Today, we will discuss a beginner’s guide to brewing ratios and their importance in brewing the perfect cup of our favourite coffee. From espresso to pour-over to Aeropress and more, we will cover it all and explain how changing the variables and ratios in our coffee recipes can make a perfectly balanced, tasty cup of coffee.
So, let’s get started.
What Is Coffee Ratio?
The coffee ratio essentially refers to the amount of coffee to the water we use to make our coffee. It’s a brewing formula that can be amended for any amount of coffee to any amount of water. The ‘perfect’ ratio is often considered to be within the range of 1:15 -1:18 and all this means is 1 part coffee to 15 parts water or 1 part coffee to 16 parts water, and so on.
The lower the ratio you use, the stronger your brew will be due to being brewed with less water and being less concentrated. A higher ratio will produce a lighter and more diluted brew, so understanding what ratio we use for specific coffees is very important to get the best out of our coffee. And that is why we create recipes using ratios for each coffee.
What is the Perfect Coffee Ratio?
Although coffee recipes are very subjective and down to the individual preference and taste of the consumer, coffee needs to have a balance and this only comes to light when regulating how much coffee and how much water we use in our brew. This is called a coffee ratio.
The ‘Perfect Brewing Ratio’ is considered as the Golden Ratio of 1:18 ratio or 55g of coffee per 1000 ml of water. If you want a stronger brew, it’s best to lower the ratio and agitate your brew slightly by pouring shorter pours but still with the final desired weight of water. If you want a lighter and brighter cup of coffee, use a higher ratio with less pours. I like to do a 1:18 ratio with around three pours for this. As I said before, the most ideal ratios range between 1:15 – 1:18.
Espresso brewing, on the other hand, is completely different. Espresso uses a ratio of 1:2 (1 part coffee to 2 parts water) because it’s a more concentrated form of coffee and is often diluted by using hot water for a long black or steamed milk for a flat white.
For example, if you wanted to use an 18g dose of coffee for an espresso, your desired yield of water for that 18g would need to be 36g of brewed coffee to stick within that 1:2 espresso ratio. But, as we all know, taste matters just as much as ratios and numbers.
Use the ratio as a guideline and use your pallet to adjust and adapt the numbers and the coffee. For example, if the coffee is tasting a bit strong and harsh, I would lower the dose of coffee. And if the coffee is tasting a bit flat, empty, or the after taste goes away instantly, I would up the dose and play about with the extraction yield and time. Then you can evaluate it from there.
Something I would definitely recommend before we continue is reading these two books:
One from the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association)
and
The Physics of Filter Coffee by Jonathan Gagne
These two books are a must-have for a coffee professional or a home coffee lover who wants to explore and experiment with the science behind the perfect cup of coffee or just make better brews at home.
So Why Do Coffee Ratios Matter?
Coffee ratios allow you to control how strong or light your brew is without allowing the cup to be unbalanced in body and flavour. Having a guideline on how much water you need for a specific dose of coffee allows you to brew a tasty cup of coffee by essentially doing what a chef does when preparing food — following a recipe, and if followed correctly the results will definitely be worth it.
Other Variables that Affect the Taste of Our Coffee
Along with our coffee ratios and recipes, how we grind our coffee also matters. If ground is too fine, our coffee will extract too slowly. This is due to the coffee bed being too compact and having no room for water to push through and extract the oils and compounds of our coffee. And if ground too coarse, our coffee will extract too quickly, resulting in an under-extracted and weak-tasting brew. This is due to the coffee bed having an excess of air pockets available for water to push through our coffee, resulting in an unsatisfying brew. So brew ratios, recipes, and grind size all matter immensely when we want to create a brew that is tasty, balanced and worthy of taking the time and effort to brew.
To brew accordingly with an ideal ratio you will need a scale. This is so you can control the weight of the ground coffee and the weight of water we put on the brew.
I recommend getting a scale that weighs in 0.1g of precision. This is so our brewing is accurate down to the last gram.
Check these out if you need a scale …
Or, if you’re looking for something else, have a look at our other article on Pour Over Equipment On A Budget. You will find what you’re looking for.
Coffee Ratios for Different Brew Types
Espresso
Espresso will be within a 1:2 ratio as it extracts a more concentrated form of coffee.
For recipes and a better understanding, check out: Dialling in Espresso for Beginners
Pour Over
As mentioned, the ideal ratios for pour-over coffee lie in a range of 1:15 – 1:18. But it’s always worth experimenting, trying out different ratios and seeing what results you get and going from there.
Check out our Pour Over Coffee for Beginners for a better understanding of how to make pour over coffee.
Aeropress
Similarly to pour over brewing, aeropress needs a higher ratio. So 1:16 is the most recommended — 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. I always start with 15 grams of coffee then go from there, depending on what I want to get out of my aeropress brew. Remember, aeropress is going to taste more full-bodied and rich compared to pour over brewing, so make sure you stick with a good recipe and ratio to get the best results.
Be sure to check out How to Make Aeropress Coffee
That’s it for now!
We will definitely go into a more in-depth version of the balance of coffee ratios soon, but for now use what we have said here and experiment with your own brews. Once you get to grips with the basic understanding of coffee brewing ratios, I’m sure you will be creating delicious balanced brews in no time.
Until next time, I’ll see you on the next one.
