How much coffee for a 12 cup coffee maker
Use about 111 g of ground coffee for a full 12 cup pot. That is 22 level tablespoons, or about 11.1 scoops if yours holds 2 tablespoons. It assumes 60 oz of water and a ratio of 1:16, a medium-strength pot. For a stronger one use 118 g, for a lighter one 99 g.
Why 12 cups is only 60 oz
Most US drip machines count a cup as 5 oz (some use 4 to 6). 12 cup Hamilton Beach models list a 60 oz reservoir, which is where the 1774 ml comes from. Twelve 8 oz measuring cups would be 96 oz, so if you fill the reservoir with a measuring cup you will overflow it.
In mug terms, a full 12 cup pot is 5 mugs of 12 oz. If you usually drink one or two mugs, a 12 cup pot is too much coffee.
The National Coffee Association gives 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. At the 2 tablespoon end that is about 1:18 by weight, the first column below. One tablespoon per 6 oz is much weaker, around 1:35.
Coffee by machine size
Each cell shows grams, then level tablespoons and scoops. Water is the cups times 5 oz.
| Machine | Water | 1:18 (lighter) | 1:16 | 1:15 (strong) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 cups | 20 oz 591 ml |
33 g 7 tbsp 3.3 scoops | 37 g 7 tbsp 3.7 scoops | 39 g 8 tbsp 4 scoops |
| 5 cups | 25 oz 739 ml |
41 g 8 tbsp 4.1 scoops | 46 g 9 tbsp 4.6 scoops | 49 g 10 tbsp 5 scoops |
| 8 cups | 40 oz 1183 ml |
66 g 13 tbsp 6.6 scoops | 74 g 15 tbsp 7.4 scoops | 79 g 16 tbsp 7.9 scoops |
| 10 cups | 50 oz 1479 ml |
82 g 16 tbsp 8.2 scoops | 92 g 19 tbsp 9.3 scoops | 99 g 20 tbsp 9.9 scoops |
| 12 cups | 60 oz 1774 ml |
99 g 20 tbsp 9.9 scoops | 111 g 22 tbsp 11.1 scoops | 118 g 24 tbsp 11.9 scoops |
| 14 cups | 70 oz 2070 ml |
115 g 23 tbsp 11.5 scoops | 129 g 26 tbsp 13 scoops | 138 g 28 tbsp 13.8 scoops |
Tablespoons assume 5 g of ground coffee per level tablespoon, which varies with roast and grind. Weigh once with your own scoop: if it holds 10 g, the scoops column is right for you.
If the pot tastes weak or strong
- Weak or watery: go from 1:16 to 1:15, which adds about 7 g to a 12 cup pot, before changing anything else.
- Harsh or bitter: use less coffee (1:18 saves 12 g) or check the grind. See why coffee tastes bitter or sour.
Want a different cup size or fewer cups? The coffee per cup table covers 5, 6 and 8 oz cups. For other amounts use the drip coffee maker calculator. For 30 cups or more see the coffee urn table. Stovetop pot? See the moka pot size chart.