For a full 4 cup drip coffee maker, use about 30 to 40 grams of ground coffee, which is roughly 5 to 7 level tablespoons, depending on how strong you like it. That range covers the common 1:15 to 1:17 ratios most drip makers are built around. Here is the exact breakdown in grams, tablespoons and scoops.
Why 4 cups is not four mugs
Coffee makers use a 5-ounce cup as their unit, a holdover from how these machines were originally marked, not the 8 to 12-ounce mug most people drink from. A 4 cup maker holds about 20 fluid ounces of water, close to 590 ml. That is enough to fill two and a half of your actual mugs, not four. Keep that in mind when a recipe or a bag says "cups," it almost always means the machine's cup, not yours.
Grams, tablespoons and scoops for a 4 cup pot
These numbers are for 20 fl oz (about 590 ml) of water, our full 4 cup pot. A level tablespoon of ground coffee is commonly figured at about 5 to 6 grams, and a standard included scoop at about 2 tablespoons, so treat the tablespoon and scoop columns as a rounded home measure. Grind size and how tightly you pack a spoon change that number, so a scale is the one method that reads the same every time.
| Ratio | Grams | Tablespoons (about) | Scoops (about) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:17 (milder) | ~35 g | 6 tbsp | 3 scoops |
| 1:16 | ~37 g | 6 to 7 tbsp | 3 scoops |
| 1:15 (stronger) | ~39 g | 7 tbsp | 3 to 4 scoops |
Start at 1:16 if you have never measured before. Move toward 1:15 if the cup tastes weak or watery, and toward 1:17 if it tastes bitter or heavy.
Scaling the same ratio to a bigger pot
The same math carries over if your machine is bigger than 4 cups. Figure the water in fluid ounces, convert to litres (divide by about 33.8), then multiply by 60 grams for the 1:16 to 1:17 range this table uses. A 10 cup maker, for example, usually holds about 50 fluid ounces (1.5 litres), which lands around 90 grams of coffee at the same ratio, roughly 15 tablespoons. The ratio does not change with pot size, only the totals do.
How long a 12 oz bag lasts at this rate
A 12 oz bag holds about 340 grams of coffee. At 37 grams per 4 cup pot (the 1:16 line above), that is about 9 pots per bag. If you brew one full pot a day, a bag lasts a little over a week. Brewing half pots or single mugs stretches it further, since the ratio stays the same and you just use less of both water and coffee.
Which of our coffees fits a 4 cup drip maker
No. 1 Common Sense (Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia, medium roast, cocoa, red apple, brown sugar) is labeled for drip or French press at 60 grams per litre, which lines up with the 1:16 to 1:17 range in the table above. It is a steady, balanced cup that does not need a precise ratio to taste right, which matters on a machine most people do not measure carefully every morning.
No. 10 Folklore (Piura and Amazonas, Peru, medium roast, salted caramel, citrus, silky) is also labeled for drip at the same 60 g per litre, and it is the milder of the two, described on the label as the one you make for the whole house. If Common Sense ever tastes too heavy for a 4 cup pot, Folklore is the easier switch. For a longer look at what to buy for this exact machine, see our drip coffee maker pick.
Our pick
No. 1 Common Sense
Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia · 1,300 to 1,500 m · Fully washed, solar dried · Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Typica · Medium roast
Cocoa and brown sugar that hold up at the ratios above, and stay balanced even on a pot you eyeball instead of weigh.
If you switched from a pre-measured pod or a can
Pods and pre-ground cans are built around a fixed dose, so you have never had to think about grams or tablespoons before. Whole bean coffee ground fresh at home changes volume depending on grind size, a finer grind packs a spoon tighter than a coarse one, which is part of why weighing is more reliable than scooping once you are choosing your own grind. Our guide on switching from pre-ground to whole bean covers the rest of that change.
Weigh it once with a kitchen scale, note how full that lands your scoop, and you can go back to scooping with a real number in mind. Check our FAQ or browse all ten coffees for what to brew next.
Questions people ask
Does a 4 cup coffee maker mean four 8-ounce mugs?
No. Coffee makers measure in 5-ounce cups, not the 8-ounce cups you drink from. A 4 cup maker holds about 20 fluid ounces (roughly 590 ml) of water, which pours out closer to two and a half regular mugs, not four.
How much coffee is one scoop?
Most scoops packed in with a coffee maker hold about 2 level tablespoons, roughly 10 to 12 grams of ground coffee. Scoop size is not standardized across brands, so if you care about consistency from pot to pot, a kitchen scale reads the same every time and a scoop does not.
Should I add more coffee or less water for a stronger cup?
Add more coffee. Cutting the water on a drip maker throws off how the machine is designed to spray and drain, and can leave grounds under-saturated. Keep the water at a full 4 cup fill and move up the ratio table instead, from 1:17 toward 1:15, to make the cup stronger.
Free printable
Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
One page with grams, level tablespoons and scoops for every cup size and for coffee makers from 2 to 14 cups. Leave your email and the download link appears right here.