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Dial in your brew: pick a coffee-to-water ratio and start from either the coffee or the water — the other side is worked out for you, with spoon and cup equivalents.
A ratio of 1:16 means 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams ( = 16 ml) of water. Water for coffee is interchangeable between grams and milliliters, which is why a kitchen scale makes ratios effortless: put the brewer on the scale and pour to the number. Starting from water, coffee = water ÷ ratio; starting from coffee, water = coffee × ratio.
Picking a ratio: 1:15–1:17 is the classic filter-coffee window (the often-quoted "golden ratio" sits around 1:16–1:18). Stronger brews — French press drinkers who like it heavy, or cold brew concentrates — run 1:12–1:14. Move in small steps: one ratio point is a noticeable change in strength. Ratio controls strength, not extraction — bitterness and sourness are more about grind size and water temperature, so if a 1:16 cup tastes wrong, adjust the grind before the ratio.
About the approximations: a level tablespoon of ground coffee weighs roughly 7 g, but real scoops vary from about 5 g to 10 g with grind and roast — fine for a weekday pot, no substitute for a scale. A "cup" here is a 240 ml measuring cup; note that many coffee makers mark "cups" as 5–6 fl oz instead, so maker markings and measuring cups are not the same unit.
How much coffee for a 12-cup maker? A 12-cup carafe is about 1.8 liters of water (at the maker's 5 oz "cup"). At 1:16 that's roughly 110 g of coffee. Enter 1800 ml above and your preferred ratio for the exact figure.
Does the ratio change for espresso or cold brew? Completely different ranges: espresso runs around 1:2, and cold brew concentrate 1:4–1:8 (then diluted). This calculator's 1:12–1:18 presets target filter, pour-over, drip, and French press brewing.
Why weigh coffee instead of scooping? Whole beans and grounds pack differently every time, so a scoop is a guess that can swing ±30%. Weight is the one variable you can hold perfectly constant — which is why ratios are written by weight.
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