How Much Coffee Should I Use Per Cup? A Simple Beginner's Guide

Making coffee shouldn't involve guesswork, but somehow we've all ended up standing in the kitchen wondering whether we've put too much in.

Too little coffee and you've got a mug of vaguely coffee-flavoured water. Too much and you might end up with something strong enough to restart a dead car.

So, how much coffee do you actually need?

For most cafetière and filter coffee recipes, start with around 15g of ground coffee for every 250ml of water.

That's roughly a 1:16–17 coffee-to-water ratio. Don't worry about remembering that last bit.

Coffee Measurements Made Simple

Here's a useful starting point:

These measurements work well as a starting point for cafetières and many filter brewing methods.

They're not universal rules. Espresso machines, pods and some other brewers work differently.

How Many Tablespoons of Coffee Per Cup?

If you haven't got kitchen scales, you can use a tablespoon.

A level tablespoon of ground coffee often weighs around 5–7g, depending on the grind and the coffee itself.

That means around two to three level tablespoons for a 250ml mug is a reasonable starting point.

It's not particularly precise, though.

One person's tablespoon might be another person's small mountain of coffee.

If you're making coffee regularly, an inexpensive digital kitchen scale makes getting consistent results much easier.

How Much Coffee Should I Use in a Cafetière?

For a cafetière, start with approximately 60g of coffee per litre of water.

For example:

• 350ml cafetière: 21g coffee
• 500ml cafetière: 30g coffee
• 1 litre cafetière: 60g coffee

Use coffee ground appropriately for a cafetière, add your hot water and follow your preferred brewing method.

If you don't know which grind you need, our coffee grind size guide explains it.

What About an Espresso Machine?

Espresso uses a much more concentrated recipe.

Many double espresso recipes start with around 18g of ground coffee, producing approximately 36g of espresso.

But the correct dose depends on your machine and the size of its filter basket.

Some machines are designed for smaller doses, so always check the manufacturer's guidance first.

Don't try to use the cafetière measurements for espresso. They're different brewing methods.

Does More Coffee Make It Stronger?

Generally, using more coffee relative to water makes your drink more concentrated.

But stronger doesn't automatically mean better.

If you use too much coffee, you can end up with a drink that's overpowering or unbalanced.

And if your coffee tastes bitter, adding more grounds isn't necessarily going to help.

We've covered the common causes in our guide to bitter coffee.

The Easiest Way to Get It Right

Start with 15g of coffee for 250ml of water when making cafetière or filter coffee.

Taste it.

Too weak? Try a little more coffee next time.

Too strong? Use slightly less.

Make one adjustment at a time, so you know what actually made the difference.

You don't need to memorise ratios or buy expensive equipment. You just need a starting point that works.

And, obviously, some decent coffee.

Explore Dead Tired Coffee and find something worth getting out of bed for.