"How much coffee do I use?" is the first question most people ask about pour-over. The short answer is simple. The longer answer depends on one thing people rarely check: how big your cup actually is.
The short answer
For an 8 oz (240 ml) mug, use about 15 g of ground coffee, which is roughly 2½–3 level tablespoons. That is a 1:16 ratio, the starting point most pour-over recipes use.
First, what is "a cup"?
"Cup" means different things in different places:
- Coffee-maker cup: the cup markings on many drip machines and carafes are only 5–6 oz.
- Measuring cup: 8 fl oz, about 240 ml.
- Your mug: anywhere from 8 to 16 oz. Many everyday mugs hold 10–12 oz.
To brew the right amount, measure your favorite mug once: fill it with water to where you usually stop, then pour that into a measuring cup. Use that number in the table below.
Coffee per cup, by mug size (1:16)
| Water you pour | Ground coffee | Approx. level tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 6 oz (180 ml) | 11 g | 2 |
| 8 oz (240 ml) | 15 g | 2½–3 |
| 10 oz (300 ml) | 19 g | 3½ |
| 12 oz (360 ml) | 22–23 g | 4 |
| 16 oz (480 ml) | 30 g | 5–6 |
A little water stays in the wet grounds, so the coffee in your mug ends up slightly less than what you poured. If you want a full 10 oz in the cup, pour a little extra. Our double-wall glass cup holds 300 ml (10 oz), so the 10 oz row is the one to use with it.
Stronger or lighter
The table uses 1:16. If you like it stronger, use a little more coffee with the same water (about 1 g extra per 8 oz moves you toward 1:15). Lighter? Use a little less (toward 1:17). Our pour-over ratio chart shows the same mug at all three strengths.
Tablespoons, scoops and grams
- One level tablespoon of ground coffee is usually 5–6 g, depending on roast and grind.
- Many coffee scoops hold about 2 tablespoons, but sizes vary a lot. Check yours once.
- Whole beans and ground coffee weigh the same, so if you weigh beans before grinding, you get the same number.
A scale is the easiest way to get it right every time. Our pocket coffee scale weighs the coffee dose (up to 300 g). If you brew by the scoop, a dedicated scoop with a bag clip keeps the measure the same every morning. No scale at all? See pour-over without a scale.
How long does a bag of coffee last?
Handy when you are deciding what size bag to buy. At 15 g per 8 oz mug:
| Bag size | 8 oz mugs (about) | At 1 mug a day | At 2 mugs a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz (227 g) | 15 | About 2 weeks | About 1 week |
| 12 oz (340 g) | 22 | About 3 weeks | About 11 days |
| 16 oz / 1 lb (454 g) | 30 | About a month | About 2 weeks |
Coffee tastes best within a few weeks of opening the bag, so if you only brew one mug a day, a smaller bag usually tastes fresher to the end.
Brewing more than one cup
Multiply by the number of mugs and brew into a server instead of a mug. For two 8 oz mugs, that is 30 g of coffee and about 480 g of water. Grind a touch coarser for bigger batches, because a deeper bed drains more slowly. Our guide to pour-over coffee for two has the full method.
Common questions
How many grams of coffee for 1 cup of pour-over?
About 15 g for an 8 oz cup, 19 g for 10 oz and 22–23 g for 12 oz.
How many tablespoons of coffee for a 12 oz mug?
About 4 level tablespoons, which is around 22 g.
My cup tastes weak even with the right amount. Why?
Usually the grind is too coarse or the water ran through too fast. See weak or watery pour-over. If it tastes harsh instead, see bitter pour-over.
Measure your mug tonight
Fill your favorite mug with water, check how many ounces it holds, and find your line in the table. Tomorrow morning you will know exactly how much coffee to use.
Let it drip.
— Tran Vu Doan, Phin & Clay