Coffee Ratio Calculator
The coffee ratio calculator works out your coffee and water amounts for any brew ratio — the coffee-to-water ratio written as 1:16, 1:15, and so on. Set a ratio, then type either how much coffee you have or how much water you want, and the other number appears instantly. Tap a brew-method preset — pour over, French press, espresso, cold brew, moka pot, or Chemex — to snap to that method's standard ratio. It runs entirely in your browser: no signup, no app to install, nothing uploaded.
Set your brew ratio with the −/+ buttons or a preset, then type into either the Coffee or the Water box — the other updates instantly. Water is shown in whole grams (1 g ≈ 1 ml), coffee to one decimal. Tap a brew-method preset to jump to its standard ratio.
Know your ratio? Get your coffee and water in one look.
Use the free Coffee Ratio Calculator →How to Use the Coffee Ratio Calculator
There's nothing to submit — the numbers update the moment you type:
- Open capsuletools.app/coffee-ratio-calculator/
- Set the ratio — use the − and + buttons, type a number directly (1 to 50), or tap a brew-method preset like Pour Over or French Press
- Type your coffee in grams and the water is calculated (coffee × ratio), or type your water in grams/ml and the coffee is calculated (water ÷ ratio)
- Read the other box — it updates instantly; change the ratio any time and the calculated side follows
Water is rounded to whole grams and coffee to one decimal place — the resolution a normal brew scale actually gives you. Since a millilitre of water weighs about a gram, the water figure works as grams or millilitres interchangeably.
Coffee = 20 g
Water = 320 g (≈ 320 ml)
What Is a Coffee-to-Water Ratio?
A coffee-to-water ratio is simply how much water you use per gram of coffee, written as 1:N — one part coffee to N parts water. A ratio of 1:16 means 16 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee. A widely used all-purpose starting point is 1:16, often called the "golden ratio," which is why this calculator opens there.
The single number controls strength. A smaller number packs more coffee into the same water for a stronger, more intense cup (1:15, 1:14, down to espresso's 1:2). A larger number means more water per gram for a lighter, more delicate cup (1:17, 1:18). Weighing both coffee and water — rather than scooping — is what makes a good brew repeatable, and a ratio is how you carry the same recipe from a single cup up to a full pot.
Brew Method Ratio Guide
These are common starting ratios for each method — solid defaults to dial in to your own taste, grind, and beans, not hard rules. Tap any preset in the calculator to load it:
| Brew method | Typical ratio | Example (coffee → water) |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1:2 | 18 g → 36 g |
| Cold brew (concentrate) | 1:8 | 100 g → 800 g |
| Moka pot | 1:10 | 20 g → 200 g |
| French press | 1:15 | 30 g → 450 g |
| Pour over (V60) | 1:16 | 20 g → 320 g |
| Chemex | 1:17 | 25 g → 425 g |
Espresso runs far tighter than filter methods, so its 1:2 ratio is measured as dose in versus liquid espresso out. Cold brew's 1:8 makes a concentrate you dilute before drinking. Everything else lands in the 1:10–1:17 filter range, where a point or two of ratio is the difference between a bright cup and a bold one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the coffee to water ratio?
A coffee-to-water ratio expresses how many grams of water you use per gram of coffee, written as 1:N — one part coffee to N parts water. A common all-purpose starting point is 1:16, meaning 16 g of water for every 1 g of coffee, often called the "golden ratio." A smaller number (1:15, 1:12) makes a stronger cup; a larger one (1:17, 1:18) makes it lighter. Because water weighs about 1 g per millilitre, the water figure doubles as millilitres.
What's the coffee ratio for pour over?
Pour over — V60, Kalita, and similar drippers — is usually brewed around 1:16, for example 20 g of coffee to 320 g of water. Dial it stronger toward 1:15 or lighter toward 1:17 to taste. This calculator defaults to 1:16 for exactly this reason; tap the Pour Over preset to snap back to it.
What ratio should I use for espresso?
Espresso uses a much tighter ratio than filter coffee, typically around 1:2 — for example an 18 g dose pulling about 36 g of liquid espresso in the cup, known as a normale. A ristretto is tighter (around 1:1.5) and a lungo looser (around 1:3). Tap the Espresso preset for a 1:2 starting point, then dial it in on your machine.
How much coffee do I need for a French press?
French press is commonly brewed around 1:15 — roughly 30 g of coffee to 450 g (450 ml) of water — or scaled to your pot. Type your water amount into the calculator to get the coffee, or type your coffee dose to get the water. A coarse grind and a four-minute steep are the usual companions.
What's the ratio for cold brew coffee?
Cold brew is usually made as a concentrate around 1:8 — for example 100 g of coffee to 800 g of water — then diluted with water, milk, or ice to taste before drinking. For a ready-to-drink batch you can steep at a weaker ratio such as 1:15. The Cold Brew preset here uses the 1:8 concentrate figure.
How do I calculate my own coffee ratio?
Divide the water by the coffee to get the ratio: 320 g of water ÷ 20 g of coffee = 16, i.e. 1:16. To go the other way, multiply your coffee by the ratio to get water (20 g × 16 = 320 g), or divide water by the ratio to get coffee. This tool does both automatically — type into either box and read the other.
Use the free Coffee Ratio Calculator →
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