Grams of coffee per liter of water
Use 60 g of ground coffee for 1 liter of water for filter coffee. That is a ratio of about 1:16.7. A lighter cup starts at 55 g/L (1:18) and a stronger one at 65 g/L (1:15). To turn any grams-per-liter figure into a ratio, divide 1000 by it.
Grams per liter as a ratio
Each row is a strength. The columns give the coffee for a few common amounts of water. A US quart is 946 ml.
| Per liter | Ratio | 500 ml | 1.5 liters | 1 quart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 g | 1:20 | 25 g | 75 g | 47.3 g |
| 55 g | 1:18.2 | 27.5 g | 82.5 g | 52 g |
| 60 g | 1:16.7 | 30 g | 90 g | 56.8 g |
| 65 g | 1:15.4 | 32.5 g | 97.5 g | 61.5 g |
| 70 g | 1:14.3 | 35 g | 105 g | 66.2 g |
| 75 g | 1:13.3 | 37.5 g | 112.5 g | 71 g |
| 80 g | 1:12.5 | 40 g | 120 g | 75.7 g |
The ratio treats a milliliter of water as a gram. Other water amounts scale in a straight line, so 250 ml takes a quarter of the liter figure.
Where 55, 60 and 65 come from
- 55 g/L. Seattle Coffee Gear describes the Specialty Coffee Association standard as 55 grams per liter, roughly 1:18.
- 60 g/L. Coffee Circle says the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe recommends 60 grams per liter, and Food Network gives the same for drip brewing, "roughly 1:17".
- 65 g/L. Coffee Circle uses about 65 grams per liter for its own filter coffee, which is 1:15.4.
- 67 to 71 g/L. Food Network puts immersion brewing such as a French press at 1:14 to 1:15, a little stronger than drip.
The three guides differ by 10 g per liter at most, which is the gap between a light and a medium cup. Start at 60, taste, and move 5 g either way.
Doses for four brewers
Coffee Circle lists a dose for each brewer. Here they are as g/L and as a ratio, so you can compare them with the table above.
| Brewer | Water | Coffee | Per liter | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand filter | 500 ml | 32 g | 64 g | 1:15.6 |
| Chemex | 600 ml | 38 g | 63 g | 1:15.8 |
| Coffee maker | 1250 ml | 75 g | 60 g | 1:16.7 |
| French press | 1000 ml | 65 g | 65 g | 1:15.4 |
The doses are from Coffee Circle's table. All four land between 60 and 65 g/L.
Try your own amount
Starts at 60 g of coffee at 1:16.7, about a liter. Type your water amount in ml to get the grams.
Change any field and the others update. For 1.25 liters, the size Coffee Circle uses for a coffee maker, enter 1250 ml of water.
Water: 33.9 fl oz, 4.2 cups
What's next
I'm thinking about a brew log that saves your recipes with a note on how each cup tasted. It isn't built yet. The button below only adds one to a counter, so I can see if enough people want it.
Thanks, counted.
Spoons are a rough guide
This site counts a level tablespoon as 5 g, so 60 g per liter is 12 level tablespoons. Coffee Circle's "full tablespoons" are heaped: its own table puts 65 g at 7 to 8 of them, which is roughly 8 to 9 g each. Check which spoon a recipe means, or weigh the dose once.
For a single cup, see coffee per cup. For tablespoon weights, see grams of coffee per tablespoon. The Moccamaster page applies 55 g/L to a 1.25 L carafe. Other water amounts are on the ratio chart.