The brew calculator

For filter coffee we would start at 1:16 and feel our way between 1:15 and 1:17, which is around 7.5 to 8 grams of coffee for a 125 ml cup. That is a starting value, not a standard: the sources range from 1:14 to 1:18, and the Deutscher Kaffeeverband (German Coffee Association) gives 7 to 10 grams per cup. For a double espresso, 18 grams of ground coffee for around 36 grams of beverage (1:2) is a common starting value (mean of a 2017 barista survey, answers from 1:1.5 to 1:2.5). If your basket states a different amount, the basket value applies.

Roughly: Turkish coffee the finest, then espresso, with the moka pot and AeroPress in between, pour-over and filter machine medium-fine to medium, French press coarse, cold brew coarse. The manufacturers disagree on the steps in between; Bialetti, for example, expressly prescribes no finely ground coffee for the moka pot. The positions in the calculator are our classification based on the manufacturer information, not the scale of a particular grinder. The starting values of individual grinders and the sources are in the guide to grind size.

As a pointer for the first step: if the coffee tastes sour, grinding finer often helps; if it tastes bitter, grinding coarser often helps. That is not a law; studies also link acidity and bitterness to brew strength and yield. So check dose, amount and time first and only ever change one variable at a time.

Yes. The brew calculator runs entirely in your browser, is free and needs no sign-up. It does not replace experimenting with your own machine, but it gives you a starting point for every recipe.