Depending on the coffee machine we have at home, we can vary the amount of coffee we use to obtain different results or stick to a certain aroma pattern. In some cases, the doses are fixed, as in capsule or superautomatic coffee machines, and in others, it is determined by the size of the filter, as in the case of espresso machines. But in others, it is the user who can manually and freely decide how much coffee to use in their coffee machine.
In this article, we will explain how much coffee to put in a coffee maker depending on the number of cups we want to prepare or the amount of water we use in the preparation. This way, we can start from a valid reference if we are not sure how to use a certain type of coffee maker.
Of course, all the figures are approximate for a standard brew. If your preferences differ from the average and you prefer particularly strong or mild coffee, you must alter these dosages accordingly.
How much coffee to put in an electric filter coffee machine?
We start with drip coffee machines, one of the most common machines in the home, but curiously few people know how to get the most out of them. We don’t usually pay much attention to the filling process and pour the coffee into the filter cone “by eye”.
The general rule is to use 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. You will need to adjust this amount according to the size of the reservoir you are brewing… most drip brewers are between 1.25 and 1.5 litres per reservoir when brewed whole. Small brewers usually have half this amount: 0.6 litres of water in each reservoir. Based on this figure, we can determine the grams we need to use and take them with the help of a measuring spoon or a coffee scale.
If we don’t want to do the maths for the water tank, the question has to be asked differently: how much coffee to put in per cup? In a drip coffee machine, the generic measure is between 1.5 and 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup, so you can adjust this amount if you know how many cups of coffee you will get.
How much coffee can I put in a manual filter coffee machine?
In a manual filter coffee machine, such as the Chemex, the user has even more control and freedom to use the amount of water desired for each preparation because it is not determined by the size of any tank, as is the case with electric coffee machines. In this way, playing with the variable of the amount of coffee in the water opens up an even wider range of possibilities.
To find out how much coffee to put in the paper filter of a coffee machine of this type, you have to refer to the recipes and measurements of expert baristas, do your tests and finally come up with a ratio that suits your taste.
It is much more difficult to determine this because the final result can be influenced by more factors than the amount of water we pour into the filter. For example, a certain type of coffee or a coarser grind may require more or less water or more coffee to obtain a similar result.
There are some general guidelines, but in the end, it is up to the barista to experiment to get the result they want. First, we can consider a ratio of 70-75 grams of coffee per litre of water (around 35 per half litre).
- BODUM 11592-109 Pour Over Coffee Maker with Permanent Filter, 0.5 L
- Pour Over Coffee Maker, 400ml Borosilicate Glass with Stainless Steel Filter
How much coffee to put in the Italian coffee machine?
The amount of coffee we should use in an Italian coffee maker is determined by the size of the filter holder where we serve it. We already know that there are different sizes of Italian coffee machines on the market. Generally, their filter is already adapted to the amount of water they can hold and does not allow you to pour much more or much less coffee.
How much coffee should I put in a Moka coffee maker? A standard reference would be 40 grams per half a litre of water. In other words: one-twelfth of coffee for each part of water (1/12). If you use 250 grams of water, which is about a quarter of a litre, you should put about 20 grams of coffee.
Again, if you don’t want to rely on the size of the filter, it is best to use a measuring spoon or a precision coffee scale.
- Orbegozo KF 900 Italian Coffee Maker, Made of Aluminium, Capacity of 9 Cups (145 ml)
- Godmorn Stovetop Espresso Maker, Italian Coffee Maker Moka Pot, 300ml/6 Cup
How much coffee to put in a French press?
The French Press is the type of preparation that requires a coarser grind, and it is also one of those in which the quantity of coffee in water has the greatest influence. Usually, 10 grams of coffee are used for every 100 ml of water (in other words, a ratio of 1:10, somewhat higher than what we have seen in the Italian coffee machine), and this ratio can be extended to 1:15, which would be 10 grams of coffee for every 150 ml of water.
- BODUM 1913-01 Caffettiera 3 Cup French Press Coffee Maker, Black, 0.35 l, 12 oz
- MeelioCafe French Press Coffee Maker, 1 Liter, 34 oz
Summary table: Coffee and water ratio
This table summarises the recommended ratio of coffee to water depending on the type of coffee machine to be used:
| Type of coffee machine | Amount of coffee (Grams) | Amount of water (Millilitres) |
| Drip Electric | 60 | 1000 |
| Manual Drip | 70-75 | 1000 |
| Italian Coffee Maker | 80 | 1000 |
| Piston | 10-15 | 1000 |
