The Ratio & Grind Cheat Sheet

The three baselines and the four levers.

Everything you need at the counter: the starting recipe for each method, and which variable to move for which job.

The baseline recipes

	Pour-Over	French Press	Espresso
Coffee	20 g	30 g (solo: 15 g)	18 g
Water / yield	320 g water	480 g water (solo: 240 g)	36 g espresso out
Ratio	1:16	1:16	1:2
Grind	Medium — coarse sand	Coarse — breadcrumbs / cracked pepper	Fine — table salt or finer
Water temp	90–96°C (194–205°F)	90–96°C (194–205°F)	Machine-controlled
Time	2:30–3:30 total	4:00 steep, then press & decant	25–30 s to 36 g
Method note	Bloom first: 40–60 g water, wait 30–45 s, then slow circular pours	All water in at once, no stirring during the steep, decant immediately	Level the bed, tamp level, stop the shot on the scale — not by eye

No temperature-controlled kettle? Boil, then wait about 30 seconds before pouring. Scaling any brew: coffee (g) × 16 = water (g) — 15→240 · 20→320 · 25→400 · 30→480. The accepted range runs 1:15 (stronger) to 1:17 (lighter); 1:16 is the reference point.

The four variables — which lever for which job

Ratio → strength

How concentrated the cup is. More coffee = stronger. The only fix for a weak cup — never chase strength with grind or time.

Grind → extraction

What gets dissolved. Sour = go finer. Bitter = go coarser. One step at a time. A burr grinder is required — a blade grinder can't repeat a setting.

Water → the quiet multiplier

Below 90°C mimics a too-coarse grind; above 96°C mimics a too-fine one. Hold the 90–96°C window and this variable disappears.

Time → usually a symptom

Brew time mostly follows grind. Fix the grind and let the time respond; adjust time directly only when the grind is already right.

The adjustment rule: grind first — one step, one variable, taste, repeat.

Previous tool: The Coffee Troubleshooting Card · Next tool: The Coffee Brew Log.

The PDF versions

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