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Golden Ratio Coffee Brewing
Are you familiar of the golden ratios in coffee brewing? Here's what you need to know!
Published January 14, 2022
Joachim Estal
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Whenever we make our coffee, it’s always important to take note of the basic fundamentals of brewing in order to consistently produce a great cup. Mastering these fundamentals is the first step towards perfecting your brewing technique. And from there, you will be able to experiment with different variables and methods.
With the few basic fundamentals that we have, the coffee to water ratio probably has the most significant impact on the overall flavor and cup experience you may get. This is why ensuring that you have a precise measuring scoop and scale next to your coffee equipment is very essential.
Think of coffee brewing as a similar process to baking.
Are you thinking about how much French press coffee grams per liter is needed? Or what are the standard cold brew coffee ratio cups? Accurate ratios and proportions of your ingredients will result in the perfect texture and taste of a pastry. In a similar way, a specific number of scoops of ground coffee require a certain amount of water to yield a pleasant and balanced brew.
While there is no perfect proportion in brewing, we will discuss a few ratios that have risen above the others–golden ratios in coffee brewing. Most of us have our own preferences when it comes to the strength and flavor of our cup, and so this article is aimed to help you find your brew.
Try to imagine using a small cup of hot water to brew a kilogram of ground coffee. Obviously, what you will get is an overpowering cup with a strong and sour flavor. This is because it’s under-extracted since the coffee did not have the appropriate amount of water to get the needed balance.
The same goes if you have a gallon of water and just three tablespoons of coffee. The cup will most likely be weak and bitter since the grounds will be over-extracted due to the excess amount of water.
What is the Golden Ratio, then?
This is the general guideline when brewing a cup of coffee – one gram of coffee to 15-18 grams of water (1:15-18). This can be adjusted to become suitable for one’s flavor preferences.
Using a kitchen scale may be the most accurate way to go about the process. However, one can still measure by volume. And since 1 gram of water is also equal to 1 milliliter, you can then utilize any measuring pitcher. In the case of coffee beans, a tablespoon would be between 4 to 7 grams of coffee.
The following golden ratios below may seem a little too complicated, but once you do them consistently, we’re sure you’d make your coffee like a total pro the next few times.
Which Golden Ratio Should I Use?
Brewing coffee is also a matter of trial and error. As a brewer, you should try to experiment with different coffee to water ratios and proportions to see how each one tastes like. Remember, only you can decide which one’s best for you!
Below are three basic ratios and a quick breakdown of how they differ from each other.
1:15 Ratio
Since this Ratio utilizes less water for brewing, the end cup will slightly become slightly more concentrated than usual. However, because we’ve used less water to extract the grounds, there will be less extraction time as compared to other ratios, yielding a cup with rich and crisp flavors and highlighted acidity.
1:18 Ratio
This brew uses more water which means a cup that is somehow weaker. The coffee will undergo longer extraction too, which tones down the coffee’s acidity and produce mellower and more rounded characteristics.
1:16 and 1:17 Ratios
Since these ratios fall between 1:15 and 1:18, the same goes for their strength and concentration levels. Whether we talk about a hand drip coffee ratio or a cafetière coffee ratio, both of these ratios are the most commonly used ratios.
Keep on brewing. Explore and experiment with your variables–especially coffee to water ratios–to determine which one is your favorite. Write your recipes down and create your own coffee cheat sheet to ensure you don’t forget them. Soon enough, you’ll definitely become a master at brewing delicious cups of coffee.
About the author
Joachim Estal
8-year barista for a world-class coffee chain from the Philippines. Passionate writer and coffee champion. "Coffee has always been one of my biggest love interests in life. And I am here to share it with all of you through this platform."
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