55 g/L (≈1:18 to 1:15 band). 

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Pairings from our menu (because ratios love great beans)

• Pour-over clarity: try our Kenya or Ethiopia Natural.

• French press body: Bali Blue or Sumatra.

• Cold brew: Cold Brew Blend or Brazil Santos.

• Espresso: 6 Bean Blend (classic) or African Espresso (fruit-forward).