Coffee Measurement and Conversion Tables
The numbers you need at the scale, in one place. Brew by weight, not volume — a tablespoon of coffee varies wildly with bean density and grind, but grams never lie. These tables turn ratios, doses, and temperatures into the exact figures you punch into a recipe. For the reasoning behind ratios, read The Brew Ratio; for why grams beat scoops, see Scales, Timers, and Servers.
Water is ~1 gram per millilitre at brewing temperature, so 1 ml of water ≈ 1 g. That means a scale and a kettle are all the measuring tools you ever need.
#Brew Ratios → Water for a Given Dose
Water (g) = dose (g) × ratio. Common pour-over ratios run 1:15 (stronger) to 1:17 (lighter).
| Dose (g) | 1:15 | 1:16 | 1:17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 g | 180 g | 192 g | 204 g |
| 15 g | 225 g | 240 g | 255 g |
| 18 g | 270 g | 288 g | 306 g |
| 20 g | 300 g | 320 g | 340 g |
| 22 g | 330 g | 352 g | 374 g |
| 25 g | 375 g | 400 g | 425 g |
| 30 g | 450 g | 480 g | 510 g |
The coffee bed retains roughly 2 g of water per gram of dry coffee. An 18 g dose holds back ~36 g, so a 288 g brew (1:16) yields ~250 ml in the cup. Plan your serving size accordingly.
#Common Dose & Water Presets
| Serving | Dose | Water (1:16) | Brewer fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single small cup | 12 g | 192 g | Hario V60 01 size |
| Single mug | 15 g | 240 g | Hario V60 02, Kalita Wave 155 |
| Large mug | 18 g | 288 g | Hario V60 02, Origami Dripper |
| Two cups | 25 g | 400 g | Kalita Wave 185, Chemex 3-cup |
| Small batch | 30 g | 480 g | Chemex 6-cup, Batch Pour Over Recipe |
#Grams ↔ Millilitres (Water)
| Grams | Millilitres |
|---|---|
| 50 g | 50 ml |
| 200 g | 200 ml |
| 250 g | 250 ml |
| 500 g | 500 ml |
| 1000 g | 1000 ml (1 L) |
#Brewing Temperature: °C ↔ °F
The filter-coffee sweet spot is roughly 90–96°C. Convert with °F = (°C × 9 ⁄ 5) + 32.
| °C | °F |
|---|---|
| 85 | 185 |
| 88 | 190 |
| 90 | 194 |
| 92 | 198 |
| 93 | 199 |
| 94 | 201 |
| 96 | 205 |
| 100 | 212 (boiling at sea level) |
Water boils below 100°C at elevation (about 1°C lower per ~300 m). At high altitude your "off-boil" water is already cooler, so you may need to brew closer to boiling. See Water Temperature for Brewing and The Role of Temperature in Extraction.
#Bloom Water Quick Math
A common bloom is 2–3× the dry dose in grams of water. For 18 g of coffee that is 36–54 g for the bloom pour. More gas means a bigger, longer bloom — see The Bloom and Coffee Freshness and Degassing.
| Dose | Bloom (2×) | Bloom (3×) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 g | 24 g | 36 g |
| 15 g | 30 g | 45 g |
| 18 g | 36 g | 54 g |
| 25 g | 50 g | 75 g |
#Continue Reading
- The Brew Ratio — choosing 1:15 vs 1:16 vs 1:17 and why
- How to Read a Coffee Recipe — the schema these numbers feed
- Recipe Variables and Cup Outcomes — how changing each number changes the cup
- Pour Over Quick Start Checklist — put these figures into practice