In my experience, there is no one universal “perfect ratio” for brewing coffee, as coffee brewing is truly a personal process. While I prefer a stronger brew that uses more coffee beans, other coffee drinkers may prefer a weaker brew. The “golden rule” in coffee often suggests the right water-to-coffee-ground ratio, but what if you are using whole beans instead of ground coffee?
How many beans of coffee does it take to brew one cup? If you don’t know the answer, don’t fret. Measuring and weighing coffee beans is my least favorite part of making coffee, and one that still confuses me slightly to this day. Luckily, knowing how many beans of coffee per cup isn’t common coffee knowledge, but it is something you may have wondered. Let’s explore how many coffee beans, on average, you’ll need to make one cup of coffee, and the best way to weigh and measure your coffee beans for the best-tasting brew.
How many beans of coffee per cup?
The number of coffee beans needed to brew one cup of coffee depends on various factors, such as the size of the coffee cup and the brew ratio. However, if we’re looking at a standard 8-ounce cup of coffee, you can use the general rule of thumb that 1/10 of a gram of coffee comes from one coffee bean.
For an 8-ounce cup of coffee, you’ll need between 9 and 15 grams of coffee, depending on strength preferences. Per this metric, most coffee experts agree that you’ll need somewhere between 70 and 100 coffee beans to make one cup of coffee. Again, this is totally dependent on your preferred coffee strength and cup size. Realistically, however, counting out individual coffee beans isn’t something most of us are going to bother to do. I’ve never heard of anyone who measures their coffee by hand-counting each coffee bean. Instead, the best way to properly dose your coffee is by weighing or “dosing” instead of using a scoop or counting.
Fine-tuning the perfect ratio
“The best way to experiment with your ratio is to brew three different coffees using different strengths, taste them side by side, and decide which you prefer,” says David Pohl, Bruvi Coffee Buyer and Q-Grader. Pohl has 20+ years of experience in the coffee industry with a focus on coffee quality and sustainability.
“People do make a lot of mistakes when measuring coffee because the best way to do it is using a scale, which most people don’t have or may not know how to use for coffee. Another mistake when using a scoop is that it’s easy to underfill or overfill, as much as 25% either way, which is a significant variation.
“I personally prefer a 15 to 1 brew ratio, but some people may tend toward a slightly lighter ratio that goes 16 to 1 or even 17 to 1, based on preference being for something more like tea than a robust coffee. This also coincides with the uptick in consumption of iced coffee beverages, which are often lighter and more refreshing and/or diluted by ice,” he shares. If you prefer a stronger brew like Pohl and I do, you’ll want to increase the amount of coffee used without adding more water.
The type of coffee bean roast you’re using also has an impact on its weight, Pohl says. “Darker roasted beans weigh less because more moisture has been released during roasting. Therefore, it takes more dark roast beans to reach a certain weight. At the same time, dark roasted beans are larger because they expand during the roasting process – so if you are measuring the coffee rather than weighing it, it takes fewer dark roast beans to reach a certain volume.”
Why measuring matters when perfecting your coffee brew
We all want consistently good coffee when brewing our favorite beans at home. But consistency starts with proper dosing, ensuring the exact same coffee-to-water ratio is used for every pot. While “eyeballing it” or using a scoop may provide convenience when brewing your coffee, using a scale is the best option for consistency. If you absolutely don’t have a coffee scale (or don’t want to buy one), Pohl says you can use a scoop. However, he urges coffee lovers to keep in mind that lighter roasted beans take up less space than darker roasted beans.
Using whole bean coffee vs. ground coffee to make coffee also involves two entirely different measurement processes. Many enjoy using ground coffee for convenience, using the general rule of thumb of two to two and a half tablespoons of ground coffee for every 8-ounce cup of coffee you wish to brew. However, if using whole bean coffee, keep in mind that two tablespoons of ground coffee is not the same as two tablespoons of whole bean coffee.
