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Coffee Brewing Ratios and Starting Recipes
Use the guide above to get a recipe matched to your coffee, brewer and grinder. If you just want the numbers, these are the starting recipes we use for each method. Start here, taste, then change one thing at a time: grind finer if it's sour, coarser if it's bitter, and use more coffee if it tastes weak.
| Method | Ratio | Starting recipe | Grind | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1:2 | 18 g coffee in, 36 g espresso out | Fine | 25–30 sec |
| Pour over (V60, Kalita) | 1:16 | 25 g coffee, 400 g water | Medium-fine, like table salt | About 3 min |
| Chemex | 1:16 | 20 g coffee, 320 g water | Medium-coarse, like coarse sand | 3½–4 min |
| Drip machine | 1:16.5 | 41 g coffee, 24 oz water (2 mugs) | Medium, like beach sand | Machine cycle |
| French press | 1:15 | 23 g coffee, 350 g water | Coarse, like sea salt | 4 min steep |
| AeroPress | About 1:15 | 15 g coffee, 230 g water | Medium-fine | About 2 min |
| Cold brew | 1:5 concentrate | 100 g coffee, 500 g cold water, then mix 1:1 | Extra coarse, like cracked pepper | 12–18 hours |
Water temperature
Start around 200°F, just off the boil. Go a little hotter, about 205°F, for light roasts to bring out their sweetness, and a little cooler, about 195°F, for dark roasts to keep them rich instead of harsh.
Fixing a cup that tastes off
- Sour or thin: under-extracted. Grind finer or use slightly hotter water.
- Bitter or drying: over-extracted. Grind coarser.
- Weak or watery: use more coffee for the same amount of water.
- Flat or dull: use fresher coffee. Look for a roast date within the last month.
Step-by-step guides
- How to make espresso at home
- How to make pour over coffee
- How to make Chemex coffee
- How to make French press coffee
- How to make AeroPress coffee
- How to make cold brew at home
- Coffee brewing methods compared
- Coffee brew strength explained
Not sure which coffee to brew? Take our coffee quiz or shop fresh roasted coffee.