Brewing the ideal cup of coffee can be considered an art form. Understanding the basic principles is essential for achieving that perfect cup each time. For instance, it’s crucial to know the exact amount of coffee to put into your coffee maker. Using an incorrect quantity of coffee can result in a brew that’s either too strong or too weak. Therefore, knowing the precise amount of ground coffee to use is key to obtaining the desired result.
In this article, we will discuss how to determine the amount of coffee you need based on the brew size. Moreover, we will also let you know some other aspects like the coffee and water ratio. Keep reading the article to understand the fundamentals and be a pro.
How Much Coffee To Add to the Coffee Maker
How much coffee you need to add depends on a lot of things. That includes the boldness of the coffee you have chosen, the coffee maker itself, how much you are preparing, and how you like the coffee. While some people prefer light coffee, some other want it bold. Typically, you need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the coffee to 6 ounces of water.
One tablespoon is for those who want the coffee light and two tablespoons are for making the coffee stronger. Here, 6 ounces is equivalent to a one-cup for most coffee makers. However, your usual mug is something around 12 ounces or larger. So, if you have a standard 12-cup coffee maker, you need to add around 12 to 24 tablespoons of ground coffee in it to fill it with coffee.
You will get 12 6-ounce cup servings or 6 12-ounce mugs of coffee. In case you don’t know, one tablespoon of ground coffee is equivalent to approx. 5 grams. So, if you want a light coffee, you need to add 5 grams of coffee for a 6-ounce cup while the coffee amount will be 10 grams if you want it strong.
The Golden Ratio for Brewing Coffee
The Golden Ratio for coffee brewing tells us about the balance of water and coffee. The interesting ratio was developed by SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America). It was designed to offer you the best taste of the coffee. As per the ratio, you need to add 10 grams of coffee or 0.36 oz. for every 6 oz of the water for a standard taste.
That means you need 10 grams of coffee or two tablespoons of the coffee for 180 ml of water. You might use a tablespoon of measuring the amount, but as their size may vary, it would be better if you go for a scale. If you are concerned about the quality of the coffee, it would be a worthy investment.
What are the Things That Affect your Coffee Quality?
Apart from the coffee and water ratio, there are some other things that can affect the quality of the coffee. Below we will discuss some factors that you need to be aware of while preparing the coffee to get the best outcome.
The Beans
The taste of your coffee is highly dependent on the beans you are using. They are the one that determines the flavor and the quality of the brews. While selecting the coffee, be aware of their roasting type, country and origin, variety of bean, and texture of grind. Note that there is no right or the wrong thing. You need to determine which one is good for you. As a result, you can go through experiments by trying the different varieties available in the market.
Another thing you want to be aware of in the coffee is its freshness. Try to go for the one that is fresh-roasted for a quality cup. Moreover, purchase the coffee in smaller amounts so that you can get more of the freshly roasted coffee. If you are purchasing whole bean coffee, make sure to grind them just before brewing for the best taste.
The Water
Water makes up the major portion of your coffee. So, it is important to quality water to get the best taste. Try to pick the purest water for the coffee. It should be free from any sort of minerals or additives. They can significantly affect the taste of the coffee. Moreover, using hard water can produce mineral buildup inside the machine which can be hard to clean.
Based on your location, the quality of the tap water may vary. If you find the quality of the water is bad, you should filter it first before pouring it into the coffee maker. If you are using a usual automatic coffee maker, you can directly put the water and let it heat the water for you. However, for the French press, pour-over, and some other coffee machines, you will require heating the water first. The recommended temperature is 200 F for the best flavor.
The Equipment
Well, it may sound ridiculous but the equipment you are using can impact the taste. These may include the bean grinder, filters, and coffee maker. Based on the quality of these tools, the taste of the coffee may also vary. Moreover, how you are utilizing these tools will also affect the taste. Make sure that you cleaning them thoroughly after every use.
You can rinse the grinder and filter with hot clear water and then dry with an absorbent towel. There shouldn’t be any remaining coffee left in these tools. They can cause build-ups of the coffee oil or caffeoyl which can make your future cups rancid and bitter.
Some other things you need to be aware of the process are the water quality, water temperature, brewing duration, etc.
Conclusion
Coffee is an important part of life for most of us. But it can be pretty hard to get the perfect cup every time if you are not aware of the fundamentals we have mentioned above. We hope this article will help you to get the best cups of brew every time from now on.
