What is the Stronger Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Pour-over Coffee and How Long Does it Take to Extract a Cup?

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Pour-Over Coffee Ratios and Time

In coffee brewing, the coffee-to-water ratio refers to how many grams of coffee grounds are compared to how many grams (or milliliters) of brewing water. 1000ml of water weighs approximately 1000g, so in actual brewing operations, we use an electronic scale to measure the weight of water, allowing us to precisely define the coffee-to-water ratio value. For example, the commonly mentioned 1:15 ratio means using 1 gram of coffee grounds compared to 15 grams of brewing water. So if you use 15 grams of coffee beans ground for brewing (assuming no residue remains in the grinder), then as long as you inject 225g (±1g) of water, you'll achieve your desired result. Of course, a more precise method for weighing coffee grounds is to zero the electronic scale before pouring the coffee grounds into the filter, allowing the total weight of brewing coffee grounds to be accurate to 0.1g.

With beans, water quality, grind size, water temperature, and turbulence (brewing technique) fixed, the coffee-to-water ratio and extraction rate have a positive correlation. With the same amount of coffee grounds, more water used results in a higher extraction rate, while less water results in a lower extraction rate. (Coffee concentration shows an increasing relationship during the brewing process.)

With beans, water quality, grind size, water temperature, and turbulence (brewing technique) fixed, the coffee-to-water ratio and concentration have a negative correlation. With the same amount of coffee grounds, more water used results in lower concentration, while less water results in higher concentration. (Coffee concentration shows a decreasing relationship during the brewing process.)

High-quality coffee beans are suitable for high coffee-to-water ratios (1:16-1:18); for average specialty beans (half-pound market price around 100 yuan), a 1:13-1:15 ratio is recommended; for ordinary commercial beans, if you want to brew something drinkable that isn't bitter or astringent, a 1:10-1:12 ratio is recommended. For beans with very poor freshness (such as those roasted over three months ago), where most of the good flavors have already dissipated, you might try brewing with a 1:8-1:10 ratio. If the original beans were of high quality, the sweetness will still be retained, and you can add bypass water to adjust the concentration. Generally, the higher the coffee-to-water ratio, the higher the concentration, and the grind coarseness is also a factor affecting concentration.

Extraction time is generally around 2 minutes, varying depending on factors such as coffee-to-water ratio and grind size.

Knowledge Extension

In the world of pour-over coffee, restoring the bean's flavor profile as much as possible and making it delicious are most important. Every step to achieve this goal can be full of creativity, which is why there are many brewing techniques—what we commonly call pour-over schools or styles.

In Summary

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