Coffee to Water Calculator
Here’s a quick calculator we created to make the process really simple. All you have to do is pick the following: your brewer of choice, how much coffee you want, and how strong you want it.
We’ve created brew strength presets for every method that will provide a good starting point. If you want to skip our recommendations and play around with your own ratios, you can do that as well.
One last step — tell our calculator your favored way to measure coffee and water. The result? A brew recipe that’s tailor-fit to your preferences!
Set your preferred brew strength by choosing from the preset ratios below, or create a custom ratio.
CALCULATING
Brewing with an AeroPress coffee maker is fast, efficient, and one of the easiest ways to maintain the perfect coffee to water ratio.
Finding that ideal ratio might take a few tries, but once you’ve nailed it, you’ll be able to consistently get a quality cup of coffee or an at-home espresso.
Perks of brewing with an AeroPress
AeroPress coffee makers are a unique immersion style of brewing coffee. They are easy to handle and wash, are small and compact, and do not need electricity to work, making them fantastic travel companions.
An AeroPress uses just one small paper filter, creating very little waste and saving you money.
When you purchase your AeroPress, be it the three or five serving size, you also get the appropriate coffee scoop, a coffee stirrer, a grind funnel, and a filter holder.
All of these accessories help make your brewing experience more efficient and consistent.
The funnel also doubles as a brew holder, making it easy to keep your AeroPress in one spot and out of the way.
Styles of Coffee You Can Get from an AeroPress
One of the many neat features of AeroPress brewing is that you can achieve a more concentrated, espresso-like brew, or you can go for the classic Americano-style coffee and not be disappointed.
Both styles are determined by your water to beans ratio and can be adjusted to fit your taste preference.
How to use an AeroPress
There are two main ways to use an AeroPress – the plunge method or the inverted method. You can check out more about both methods in our comprehensive AeroPress guide to brewing.
This article will reference the plunge method as it is the easiest and most consistent way to produce a quality cup of coffee.
Using an AeroPress is very straightforward and takes less time and precision than a pour-over method.
Your AeroPress is marked with serving sizes that correlate with the amount of coffee grinds you should use. Want one serving? Use one scoop of grounds and fill to the “1” mark with water. Same for two, three, four, or five servings.
However, remember that using the suggested ratio will only produce an espresso-style coffee. To get an Americano, you’ll need to add additional hot water to the espresso once your brewing is complete.
Best Ratio for AeroPress Coffee
I love that the AeroPress comes with its own measuring scoop and built-in measuring system, making it super easy and convenient to use without pulling out your scale.
Although using a scale will help nail down your ratio to your exact preferred taste, it is convenient to go by the numbers written in the press.
Use one heaping scoop for single serving size and fill the press to the “1” level. The level numbers give a semi-wide range, making it easy to eyeball.
Want a bolder, more concentrated serving? Fill it directly below the level marker. You can adjust based on your preferred taste, going to the top of the level marker for a slightly less concentrated blend.
AeroPress Ratios Calculator in Grams
Using the provided coffee scoop will also help scale your AeroPress usage to the ratio that best suits you.
A rounded scoop using this provided tool uses approximately 15 grams of coffee beans. You can level your scoop to get closer to an 11-gram or 12-gram scoop or pull out your kitchen scale to see the exact weight.
Because the press provides an espresso-like brew, these measurements are different from a classic drip brew or even other immersion brewing styles like the French Press.
You’ll want to aim for anywhere between a 1:10 and 1:15 ratio, depending on if you want a more espresso-like drink or more of a drip coffee taste.
If you start with 30 grams of coffee beans, you’ll want to use 300 grams of water for a more concentrated, espresso-like cup of coffee. Or you can have a less bold brew using the 1:15 ratio, using 450 grams of water for a more Americano-style brew.
Using Tablespoons in Your Coffee to Water Ratio
You’ve lost your AeroPress coffee scoop, no worries! You can measure your ground coffee in tablespoons, so you still don’t need to pull out that scale.
With your coffee already ground, a tablespoon weighs just under five grams. It’s close enough that it’s safe to say that three tablespoons will add up the same coffee weight as one of your AeroPress scoops.
Weight of Coffee in Teaspoons
If you’re using a teaspoon to measure out your coffee, a full teaspoon of grounds weighs two grams.
You will need 7.5 teaspoons to make one AeroPress scoop.
Adjusting Taste beyond the Ratio
Now that you know your ideal AeroPress ratio and how to best measure it, let’s talk taste.
The water to coffee ratio is just one variable to nailing down your perfect cup of coffee. It’s a key variable, but we also have to factor in water temperature, the size of your grind, and the brewing time.
Water Temperature for AeroPress
According to the NCA (National Coffee Association), the ideal brewing temperature for water is between 195 – 205 F (90-96 C).
AeroPress suggests a slightly lower temperature of 175 F (80 C) for their brewer. These lower brewing temperatures are reflected in their WAC Championship Winner recipes.
Of course, if you don’t have the time or tools to get your water temperature on the mark, the best practice is to let your water just come to a boil, remove from heat, let it cool for 30 seconds and then use it to brew.
Grind Size
Grind size is also fun to play around with when using an AeroPress to brew.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to keep your grind from medium to fine. A coarse grind will have your water flowing through the Press before you insert the plunger, while a very fine grind will make it near impossible to push the plunger down.
Start with an espresso or medium-fine ground coffee and work up from there to find the best taste for you.
Brewing Time
While adjusting water temperature and grind size are easy ways to best fit your taste pallet, brewing time is pretty standard across the board when using an AeroPress. Because this is an immersion technique, your coffee only needs 1-2 minutes to brew.
The most significant area to play around with is whether you let your grinds bloom or not.
What is blooming? Blooming is when you add only a portion of your water (usually about 30%) and let the grounds sit and release carbon dioxide for 30 seconds. Then add the rest of your water, insert the plunger, and let your coffee brew for one to two minutes. This will lead to a smoother, sweeter taste than if you don’t let your grinds bloom.
AeroPress Brewing Tips
The AeroPress is a super convenient and easy way to brew a single-serve cup of fantastic coffee. It’s also an easy and fun way to play around with coffee brewing until you find your perfect coffee taste.
Using a 1:10 to 1:15 coffee to water ratio will help you get the perfect at-home espresso to make lattes or americanos.
Tweak your grind size and water temperature to adjust the taste further, and soon you’ll be drinking your ideal cup of killer coffee each morning, fresh from your AeroPress coffee maker!
Happy Caffeinating!
