Pour over
Medium grind, about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water, water at 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. Water is poured over the bed in stages and the drawdown finishes the brew.
Coffee dose, water, time
The short answer is a ratio: 60 grams of coffee per litre of water, water at 90 to 96 degrees Celsius, and a contact time that depends on the method. This page gives the numbers for pour over, French press, moka pot and espresso, plus the ordered pour-over procedure and a table that turns a sour or bitter cup into a specific adjustment.
This is not a coffee shop, a grinder review or an equipment store; it is a reference on brewing numbers.
Scroll the strip sideways — 6 cards.
Medium grind, about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water, water at 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. Water is poured over the bed in stages and the drawdown finishes the brew.
Coarse grounds steep for about 4 minutes before the plunger is pressed down. The ratio still starts at 1:15 to 1:17 coffee to water by mass.
Hot water is forced through finely ground coffee under about 9 bars of pressure, yielding roughly 25 to 35 millilitres in 25 to 30 seconds.
Steam pressure pushes water through a finely ground bed. Contact time is short, so the grind is finer than filter and coarser than espresso.
Under-extracted coffee tastes sour and thin, meaning the extraction sits below the 18 percent floor. Grind finer or extend the contact time.
Over-extracted coffee tastes bitter and drying, meaning the extraction sits above the 22 percent ceiling. Grind coarser or shorten the contact time.
Quick lookup
Dose by mass: 60 grams of coffee per litre of water, within the 1:15 to 1:17 band.
A scoop is not a unit. A common starting ratio for filter coffee is 1:15 to 1:17 coffee to water by mass, which works out to about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. At 1:16, one litre of water takes 62.5 grams of coffee; a 350 millilitre cup takes about 22 grams.
The ratio sets how much of the dry coffee ends up in the cup. Extraction yield is the share of the dry coffee that dissolves, and the accepted target range is about 18 to 22 percent. A stronger cup is not automatically a better cup: if the yield sits above 22 percent, the cup turns bitter and drying even if it looks strong.
Water temperature works with the ratio. The ideal brewing water temperature is about 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. Much hotter water extracts harsh compounds, much cooler water under-extracts, and the ratio cannot compensate for a temperature that is far outside the band.
| Method | Coffee dose | Water | Water temperature | Grind | Contact time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour over | 60 g per litre (1:15–1:17) | 1 litre | 90–96 °C | Medium | Staged pours, drawdown in seconds |
| French press | 60 g per litre (1:15–1:17) | 1 litre | 90–96 °C | Coarse | About 4 minutes before pressing |
| Moka pot | Dose by basket volume | Fill to valve | Steam heated | Fine | Short, steam-driven |
| Espresso | Dose by basket | 25–35 ml yield | 90–96 °C | Fine | 25–30 seconds at about 9 bars |
| Extraction target | — | — | — | — | 18–22 percent of dry coffee mass |
| Under-extraction | — | — | — | Too coarse | Too short |
| Over-extraction | — | — | — | Too fine | Too long |
Each method has its own dose, grind and contact time; the cards below carry the short version.