Ratios for Every Method

Dose, water, grind and contact time for pour over, French press, moka pot and espresso, in grams, millilitres and seconds.

A common starting ratio for filter coffee is 1:15 to 1:17 coffee to water by mass, about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. The table below applies that band to each method and adds the grind size and contact time that go with it.

Pour over and French press share the same ratio band: about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water, water at 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. The difference is the contact time — pour over draws down in stages over seconds, while French press steeps for about 4 minutes before the plunger is pressed down.

Espresso is the short end: hot water forced through finely ground coffee under about 9 bars of pressure, yielding roughly 25 to 35 millilitres in 25 to 30 seconds. Moka pot sits between immersion and pressure, with a fine grind and a short, steam-driven contact.

Extraction yield is the share of the dry coffee that dissolves into the cup; the accepted target range is about 18 to 22 percent. Under-extracted coffee tastes sour and thin; over-extracted coffee tastes bitter and drying. If the cup falls outside the band, the grind or the contact time is the first variable to change.

• Pour over: about 60 g per litre, medium grind, 90–96 °C, staged pours.
• French press: about 60 g per litre, coarse grind, about 4 minutes before pressing.
• Moka pot: fine grind, steam pressure, short contact time.
• Espresso: about 9 bars, fine grind, 25–35 ml in 25–30 seconds.
• Extraction target for every method: 18 to 22 percent of the dry coffee mass.

Further reading

• Pour Over, Step by Step
• Fix a Sour or Bitter Cup