For a drip machine, we would start with No. 1 Common Sense: a Colombian coffee from Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, fully washed and solar dried, tasting of cocoa, red apple and brown sugar. It suits anyone who wants one pot a day that tastes the same every morning. It ships free in the US as a 12 oz bag, whole bean or ground, for $28.
Two other bags fit a drip machine well: No. 7 Praxis from Guatemala and No. 8 Consent from Costa Rica. All three are single origin, medium roast and the same price.
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
Cocoa, red apple and brown sugar on the label, and the roaster says it takes milk without falling apart.
Why do these three suit a drip machine?
A drip machine brews at a steady, hot temperature and does not let you adjust anything midway, so it rewards a coffee that is balanced and forgiving. The roaster's own brewing notes point all three at drip: Common Sense for drip or French press at 60 g per litre, Praxis for any method, and Consent for drip or pour-over at 60 g per litre.
| No. 1 Common Sense | No. 7 Praxis | No. 8 Consent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia | Antigua, Guatemala | Alajuela, Costa Rica |
| Process | Fully washed, solar dried | Fully washed, sun dried | Eco-pulped, sun dried |
| Roast | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Notes | Cocoa, red apple, brown sugar | Dark chocolate, bright fruit, butterscotch | Sweet apple, raisin, honey |
| Best for | Every morning, with or without milk | Working out what you like | Someone who says they do not like black coffee |
| Price | $28, 12 oz | $28, 12 oz | $28, 12 oz |
If you are choosing between two, Guatemalan vs Costa Rican for a drip machine is a full side by side of Praxis and Consent. You can also read about the Antigua bag and the Alajuela bag.
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 on the label, the one to brew twice at different strengths and keep the version you liked.
Our pick
No. 8 Consent
Alajuela, Costa Rica · 1,300 to 1,445 m · Eco-pulped, sun dried · Caturra, Catuai · Medium
Sweet apple, raisin and honey on the label, clean and sweet for the person who does not like black coffee.
How much ground coffee goes in a drip machine?
Use 1:16 as a starting point, which is 1 g of coffee to 16 g of water. A level tablespoon of ground coffee is about 5 g, and a scoop is 2 tablespoons, about 10 g. The roaster's own number for these bags is 60 g per litre, a little stronger than 1:17, and it is a good place to begin. Machine sizes are commonly sold in 5 fl oz cups.
| Pot | Water | Coffee at 1:16 | Level tablespoons | Scoops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 cup | about 20 fl oz | 37 g | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| 8 cup | about 40 fl oz | 74 g | 14.8 | 7.4 |
| 12 cup | about 60 fl oz | 111 g | 22 | 11 |
The full explanation, with every pot size, is on the how much coffee per cup page.
Should you buy it ground?
We sell all ten coffees as whole bean or ground at the same price. Ground is convenient for a drip machine. Whole bean is there if you own a grinder. If you do grind at home, aim for medium, like coarse sand, and see how to clean a coffee grinder to keep the taste clean. One thing we do not have is a roast date to quote; we roast on demand, so the bag that reaches you is not sitting on a shelf.
What about a subscription?
If a drip machine is your daily routine, the subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click. You can see all ten coffees before you decide.
Questions people ask
What is the best single origin coffee for a drip machine?
For an everyday pot, No. 1 Common Sense from Colombia: cocoa, red apple and brown sugar at medium roast. No. 7 Praxis and No. 8 Consent are the other two we would pick.
How many scoops of ground coffee for a 12 cup drip machine?
About 11 scoops at 1:16 for a 12 cup pot with 5 oz cups (about 60 oz of water). The pillar page has the full table.
Does the coffee come ground?
Yes. Every coffee we sell is $28 for a 12 oz bag, whole bean or ground, with free shipping in the US.
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.