How many scoops of coffee go in each cup?: A Comprehensive Guide to Brewing Coffee
Do you ever wonder how many scoops of coffee go in each cup? How about the amount of coffee to use per cup when brewing different methods like drip coffee, pour over coffee, cold brew coffee, or AeroPress? In this blog post, we will answer all those questions and more! We'll define a scoop as two tablespoons of coffee grounds and provide general guidelines for how much coffee to use per cup when brewing different types of coffee. So whether you're a beginner or you've been enjoying coffee all your life, this blog post is for you!
Use one scoop of coffee per cup for drip coffee
Drip coffee is the most common type of coffee and is what you'll find in most households in the United States. To brew drip coffee, you'll need a drip coffeemaker (obviously), a filter, ground coffee and water.
The ratio of coffee to water is typically between 1:15 and 1:18. This means that for every 15 grams of ground coffee, you'll need 225 grams of water. So if you're using two tablespoons of ground coffee (one "scoop"), you'll need eight ounces of water.
Let's check in with an official source on making drip coffee at home: Mr. Coffee: Mr. Coffee says that the perfect amount of coffee is two tablespoons of coffee for every six ounces of water.
That's a bit stronger that our recommendation above, but at the end of the day, it all really comes down to personal preferences. So, aim for 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6-8 oz. of water and you'll be in good shape. Also remember that 1 tablespoon (1 tbsp) is equal to 3 teaspoons (3 tsp), so if you only have a teaspoon measurement cup around, you'll need to multiply the number of tablespoons by 3 to get the amount of teaspoons of coffee grounds you'll need to use.
Mr. Coffee also recommends using freshly ground beans for the best flavor, and you know exactly where to get those.
(Special thanks to Lon, a reader who emailed us to let us know our ratios were a bit off!)
Here's a quick table for how many scoops of coffee grounds to use depending on how many cups you're going to make in your drip coffee maker:
| How many scoops of coffee for 1 cup | 1 scoop |
| How many scoops of coffee for 2 cups | 2 scoops |
| How many scoops of coffee for 4 cups | 4 scoops |
| How many scoops of coffee for 6 cups | 6 scoops |
| How many scoops of coffee for 8 cups | 8 scoops |
| How many scoops of coffee for 10 cups | 10 scoops |
| How many scoops of coffee for 12 cups | 12 scoops |
Use a 1:15 or 1:16 ratio and get the scale out to perfect the pour over
I bet you thought we were going to keep it easy in this article, didn't you? Well, we're not, because if you bought a pour over setup, you're obviously dedicated to putting in the time and effort it takes to make great coffee.
The main difference is that with pour over coffee compared to drip coffee is that you have more control over the water-to-coffee ratio. Pour over coffee is also typically a bit stronger and more flavorful than drip coffee. The recommended coffee-to-water ratio for pour over coffee is 1 to 15 or 1 to 16. This means that for every 15 grams (or two tablespoons) of ground coffee, you'll need around 225 grams of water.
My favorite ratio lately has been 30 grams of coffee and 480 grams of water. I guess if you wanted less, you could do like... 20 grams of coffee to 320 grams.
If you haven't figured it out yet, this also means that a scale is going to be necessary to make all this possible. So, answering the question of "how many scoops" isn't exactly the best way to get the best out of your coffee when it comes to pour over, but then again, if you've invested in a pour over setup, you're probably looking to get the best possible coffee anyway, so you're more likely to welcome the use of a scale.
If you want to read a bit more in depth about brewing using the pour over, we wrote a coffee guide on how to brew coffee for one person. Just multiple that recipe depending on how many other people are going to be enjoying your Runyon Coffee.
Use 3 oz of coffee for every quart of cold brew
I know what you're thinking: What the heck? You were just doing all the math in grams, and now you're switching over to the imperial system again? Well, most cold brew makers you get in the US have measurements in ounces and quarts and gallons and all that, so we have to switch back.
Cold brew coffee is becoming more popular in recent years. It's made by steeping ground coffee in cold or room-temperature water for 12-24 hours. We even go as far as 48 hours before enjoying as depicted in our guide to make the absolute best cold brew ever. But, that's if you're making a gallon of cold brew, so if you're making less cold brew you can probably get away with 12 hours minimum.
Use the AeroPress scoop and circled numbers to determine how much coffee to use
Luckily, the AeroPress comes with a handy scoop included, so all you have to do is use one scoop for every cup that you're going to make. So, for instance, if you're going to make one cup, you get one scoop, put it in the AeroPress, then fill the water up to the circled "1" on the AeroPress chamber. After you've pressed the coffee through the filter (the literal AeroPress), you add more water to your desired strength. I tend to go super strong with the AeroPress since the AeroPress does such a good job of removing any bitterness.
If you're feeling like a refreshing cold cup of coffee, you can make cold brew with the AeroPress as well.
We hope this post helps you figure out how many scoops of coffee to use per cup using the different methods of brewing coffee. Enjoy!