How does the pour-over coffee-to-water ratio shape the cup?

A 1:15 ratio is the working standard: 15 grams of coffee grounds to 225 grams of water poured. That ratio refers to grounds versus water poured, not the liquid in the cup, because the bed retains 25 to 30 grams during the bloom, so a 15-gram dose yields roughly 195 to 200 grams of brewed coffee.

The ratio is only one variable. Water temperature and grind size still need adjusting per roast: finer for medium-light, coarser for medium-dark. The article also covers the weight difference between poured water and brewed liquid and a full three-stage pouring method that keeps results repeatable at home.

Many coffee enthusiasts, when brewing at home, often just go by feel when adding coffee and pouring water, and as a result, the taste is different every time. One of the keys to the consistency of Front Street Coffee's in-store output is a fixed coffee-to-water ratio—15 grams of coffee to 225 grams of water. This 1:15 ratio is the conclusion drawn from Front Street's nearly ten years of experience and customer feedback: the flavor is balanced and the strength is moderate, suitable for both medium-light and dark roasts, with only water temperature and grind size needing adjustment. This article explains in detail how to calculate the coffee-to-water ratio, the difference in brewed liquid weight, and the grind and water temperature recommendations for medium-light and medium-dark roasts respectively, along with a complete three-stage pouring method.

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Friends often ask Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) why the pour-over made in the shop is so consistent every time, while brewing at home always seems to fall a little short.

After chatting about it, we found that many people at home hardly ever use an electronic scale to weigh how much coffee they use or how much water they add each time, which makes it very difficult to keep every cup of pour-over consistent.

For Front Street Coffee's (FrontStreet Coffee) daily in-store output, the default is 15g of coffee grounds, with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, pouring in 225g of water. Note here that the coffee-to-water ratio refers to the ratio of coffee grounds to the amount of water poured in. The final coffee liquid in the cup is only about 195-200g, because during the blooming stage the coffee grounds absorb 25-30g of water.

The recommendation of the 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio is the conclusion drawn from Front Street Coffee's (FrontStreet Coffee) nearly ten years of accumulated brewing experience, combined with actual customer feedback. Pour-over coffee brewed at 1:15 has a relatively balanced and harmonious flavor and mouthfeel, and its strength is within a range most people can accept. Whether medium-light roast, medium roast, or medium-dark roast, the same ratio is used, but it needs to be matched with different water temperatures and grind sizes.

For medium-light to medium roast beans, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a medium-fine grind (similar to fine granulated sugar, with a 75-80% passing rate through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve), and controls the water temperature at 90-91 degrees Celsius.

For medium-dark to dark roast beans, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a medium-coarse grind (similar to coarse granulated sugar, with a 65-70% passing rate through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve), and sets the water temperature at 88-89 degrees Celsius.

The specific pour-over process is as follows: take 15g of ground coffee, first use 30g of water to completely wet the coffee bed, forming a "hamburger" shape, and let it bloom for 30 seconds, then begin the second stage of brewing; in the second stage, Front Street uses a steady medium-fine stream to pour in circles up to 125g, then pauses, and waits until the water level drops to two-thirds of the coffee bed before pouring the third stage; in the third stage, continue pouring in circles with a medium-fine stream up to 225g, and the entire extraction process takes about 2 minutes and 00 seconds.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.