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Do you ever notice how bland your coffee tastes sometimes? Other times, it may be a bit too bitter for your taste. This is probably because your coffee to water ratio is way off. This is what separates good coffee from terrible ones. You have to nail the right measurements when making your daily cup of caffeine.
But how exactly do you measure the right ratio for your coffee? Keep reading to find out.
Americans often measure using grams or milliliters. This is all well and good, but you need complicated instruments to get these specific measurements. They don't make measuring spoons with the words "grams" in them, after all.
Admittedly, it's quite hard to convert grams to a tablespoon. Even if you do a quick Google search, the results may end up confusing you even more. It'll show you that for every tablespoon of coffee, you will need 15 grams.
Now that doesn't seem right. So I tried measuring my coffee with a tablespoon to see how many grams were really in it. What I did was take one heaping scoop of coffee, and I poured it onto my weighing scale. The scale measured exactly 5 grams. I tried leveling out the coffee on the spoon before weighing it, and the weight dropped down to 4 grams.
The takeaway here is to measure it yourself. Don't blindly rely on Google's conversion. You might end up with way too much coffee for one serving.
If you don't want to end up with a bland or bitter cup of coffee, always measure how much water and coffee grounds you put. You can't just blindly throw in the two ingredients and expect to get decent coffee.
Make it a habit to measure your ingredients before you make a cup of coffee. Otherwise, you'll end up with a beverage that you won't even finish. That's a waste of time and money. I suggest you invest in a kitchen scale. This machine will save you from inaccurate measurements, and it's also very easy to use.
Ideally, you will want at least 500 grams of water for every 30 grams of coffee beans. This is only a general rule of thumb, so you can freely experiment to get your desired flavor.
In this step-by-step process, we will be using a coffee to water ratio of 1:17 to make two cups of coffee. You will need a kettle, water, coffee, and a digital scale.
Here's a tip, though. You might want to add a bit more water if you plan on boiling it. The process of boiling water will reduce the amount that you have in the kettle because it will evaporate.
Measuring correctly doesn't take much time or effort at all. The only reason why some people don't do it is that it might be difficult to adjust the measurements in case they want to make coffee for more than two people.
Using an automatic drop can be quite tedious because of this. It's even more difficult for people who aren't a huge fan of mathematics because adjusting measurements will require you to compute. Luckily, there are a lot of coffee brewing ratio charts available on the internet. You can use one of these as a reference, but you can make a few adjustments here and there based on your taste.
But keep this in mind. Don't ever decrease or increase the amount of water if you do plan on adjusting the coffee grounds. Follow what's on the chart that you found. This is to ensure the maximum quality of your cup of coffee.
Automatic drip brewers aren't all that popular nowadays. Chances are, only coffee enthusiasts own one. After all, there are a lot of alternatives like coffee and espresso machines. The method explained above only works if you use a drip brewer.
But what if you're using something else? An explanation of how to measure the coffee to water ratio for other brewing methods can be found below.
The methods below can be adjusted to your taste. You don't have to follow it down to the t. Think of it as a recommendation or a guide. After all, only you know how you want your coffee.
The majority of coffee lovers prefer whole beans because this preserves the flavor and intensity of your coffee. Freshly ground coffee also produces the best brew. But the question is, does using whole coffee beans affect your measurements of the ingredients?
If you are using a scale, this won't be a problem. This is why you should invest in a digital scale. They're small, affordable, and can be bought in most, if not all, appliance stores. When using whole beans, you will obviously have to grind them before you can brew them.
Also, you measure the beans whole, not after you grind them. Grinders are often low static. This minimizes the chance of your grounds sticking to the device. That's why it's okay to measure your coffee while it's still in bean form. However, if you measure ingredients by volume, things may get a bit more complicated. Don't panic just yet. There's an ideal measurement, and I will share it with you.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, one tablespoon can hold 5 grams of coffee. One mL of water weighs at least a gram. You will need to do a bit of calculating afterward using your ideal ratio. However, keep in mind that although this estimate works for most people, others might need to adjust it accordingly. This depends entirely on your taste.
Can you measure coffee without a digital scale? How?
It's possible, but it's a bit more complicated. This is exactly why you should invest in a digital scale. But if you really don't want to or you simply don't have the time to go out to buy one, you can use a different measuring tool.
If you're using a coffee dripper, the measurements don't exactly have to be perfect. If the weight of your ingredients is a bit off because you used a cup or tablespoon to measure, then that's completely fine. But don't be too relaxed when using a different brewing method. If you take a look at the Pour Over method, this requires high accuracy to produce the best results.
Is a digital scale important for measuring coffee?
Yes! Not only will it make your life easier, but you will get more accurate measurements of your ingredients. This will result in better-tasting coffee. It will also save you a lot of time since you rarely have to go through the trial and error phase.
Does the size of my grounds affect the intensity of my coffee?
To an extent, yes, it does. The ratio and measurements provided above give you a lot of room to adjust it to your taste. But the size of your grounds may impact the taste of the coffee. If you don't use whole beans, then that's fine. This won't be a problem for you. But if you grind your own beans, it's best to have a grinder with range. Let me explain. If you're looking to brew mild coffee, you should use a coarse grinder.
If you're not familiar with this concept, the finer the coffee, the stronger it is. The more coarse the coffee, the lighter it is. So adjust your grinder depending on how you want your coffee to turn out.
You have to consider the different brewing methods before you follow the ratios provided here. As explained above, different methods require different measurements. So go ahead and try them out one by one and adjust the ratio accordingly. This is your guide to making your ideal cup of coffee.
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This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Charles Livingston nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content.
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