BREW RATIOS: EXPLAINED
A 'Brew Ratio' in coffee refers to the proportion of coffee grounds to water used during the brewing process. We weigh the dry coffee and the water weight using scales and measure in grams as this gives us more accuracy and is also a way we can share recipes with other budding baristas. Recipes are typically expressed as a ratio, such as 1:16.6, which means 1 part coffee to 16.6 parts water. This ratio is crucial for determining the strength and flavour of the coffee. Adjusting the brew ratio can help tailor the coffee's taste to individual preferences, making it stronger or milder as desired.
As a general rule in the speciality coffee world, a standard ratio to use for filter and immersion brews is 60g of coffee for 1000g of water, or a 1:16.6 ratio. For espresso you’ll find the ratios are a lot smaller, starting at 1:2 – 1:3, but with espresso, you are making a concentrate rather than a longer drink. Rule of thumb, the lower the ratio of water to coffee, the stronger the resulting drink will be.
Simple solution to all of this, make it, taste it and see if you want to make a change. To increase strength, use more coffee or less water, or vice versa if it’s too strong. But record what you do, that way its repeatable and you remove the guess work.
Scenario 1: Making 400g of coffee using a ratio of 1:16.6 (or 60:1000)
The ratio 1:16.6 means 1 gram of coffee per 1000 grams (or millilitres, they weigh the same) of water.
To make 400 grams of coffee:
Calculate the total coffee needed.
Use the above ratio to find out how much coffee is required for 400 grams of water.
So, wanting to make a 400g coffee drink you’ll need 24 grams of coffee.
Scenario 2: Using 35g of coffee using a ratio of 1:16.6 (or 60:1000)
To find out how much water you need using a 1:16.6 (or 60:1000) ratio:
Calculate the corresponding amount of water for 35 grams of coffee.
Using the below calculation to find out how much water is required for 35g of dry coffee.
So, using 35 grams of ground coffee you will need approximately 583 grams of water to make your drink. (I promise the coffee police won’t come and find you if you round up or down).
Something to remember is that every coffee behaves differently. It’s good to have a starting point, which is why in our brew guides we have given a Basic Recipe for each of the brew methods. Think of it as a starting point and you can adjust as necessary depending on your pallet.