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Coffee Brewing Ratio Calculator

Convert between coffee dose and water target by brew method while estimating brew ratio, beverage yield, and typical strength range.

Last updated: 2026-03-25

Coffee brewing ratio calculator

Enter your values

Plan your brew from either the dose or the water target and see how the ratio compares with the usual range for the method.

Expressed as water divided by coffee, like 16 for a 1:16 recipe.

All required fields must be filled in.

Brew Ratio

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Enter a brew method, ratio, and either dose or water target to estimate the recipe.

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Example calculations

Tap an example to prefill the calculator with sample values.

Pour over baseline

22 g coffee with a 1:16 ratio

A common home brewing setup where you know the dose first and want the matching water amount.

Result: This lands in a typical pour-over range and yields roughly one mug of brewed coffee.

French press mug

Water-first planning for a larger brew

Useful when you know the water you want to brew and need the dose required to match it.

Result: Water-first planning is useful when the serving target matters more than the dose you start with.

Cold brew concentrate

Much tighter ratio than hot coffee

Cold brew usually runs tighter ratios and holds back more liquid in the grounds.

Result: Different brew methods want very different ratios, which is why the guidance shifts by method.

How the brewing-ratio tool works

The calculator either multiplies dose by the target ratio to find water or divides water by the target ratio to find the dose you need for the selected brew method.

It then estimates beverage yield by subtracting water retained in the grounds, using a method-specific absorption assumption so the cup yield stays realistic.

Coffee brewing ratio FAQs

How brew method, dose, water, and retained liquid shape the final cup.

Why does brew method matter?

Different brewers extract differently and hold different amounts of water in the grounds. That is why a good espresso ratio looks nothing like a good pour-over ratio.

What does a 1:16 ratio mean?

It means one part coffee to sixteen parts water by weight. In practice, 20 grams of coffee at 1:16 calls for about 320 grams of water.

Why is beverage yield lower than water added?

The grounds retain some water. The calculator estimates that retained water based on the brew method so the in-cup yield stays more realistic.

Embed this calculator

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