How Much Coffee for a 12 Cup Coffee Maker

What is the Right Amount of Coffee for a 12 Cup Coffee Maker?

Almost every modern home kitchen now has a coffee maker on the countertop that is being used every day. With few tricks up your sleeves, you will get the perfect cup of coffee every single time from your coffee maker. We all know how to make a cup of coffee. It is one of the easiest things to do, that we overlook or take for granted. If we put our mind to it a little bit, we’ll be having the perfect cup every single time. If you want to build the habit of making perfect coffee every time, you have to build the habit of understanding measurement accurately. You can do that with the help of a small electric scale. With that, you can measure your water, coffee grounds, etc.

The drip coffee maker or more commonly known as the coffee pot is what most people have in their households. The coffee maker maybe its 4 cups, 5 cups, 8 cups or 12 cups, etc. if it has a coffee pot then it’s a drip coffee maker. These coffee makers are easy to clean and comes with many features. These coffee machines are programmable it helps you set a timer for your coffee to be ready on time. Some coffee makers have the feature of grinding coffee. These are built for the easiest way of making coffee and for having coffee ready for you on time. These coffee makers don’t let the user get too involved in the process of making coffee. So, you have to focus on the things you have control over to make the coffee taste better.

Let’s Get Started

You need your 12-cup coffee maker, an electric kitchen scale, water, and your favorite coffee. The part that makes people nervous most of the time is the bit where you have measured the amount of coffee and water to use to make the serving good. The automatic drip system of the standard coffee machine makes it easier for the user determining the right amount of coffee and water. Also, the total procedure is very easy to maneuver, you just fill up the tank, place the paper filter, add the coffee and press the button to start brewing. The problem with this type of machine is that you have very little control over the whole process. So, the part that can be controlled like the type of coffee beans, the type of coffee grinds, and the coffee to water ratio should be done properly.

People using other coffee makers like the French press or Pour-over are a bit more user involved that demands more measurements and accuracy. Which can be daunting for many people. These coffee makers give the user more control over the process of making coffee.

The Basic Ratio

There is this basic ratio of 1:17 for making the perfect cup of coffee is 1-2 tablespoons of coffee for 6 ounces of water. 2 tablespoons for strong and 1 tablespoon for a lighter coffee. 6 ounces of water measurement is the standard one cup for the coffee makers. It’s necessary to keep in mind that the regular mug size is around 12 ounces.

So, the math would be if you have a 12-cup coffee maker and you give 12 cups of 6 ounces or 72 ounces of water into the water tank and add 12-24 tablespoons of coffee. You will get 12 cups of coffee using regular 6-ounce cups and if you use the regular 12-ounce mugs you will have 6 mugs of coffee.

Making the perfect coffee doesn’t always work using ratios. You have to understand that coffee is all about preference. Try different measurements to find out your perfect balance. There can be a lot of different measurements to do this. But you have to keep the basics straight and not get overwhelmed by the numbers.

Strengthen or Lighten It Up

After making your coffee if you think that the coffee was too weak and you would have preferred it a bit stronger you can add a bit more coffee or you can change the amount of water. When using drip brewers changing your coffee to water ratio to strengthen your coffee has a limit. By searching the internet, you will find the 1:15 to 1:18 is the ultimate golden ratio for making your coffee. The 1:17 is the middle ground for playing it safe for everyone’s satisfaction. Going down to 1:15 makes it strong and 1:18 is a lighter cup of coffee.

The coffee will become muddy and taste awful if you add too many coffee grounds. It won’t become a strong cup of coffee just by adding more coffee. If you still cannot find your strong appropriate cup of coffee maybe it’s time, get a darker roast of coffee or a different set of brewing tools. Drip brewers are usually meant for making coffee the easiest way possible.

On the other hand, 1:18 and slightly going a tad bit past it will result in a lighter cup of coffee. Just like adding too much coffee and adding too little both have their downsides. Adding too little coffee will make it taste weak and will feel over-extracted. The coffee will taste disgustingly bitter.

Bottom Line

Coffee making is dependent on preference. Something that’s preferred by someone doesn’t mean everyone else will like it too. A 12-cup coffee maker with a drip method can hold water of approximately 72 ounces. It can vary from machine to machine.

The easiest way of measuring would be to have in mind that for every 6 ounces of water you will need 2 tablespoons of coffee. If you fill up the whole coffee maker with 72 ounces of water and use 6 ounces size cups. You will yield 12 cups of coffee from it.

Try out different measurements and figure out the correct balance for your perfect brew of coffee.