Coffee Brew Ratio Calculator
Enter the water weight and brew ratio to get your coffee dose and expected yield in the cup.
Result
How it is calculated
The ratio field is the second number of a 1:x ratio, so 16 means 1:16. The coffee dose is coffee = water ÷ ratio, with water in grams (millilitres weigh about the same) and coffee in grams. The yield is what reaches the cup: yield = water − 2 × coffee, because the engine assumes the grounds hold back a fixed 2 g of water per gram of coffee. Both figures are shown with two decimals. Water and ratio must be above zero. If the ratio is 2 or lower, the grounds would absorb all the water and the yield would be zero or negative, so the tool shows no result; the smallest ratio that works is just above 1:2. Treat the yield as an estimate for filter-style brews, not espresso.
Worked example
You want to brew with 500 g of water at 1:16. The coffee dose is 500 ÷ 16 = 31.25 g. The grounds keep about 2 × 31.25 = 62.5 g of the water, so the expected yield in the cup is 500 − 62.5 = 437.50 g. To change strength, only the ratio needs to move: at 1:15 the same 500 g of water needs 33.33 g of coffee, at 1:17 it needs 29.41 g.
Common mistakes
- Typing the whole ratio as 1:16 or as 1/16. Only the second number (16) goes in the ratio field.
- Entering the coffee weight, or the cup size you want, in the water field. Enter the total water you pour in; the yield is smaller because the grounds absorb some.
- Measuring coffee by scoops or tablespoons and comparing it with a gram dose. Beans of different roast levels weigh different amounts per scoop, so weigh the dose.
- Expecting the yield to equal the water poured in. The tool subtracts the water kept by the grounds, so plan to pour a bit more than the cup volume you want.
- Typing an espresso ratio such as 2 (1:2). With 2 g of water retained per gram of coffee, nothing is left in the cup, so the tool returns no result.
About this calculator
A coffee brew ratio expresses the relationship between coffee grounds and water by weight, written as a ratio like 1:16, meaning 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. The Specialty Coffee Association's general guideline puts balanced pour-over and drip coffee somewhere between 1:15 and 1:17, with tighter ratios around 1:15 producing a stronger, more concentrated cup and looser ratios around 1:17-1:18 producing a lighter, more delicate one, while espresso uses a much tighter ratio (often around 1:2) by design, which is outside what this calculator handles.
Coffee enthusiasts and baristas use brew ratio math because it's the single biggest lever for controlling strength and extraction independent of the specific brewing method — dialing in a ratio lets you replicate a good cup consistently, and adjusting it is the standard first move when a brew tastes too weak, too strong, over-extracted (bitter) or under-extracted (sour).
This calculator takes your total water weight (grams) and your target ratio (the 16 in 1:16) and returns how many grams of coffee to dose and the brewed yield you should expect in the cup. The yield is the water minus about 2 grams that each gram of grounds retains, so a ratio of 2 or lower, where the grounds would soak up all the water and leave nothing to drink, gives no result.
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