How much coffee per cup

The National Coffee Association uses 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. A coffee-maker cup is often 5 fluid ounces, smaller than an 8 ounce measuring cup, and brands differ. Scoop and tablespoon amounts are approximate. A scale is more precise. This table covers 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 marked cups.

A coffee-maker cup is smaller than 8 ounces

An 8 fl oz measuring cup is larger than the cup mark on the drip makers cited here. The National Coffee Association writes its drip measure per 6 ounces of water, not per 8. Mr. Coffee's Easy Measure booklet says one Mr. Coffee cup is equivalent to 5 fluid ounces. Black & Decker's CM2046 manual says one cup equals approximately 5 oz, that this varies by brewing technique, and that the carafe holds 12 cups (60 ounces). Cuisinart's DCC-5 booklet says a cup of coffee on that maker is 5 oz. Another brand can print a different mark. Read the carafe before you use the table.

The National Coffee Association drip page also calls for a medium grind, like kosher salt, and about 5 minutes of contact between coffee and water. That page calls the tablespoon range the "Golden Ratio." Gram math for a batch you choose yourself is on the coffee-to-water ratio guide and the coffee-to-water calculator.

Ground coffee for 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 cups

The table uses a 5 fl oz maker cup, the size those three booklets use. Water for a row is the marked cups times 5 fl oz. Ground coffee in tablespoons is that water divided by 6, then multiplied by 1 and by 2, which is the National Coffee Association range of 1 to 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water. The fractions are exact.

The gram column is a different standard, not a tablespoon conversion. The Specialty Coffee Association's Golden Cup protocol, on sca.coffee, uses 8.25 g of coffee per 150 mL of water. Divide 8.25 by 150 and multiply by 1,000 and you get 55 g per liter. This page turns each fluid ounce into liters by dividing 3.785411784 liters per U.S. gallon by 128, treats 1 liter of water as 1,000 g, multiplies by 55, and rounds to the nearest gram. This site's coffee-to-water guide says there is no dependable universal tablespoon-to-gram conversion, because grind size and roast change how much a spoon holds. Scoop and tablespoon figures are approximate. A scale is more precise.

How much coffee for a 12-cup pot

On a maker that marks 5 fl oz per cup, 12 cups is 60 fl oz of water. The National Coffee Association range for that water is 10 to 20 tablespoons. Black & Decker's CM2046 manual suggests 1 tablespoon per cup, which is 12 tablespoons for 12 cups, inside that range. Mr. Coffee's Easy Measure chart lists 12 cups as 60 oz, 12 tablespoons, and 3 of its scoops. The same chart says to brew 4 or more cups for best results, and it has no 1-cup row. At 55 g per liter, 60 fl oz rounds to 98 g of coffee.

Black & Decker's CM2046 manual suggests 1 tablespoon of ground coffee for every 1 cup. On that 12-cup carafe, a full pot at that suggestion is 12 tablespoons. Twelve tablespoons sits inside the 10 to 20 tablespoon range for 60 fl oz.

How big is a scoop of coffee

There is no single scoop. Mr. Coffee's Easy Measure booklet says its color-coded measuring scoop is four tablespoons, and the chart above uses that scoop: 12 tablespoons is 3 scoops. Cuisinart's DCC-5 booklet says to add 1 level scoop, which it equates with 1 tablespoon (15 ml), per cup. Those two scoops are not the same tool. Neither booklet gives a gram weight for the scoop. Use the scoop that came with the maker, or a tablespoon, and treat the volume as approximate.

A Cuisinart DCC-5 scoop is 1 tablespoon. A Mr. Coffee Easy Measure scoop is 4 tablespoons. Count the scoop you actually have.

Grams, and when to use a scale

Weigh coffee and water when you can. For a custom batch, use the coffee-to-water calculator. The coffee-to-water ratio guide starts drip at 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water and explains why that is a starting recipe, not a quality rule. It also records the certified-home-brewer test at 55 g of coffee per liter, about 1:18 by weight. Some water stays in the grounds. Mr. Coffee's booklet notes that some water is absorbed into the coffee grounds and the water filter, so the carafe holds less than the water you poured. This page does not assign a number to that remainder.

Open the coffee-to-water ratio guide for the gram starting points, and the coffee-to-water calculator for a batch that is not on the table. Shop drip coffees at organic coffee.

Organic coffees for a drip basket

These listings are available whole-bean or ground coffees in 1 lb, 2 lb, or 5 lb sizes. Each handle and each title contains the word organic, and each product description names drip. They are examples, not a ranking. Open each product page for the live variant. No price is printed here.

• Organic Mexican Coffee – Small-Batch Seasonal Release, Light or Medium Roast, Whole Bean or Ground. Tomorrow's Coffee. Organic: yes. Origin: Mexico. Roast: Light Roast, Medium Roast. Sizes: 1 lb. Preparations: Ground, Whole Bean. The product description names drip.
• Organic Medium-Dark Roast Coffee – Camila's by Nossa Familia, Whole Bean or Ground, 2 lb or 5 lb. Nossa Familia Coffee. Organic: yes. Origin: Blend. Roast: Medium-Dark Roast. Sizes: 2 lb, 5 lb. Preparations: Whole Bean, Ground Coarse - French Press, Ground Medium - Drip. The product description names drip.
• Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee – Augusta's by Nossa Familia, Strong & Smooth, Whole Bean or Ground. Nossa Familia Coffee. Organic: yes. Origin: Blend. Roast: not named in the catalog facets. Sizes: 2 lb, 5 lb. Preparations: Whole Bean, Ground Coarse - French Press, Ground Medium - Drip. The product description names drip.
• Organic Extra Dark Roast Coffee – Centri West Coast Roast, Whole Bean or Ground, 5 lb. Centri Coffee. Organic: yes. Origin: Blend. Roast: Dark Roast. Sizes: 5 lb. Preparations: Whole Bean, French Press / Percolator, Paper Filter / Drip, Espresso / Fine. The product description names drip.