Coffee Ratio Calculator

The SCA Golden Cup standard is 1:17 to 1:18 by weight, meaning 1 gram of coffee for every 17 to 18 grams of water. That is a safe default for drip and most home brewers. Pour over fans usually tighten that to 1:15 to 1:16, French press users go even stronger at 1:12 to 1:15.

The first number is coffee, the second is water, both by weight. So 1:17 means 1 gram of coffee per 17 grams of water. Since 1 ml of water weighs about 1 gram, you can read the second number as milliliters of water without any extra math.

Espresso ratios are expressed as ground coffee to brewed yield, not water input. A 1:2 ratio means 18 g of grounds yielding 36 g of espresso in the cup. This calculator treats the espresso ratio that way, so the result is the target yield weight you should pull to.

Yes, if you want repeatable results. Scoops vary wildly with grind size and bean density. A 5 dollar kitchen scale removes that variance and is the single biggest upgrade most home brewers can make.

The calculator uses a 240 mL planning cup, which is the US legal cup. A US customary cup is 236.588 mL, while an SCA coffee cup is 150 mL. Mugs and coffee makers vary, so use the vessel volume that matches your setup.