Use 1:16 as the default: 15 grams of coffee for 8 fl oz of water, 22 g for 12 oz, 30 g for 16 oz, 44 g for 24 oz and 59 g for 32 oz. Go to 1:15 for a stronger cup and 1:17 for a lighter one. The tables below are built to be printed and taped inside a cabinet door.
What is the pour-over ratio by cup size?
Water is in US fluid ounces with grams in parentheses (1 fl oz of water is about 29.6 g). Coffee is in grams, rounded to the nearest gram. Weigh the water too, if your scale allows, because it is more exact than the markings on a kettle.
| Water | 1:15 stronger | 1:16 balanced | 1:17 lighter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 fl oz (237 g) | 16 g | 15 g | 14 g |
| 12 fl oz (355 g) | 24 g | 22 g | 21 g |
| 16 fl oz (473 g) | 32 g | 30 g | 28 g |
| 24 fl oz (710 g) | 47 g | 44 g | 42 g |
| 32 fl oz (946 g) | 63 g | 59 g | 56 g |
A little water stays in the grounds, so the cup you drink is smaller than the water you pour. Count on roughly 2 ounces lost per 20 grams of coffee, and pour a bit more if you need an exact mug.
What temperature and time should you use?
| Setting | Target |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 200 to 205 °F (93 to 96 °C) |
| Bloom | Twice the weight of the coffee in water, about 30 to 40 seconds |
| Total time, 12 to 16 fl oz | About 2:30 to 3:00 |
| Total time, 24 to 32 fl oz | A little longer, since the bed is deeper |
| Grind | Medium, like coarse sand |
If the clock runs short and the cup tastes sour, grind finer. If it runs long and tastes harsh, grind coarser. Our pages on a sour pour-over, a bitter pour-over and a weak pour-over go through each fix. If you are new to this, start with pour-over for beginners, which has the gear list and the step-by-step brew, and skip it here.
Which of our coffees want a different ratio?
The roaster gives a brewing suggestion for each of our coffees. For the pour-over friendly ones, the numbers are below. The roaster quotes 60 g per litre, which is about 1:17 (a lighter cup than our default), and 70 g per litre, which is about 1:14. Grams per 12 oz and 16 oz are worked out from those figures.
| Coffee | Roaster's suggestion | Per 12 fl oz | Per 16 fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Good Sense | 60 g per litre, 94 °C (about 201 °F), 40-second bloom, drink black | 21 g | 28 g |
| No. 4 Conjuncture | 94 °C (about 201 °F), a touch coarser than usual | Use the 1:16 row | Use the 1:16 row |
| No. 7 Praxis | Brew twice, at 60 g per litre and at 70, and keep the one you liked | 21 g and 25 g | 28 g and 33 g |
| No. 8 Consent | 60 g per litre, clean and sweet | 21 g | 28 g |
| No. 9 Optimism | Pour-over or Aeropress, drink it while it is hot | Use the 1:16 row | Use the 1:16 row |
The roaster gives no gram figure for Conjuncture and Optimism, so we point you to the balanced row of the first table. Their own pages go further: see the No. 4 Conjuncture brewing guide, the No. 9 Optimism brewing guide and the No. 8 Consent brewing guide.
Our pick
No. 7 Praxis
Antigua, Guatemala · 1,200 to 1,616 m · Fully washed, sun dried · Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Typica · Medium
Dark chocolate, bright fruit and butterscotch, and the one to brew twice at two ratios to find what you like.
Our pick
No. 2 Good Sense
Sidama, Ethiopia · 1,700 to 1,900 m · Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds · Indigenous heirloom cultivars · Medium-light
Milk chocolate, fruit and caramel, for the slow first cup when you want to taste something.
See all ten coffees, or set up a subscription, which is 11% off with skip or cancel in one click.
How do you change one thing at a time?
Pick a row, brew it, and taste. Then change a single variable.
| If the cup is | Change this | By how much |
|---|---|---|
| Too strong or heavy | Ratio | One step toward 1:17 |
| Too weak or watery | Ratio | One step toward 1:15 |
| Sour or thin, even at the right ratio | Grind | One notch finer |
| Harsh or bitter, even at the right ratio | Grind | One notch coarser |
Ratio sets strength, and grind sets how much you pull out of the coffee. They are different dials. Our post on why coffee tastes bitter explains the difference in plain terms. For pots instead of cups, the drip tables live in our drip machine ratio post, and drip machine vs pour-over compares the two methods.
Questions people ask
What is the best coffee to water ratio for pour-over?
Start at 1:16, which is 22 grams of coffee for 12 fluid ounces of water. Move to 1:15 for a stronger cup or 1:17 for a lighter one, and change only one thing at a time.
How many grams of coffee for 16 oz of water?
About 30 grams at 1:16. Use 32 grams at 1:15 for a stronger cup and 28 grams at 1:17 for a lighter one.
How long should a pour-over take?
About 2:30 to 3:00 for a single mug at 12 to 16 fluid ounces. If it runs much shorter and tastes sour, grind finer. If it runs much longer and tastes harsh, grind coarser.
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.