Coffee making is surely an art. There are many people that have perfected this art and are capable of making barista-level coffee at home – are you one of them and do you know how much coffee per cup do you exactly need?
If not, no worries. Achieving perfection in your coffee making skills takes time and passion. This guide will walk you through the best ways and compositions for that perfect cup of Joe!
How to measure coffee is one of the factors that come in making coffee. There are more elements that are also involved in making it. So, if you are into coffee and want to learn about making that great cup, keep reading.
Starting with the Right Measure of Coffee
It all begins with the exact amount of coffee to water ratio when making good coffee. Learning the correct amount of measure will affect your coffee in a big way. You will think how much ground coffee per cup is required.
For Pour Over & French Press
There are a few ways in doing this. The basic way is taking two tablespoons of coffee for a 250ml cup or 6-8 ounces of water. This becomes almost 15 grams of coffee per cup. This works well with both pour over or French press.
Drip Coffee Maker
If you are using a coffee maker then obviously the dynamics change. A standard cup is around 8 ounces usually; whereas a normal coffee pot is only 5 ounces so this must be kept in mind when measuring for a coffee maker.
So, if you are making coffee for 4 cups, you need to mix coffee in 20 ounces of water which is 5 tablespoons.
If you need to make it for 8 people then you need 10 tablespoons. If your coffee maker capacity is 12 cups then you need to add 15 tablespoons of coffee respectively.
Modern Coffee Makers with Scoops
This is for coffee makers as the size of cups is smaller than regular cups. Also, scoop size is equal to 2 tablespoons of coffee, in case you want to use coffee scoops.
A lot of coffee makers come with scoops now, but in case there is not any with yours, buy a scoop separately. There are scoops that come with their own measure markings so getting a one like this is advisable.
Conversions Chart
- 1 standard – 8 ounces
- 1 cup (carafe) – 5 ounces
- ¼ cup – 2 ounces (double espresso shot)
- 1/8 cup – 1 ounce (single espresso shot)
- 1 teaspoon – 1/3 tablespoon
- 3 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon – 1 coffee scoop
Espresso Coffee Measure
Making a nice espresso is one of the most difficult types of coffee in coffee making. When making espresso shots, take 6-8 grams of espresso ground for 1.5 ounces of water.
For a double shot you will need 16 grams for 2-2.5 ounces of water. Espresso is a stronger coffee type, so this is the best measure for this type of coffee. This will work for coffee makers as well as pour over.
Cold Brew Coffee Measure
When having cold coffee, you will need to add more coffee than regular hot coffee as the contents do not mix easily. Since cold water is added in this type, the ratio is usually between 1:8 and 1:2 coffee to water.
The latter is for stronger type of cold coffee. This is also used for mixing with milk as well in a cold coffee.
Measure Types and How To Do It
There is nothing better than a decent kitchen scale that is in grams to measure your coffee accurately every time. This helps in measuring coffee, beans and water so everything is sorted.
Through the kitchen scale you can measure 30 grams of coffee beans for say, 500ml of water for a great coffee experience. Here is the tip by tip procedure to how to measure:
- Measure the coffee at 21g to make 2 cups of coffee
- Put your kettle on the scale and add 335g of water
- Put the coffee in the water
- Wait for your machine till it is ready to serve your coffee
For pour over and-drip based brewers you will need a scale. However cold brew and French brew do not require a scale as a vital sign.
The Aeropress comes with a tool for measuring that will work absolutely fine and will make great coffee!
Individual Ratios
Once you get hold of measuring and coffee to water ratio, you can start changing the ratios every time so you can different strengths and flavour.
Black coffee is a simple type of coffee but you can still change ratio and have better tasting coffee.
Same goes for all other types as well. A latte is rich, so by changing ratio, you can have a richer cup if you like it like this. This goes for cold coffee also as this coffee is generally made in water or ice.
When made in ice, this technique works as well when you can have different kinds of flavour for your cup.
How to Brew Coffee
While measuring coffee or coffee beans is vital for coffee making, the right brewing method is as important. There are few ways how to brew coffee for that prefect cup that will taste real good every time you make it!
The Coffee Equipment
The right apparatus is always important. Whether it is a high quality coffee maker or a grinder – it must be in great shape to use. Also, all equipment needs to be cleaned after use and stored in a clean environment.
Normally, it is best to clean using hot water and absorbent towel to dry it. Check if there are any coffee grounds left and make sure to clean it out.
Coffee oil residue also needs to be cleaned properly otherwise this will cause bitter tasting coffee. You can also use washing liquids to clean the filters thoroughly.
Coffee Beans
The best coffee is always about the best quality beans! When you talk about beans – the first name that comes in mind is Columbia. They produce one of the finest coffee beans in the world. Brazil is another region that has great coffee beans.
Origin of Beans
Depending on your taste type, you can decide which origin of beans you like the most and then use the same ones. One must try different brands and origins to have a better idea of the bean types available in the market.
Although there are many, a lot of brands have a similar type of taste so you can narrow down the brands easily. You can start with globally renowned brands and come up with the best one in the category and then try that brand’s other types.
This way it gets easier to choose from. You will notice the similarity and be able to select the best one that you want to have always.
Type and Roast of Coffee Beans
Next is the bean type. There are arabica, robusta or a blend of these. This will also be a factor in your coffee making.
Then comes the roast type. If you are using normal roast, it will make mild coffee. For stronger coffee, you will need to use dark roasted coffee beans. For even stronger coffee, American dark roasted coffee beans work best as they are roasted to a level that is unlike any other roasts.
Furthermore, there are brands that roast beans for longer which are pretty stronger than any other type. These are the ones for those that like real strong coffee. It must be noted that this type of coffee may cause palpitations so care must be taken while having this.
Also, the frequency of cups plays a role while having this type as too many will be causing more palpitations and uneasiness.
Texture also plays a role in coffee taste. This means the way you grind your coffee. The finer grind will make smoother coffee and vice versa.
Coffee Freshness
This is one of the key elements of making great coffee. Freshness is something that works in every kind of food or drinks. A burger made fresh will always taste better than a one that is pre-cooked or in frozen form earlier.
Same is the case with beverages. The fresher a drink, the better it will taste. It is not any different in making coffee. You always should go for the freshest possible coffee for a great cup.
This means buying coffee beans right after it has been roasted. Check the date of manufacturing so you can know how fresh it really is. Also, go for small quantities so you do not have to store it for longer periods as this will make it stale.
Storing in vacuum air tight jars or bottles is also very important. Nowadays some brands have coffee jars especially designed to store coffee for longer. So, investing in a good jar will help in preserving the coffee and keeping it fresh.
Try buying beans instead of ground as this also takes some freshness away as it is packed and stored before reaching you.
Reusing coffee grounds will also stale your coffee so it is better not to reuse. A fresh brew is always a better idea as the aroma will be really fresh and the way it should be!
The Right Way to Grind
A mill grinder will grind coffee evenly compared to a blade grinder. Blade grinders will cause an uneven coffee ground with some more fine than the rest.
Another thing that matters is the amount – more will make bitter coffee – meaning the finer the grind, the bitter it will taste. Under-extracted coffee will taste coarse.
Water is Essential
Like everything else, water is another key ingredient of a fine tasting coffee cup! In most countries tap water is used in the kitchen. Some countries have bad tap water and hence people use bottled water for drinking and cooking.
The Right Water Type
Best water type is bottled water to make coffee. Another option will be filtered water in case of using tap water where the quality is decent. Distilled or tap water is not recommended.
Ideal Water Temperature
The basic universal temperature is between 125 and 205 degrees for best coffee extraction. This works easily in most coffee makers as they are equipped with an auto temperature control.
In case of manual brewing, boil water but do not over boil it as that will make the coffee taste coarse. Also, it is essential to wait a minute before pouring the water into coffee.
Time of Brewing
The time it takes to brew also will affect how coffee tastes. This happens due to the contact of water with coffee ground. For French press 2-4 minutes is a fair amount of time and for drip it should be 5 minutes.
For espresso just 20-30 seconds will be enough and in the case of cold coffee, it is recommended an overnight time or 12 hours.
Over extraction and under extraction means you are either brewing too long or too short and hence the coffee will taste bad. You will get a hang of the brewing time slowly by practising regularly till you get the right time and good tasting coffee.
BREW TYPES
What specific brew are you making is entirely another kind of joy when you make it great yourself!
There are different types of coffee brews. Let us have a look at what are they:
Cold Brew
This type of brew is concentrated and not finished brew. Normally 1:8 ratio is used for cold brew. This is a medium strength and for stronger coffee, use 1:5 coffee to water ratio.
To dilute coffee in water, it is considered a personal preference so you will know your desired choice with time. It is best to start with a 1:2 and dilute with ice to start with. You can also add ice if you like that or simply use water.
If you add ice, the ice ratio can vary according to your liking and texture of your drink. The best will be the texture that you prefer and the coldness of your cold coffee as both reasons affect it.
French Press
For people that use this brew, using a 1:10 ratio will give a strong and thick flavour. A 1:16 ratio is good for a lighter taste. Keep in mind that for this brew type a coarse grind is required always. The coarser the coffee, the better result you will get.
Pour Over
For this method, you will need a scale as it is a bit tricky to make coffee using this method. Since kettles have a tight neck and larger body, it is quite difficult to put the right amount of coffee without measuring it.
Also, since kettles come in different sizes and shapes, it gets difficult to know the ratio correctly so a scale is essential.
How many tablespoons of coffee per cup then? Since we are talking about kettles, make your coffee in a kettle first then pour a cup. It is advisable to use 1-2 tablespoons of your coffee ground for 6 ounces of water.
Or, a 1:17 ratio is good. This is the basic way that will make decent coffee without having to add more coffee later. For best results, use a measuring scale.
Aeropress
This brew comes with its own measuring scale which is amazing.
The scale has 1,2,3 and 4 marked on it so you know how much water is required according to the number of cups you want to serve.
The scoop is also included for easier measuring while taking coffee out. This helps in knowing how much coffee is needed for the amount of servings you want.
Difference Between Ground and Beans
This is another factor that makes a difference while making your coffee. The key is measuring them both correctly.
In case of coffee ground, simply use a measuring scale and that will give you the exact amount you need to make your coffee. While using coffee beans, each tablespoon will usually have 5 grams so you just need to adjust the quantity using this for making coffee.
Basically, the weight of your coffee ground should be the same as it was before in the bean form. This way, you will hardly make errors in judging the right amount of coffee to the amount of water.
Wrapping Up Our Perfect Coffee Guide
As mentioned above, making great coffee using the right measurement is a genuinely difficult task.
While there are many automatic machines that say they will make good coffee without much attention to detail – the perfect way to do it still needs a lot of input from you.
As with any other activity, learning how much coffee per cup will take time according to your learning skills.
A good cup of coffee is loved by everyone, everywhere and people will respect the fact that you gave them this made by yourself!