Most daily coffee drinkers are able to easily make their preferred servings of coffee. They know the perfect amount of coffee to use and the perfect amount of water. But what happens when you need to make a pot when you’re used to making a single cup? How much do you use when you need to make coffee for a crowd vs. coffee for yourself and a friend? Use the instructions and guide below to learn the perfect coffee-to-water ratios.
Table of Contents
How Many Grams of Coffee Per Cup
Let’s start with a basic, weighted measurement.
To make a single, US cup of coffee, mix 250 ml. Of water with 15 grams of ground coffee.
How Many Tablespoons of Coffee Per Cup
Since most people don’t have the time or tools to weigh their coffee grounds, try this simple ratio instead.</
Mix 8 oz. of water with 2 tablespoons of ground coffee.
This is an ideal ratio for automatic drip, French presses, and pour-over coffee makers. This does make a strong cup of coffee. If you’d like something a tad weaker, you can back down to 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of coffee per cup.
How Many Scoops of Coffee Per Cup
A level coffee scoop holds approximately 2 tablespoons of coffee. So, for a strong cup of coffee, you want one scoop per cup. For a weaker cup, you might go with 1 scoop per 2 cups of coffee or 1.5 scoops for 2 cups.
How Many Cups in a Coffee Pot
You should always measure your water in proper measuring cups, and use proper measuring tools for your coffee grounds as well. This is because of the differences between a standard US cup of liquid (8 oz.) and a cup of coffee (6 oz.). In addition to this, the measurements on the outside of your coffee pot may not accurately reflect cup measurements either. For example, 6 cups in your coffee pot would only be 36 oz of brewed coffee. That would result in 4.5 8 oz. servings of coffee.
Coffee Ratios
Use this helpful table as a reference to make coffee in almost any circumstance.
| WATER | COFFEE | SERVING |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oz. | 5 Tbsp. | 4 Cups (5 Oz.) |
| 30 Oz. | 7.5 Tbsp. | 6 Cups |
| 40 Oz. | 10 Tbsp. | 8 Cups |
| 50 Oz | 12.5 Tbsp. | 10 Cups |
| 60 Oz. | 15 Tbsp. | 12 Cups |
| 20 Oz. | 2.5 Scoops | 4 Cups (5 Oz.) |
| 30 Oz. | 3.5 Scoops | 6 Cups |
| 40 Oz. | 5 Scoops | 8 Cups |
| 60 Oz. | 7.5 Scoops | 12 Cups |
| 8 Oz. | 2 Tbsp. | 1 Cup (8 Oz.) |
| 16 Oz. | 4 Tbsp. | 2 Cups |
| 24 Oz. | 6 Tbsp. | 3 Cups |
| 32 Oz. | 8 Tbsp. | 4 Cups |
| 40 Oz. | 10 Tbsp. | 5 Cups |
| 10 Oz. | 2.5 Tbsp. | 1 Cup (10 Oz.) |
| 20 Oz. | 5 Tbsp. | 2 Cups |
| 30 Oz. | 7.5 Tbsp. | 3 Cups |
| 40 Oz. | 10 Tbsp. | 4 Cups |
| 50 Oz. | 12.5 Tbsp. | 5 Cups |
| 12 Oz. | 3 Tbsp. | 1 Cup (12 Oz.) |
| 24 Oz. | 6 Tbsp. | 2 Cups |
| 36 Oz. | 9 Tbsp. | 3 Cups |
| 48 Oz. | 12 Tbsp. | 4 Cups |
Conversions
Here are some helpful conversions to help you customize your measurements.
1 Tsp. = ⅓ Tbsp.
3 Tsp. = 1 Tbsp.
2 Tbsp = 1 Scoop
Volume Equivalents
1 Oz = ⅛ Cup = Espresso Shot
¼ Cup = 2 Oz. = Double Shot Espresso
½ Cup = 4 Oz.
1 US Cup = 8 Oz.
Carafe: 5 Oz. = 1 Cup
Other Brewing Methods
If you are interested in exploring coffee a bit more, consider trying some alternative brewing methods. You can try a French press, aero press, percolator, handheld and stove top espresso makers, manual pour over coffee makers, Vietnamese Phin, or processing your own cold brew.
