I make coffee every morning in an automatic drip machine, the kind with a timer so it’s ready before I’m even awake, which, for my caffeine-deprived brain, is non-negotiable. It’s a routine I’ve had since high school, and like most habits, I never really questioned it.
But recently, I actually read the instructions on a bag of coffee grounds and realized I’d been doing it wrong the entire time. I was using whatever scoop we had on hand and filling the machine with the same amount of water I always had, which turned out to be far too much. My coffee wasn’t bad, exactly, but it just didn’t pack the punch I was used to when I ordered it at coffee shops or restaurants.
The Coffee-To-Water Ratio Mistake You’re Probably Making
It turns out, coffee is meant to be measured by weight, not by whatever random scoop has been floating around your kitchen drawer since 2012. A standard coffee scoop holds about two tablespoons of grounds, or roughly 10 grams of coffee, while a regular tablespoon only holds about five grams.
Why does this matter? Because the ratio between coffee and water is the difference between sad brown water and the kind of rich, smooth coffee that makes you stand in your kitchen silently savoring the first sip.
Read More: How To Make Cold Brew Coffee
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Why Your Coffee Is Underwhelming and How To Fix It
The easiest way to think about it is this: for every six ounces of water, use about two tablespoons of coffee grounds. If you’re making a full 12-cup pot (60 to 72 ounces of water), that usually works out to around 20 to 24 tablespoons of grounds.
You’ll also want to use a measuring cup instead of relying on the reservoir lines on the side of your machine (guilty of making this mistake as well). Those markings don’t reflect standard eight-ounce cups, but smaller five- to six-ounce “coffee cups,” which explains why so many homemade brews end up tasting weak and watery.
How To Measure Ground Coffee
Using a coffee scoop: A standard coffee scoop holds about two tablespoons of grounds, or roughly 10 grams of coffee. For every six ounces of water, use one scoop of grounds. If you like your coffee extra strong, add an additional half scoop.
Using tablespoons: You can also measure coffee using the same measuring tablespoons you use for baking and cooking, just keep in mind they only hold about five grams of coffee each. You’ll need two tablespoons of grounds for every six ounces of water.
For an expert-level upgrade: If you already have a food scale at home, there’s a reason coffee enthusiasts swear by weighing their grounds and water. That extra precision can be the difference between a pretty good cup and one that tastes like it came straight from your favorite café.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes
