Nothing beats a fresh cup of coffee in the morning to wake you up and prepare you for the day ahead. But, sometimes that cup of coffee can be a hit or miss when it comes to taste.
Unless you have perfected your coffee-to-water ratio, then you’ll most likely think about what went wrong in your brewing process. The culprit is most likely the ratio of your coffee grounds and water.
While there is no standard rule when it comes to the best coffee-to-water ratio, you can have the perfect cup if you follow the recommended ratio. Of course, taste is subjective and you might find that other measurements work for you.
That’s why in this article, I will tell you what the golden ratio for coffee is, and if that does not work for you, I’ll give you tips on how to brew that perfect cup of drip coffee every time.
In this article:
- What Is The Coffee “Golden Ratio” All About
- How to Determine Your Preferred Ratio
- Tips for Brewing a Perfect Cup of Coffee
- Coffee To Water Ratio for Other Brewing Methods
What Is The Coffee “Golden Ratio” All About
When brewing coffee, it’s not just about brewing whatever amount of coffee you like and calling it a day. Well, some people may do that but it can definitely affect the taste and quality of your final brew.
You might notice that specialty coffee shops and some coffee lovers use a scale to measure everything from the coffee beans, grounds, and even water. This is because measuring gives you that balanced cup of coffee.
A well-balanced coffee gives you the most coffee flavor and will make you appreciate the bold and rich flavor profiles of whatever coffee beans you are using.
Now, the golden ratio of coffee is said to be the “perfect” balance between the amount of water and coffee, and the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) was the one who developed this ratio.
According to the SCA, the recommended ratio to achieve a Golden Cup Standard is 55 g per 1 liter of water. So, that’s a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:18. While that is the recommended ratio by the SCA, the ratio can still vary depending on different brewing techniques.
For drip coffee, the recommended ratio of coffee to water is 1:17. This means you will use 1 gram of coffee grounds for every 17 grams of water. Not very far from the recommended ratio of the SCA.
How to Determine Your Preferred Ratio
Finding your ideal coffee to water can take a lot of trial and error, and you’ll have to keep on adjusting the ratio depending on your preference.
The 1:17 ratio gives you the ideal coffee extraction while still keeping the strong coffee flavors. However, the ratio will still depend on your preference. If you want stronger coffee, you can change the ratio to 1:15 or even 1:13.
Tips for Brewing a Perfect Cup of Coffee
If you want to have a well-balanced coffee, you can follow these simple tips when brewing that perfect cup at home.
Grind Your Own Coffee Beans
This may seem more taxing and inconvenient than just going straight to brewing coffee grounds, but it has its purpose. Grinding coffee beans instead of buying them pre-ground means you are brewing a fresh batch each time.
You retain the aroma and quality of the coffee beans when you grind them yourself just before you need to brew them. Freshly ground coffee has the most flavor and aroma, and it also produces the best-tasting coffee. The bonus point is your house will smell very nice because of the aroma of grinding coffee beans!
When grinding your own coffee beans, make sure to use a high-quality grinder to produce more consistent coffee grounds. A burr grinder is recommended as it produces consistent grind sizes and you want your coffee grounds to be roughly the same size to have the best results.
Use Medium to Medium-Fine Ground Size
While we are still on the topic of grinding coffee beans, make sure to grind your coffee beans to medium or medium-fine coarse ground. This kind of grind is recommended for drip coffee as drip coffee takes time to brew.
Always Use a Coffee Scale
You might think that you can get away with using a couple of tablespoons of coffee grounds when you make coffee. Well, in a sense you can, but it will not give you the precision you need to have that right coffee-to-water ratio.
If you’ve been using tablespoons to measure your coffee grounds and your coffee tastes good, then that’s good! But, why don’t you try using a coffee scale and see how it goes?
Using a scale allows you to measure the coffee grounds in the exact amount you want and you can experiment with different measurements since you have an exact figure to work with.
There are expensive coffee scales on the market but if you are just starting out, you can try inexpensive ones first. Just make sure that your scale measures in grams as you’ll find most coffee recipes use that unit.
Use the Correct Water Temperature
One of the factors that can help you produce a good cup of coffee is making sure that you have the right water temperature. If you are using a drip coffee maker, you might not have to think about this as the brewer will heat the water for you.
But, if you use a pour over like a Chemex or Hario V60, having the right water temperature is essential. The ideal water temperature when brewing coffee is anywhere between 195°F and 205°F.
If your water is too hot, there is a high chance that you will burn the coffee grounds which will lead to a burnt taste. Cold water, on the other hand, leads to under-extracted coffee grounds resulting in a sour taste.
Preheat your Brewing Device
If you are using a drip coffee maker, you don’t need to do this. But, make sure to also check the instruction manual if you need to power your device for a couple of minutes before brewing coffee.
However, for a ceramic V60 or a Chemex, preheating is key to having a consistent brewing temperature. A ceramic or glass brewing device can pull the heat away from the coffee grounds which will make the water temperature colder.
To preheat your brewing device, you can either submerge it in hot water or steam it on top of a kettle. You also need to rinse the filter with hot water so it stays hot during the brewing process.
Coffee To Water Ratio for Other Brewing Methods
Again, this may be different depending on your ideal coffee-to-water ratio. For French Press and Pour Overs, the recommended coffee-to-water ratio is the same as for drip coffee. So, try experimenting with 1:17 first and adjust according to your taste.
If you are doing a cold brew, the coffee-to-water ratio is different. Since you will be brewing coffee for longer periods (and maybe in the refrigerator, too), the amount of water would have to be less.
The recommended ratio for a cold brew is 1:6 to 1:8 since the coffee will be extracted for up to 12 hours, you want less water to still get that coffee flavor.
If you are brewing an espresso shot, the recommended ratio is 1:2. This has a very strong coffee flavor since espresso shots are usually not consumed on their own and are poured in milk or water.
Final Thoughts
Brewing coffee can look like a science experiment with all the measuring and stuff but it’s easy to brew your perfect cup once you find your ideal coffee-to-water ratio. You’ll most likely get a few misses rather than hits but that’s how you will find your perfect ratio!
You can always follow the recommended ratio by the SCA and if it tastes good to you, that’s all that matters. Happy brewing!
