Brew Tips: Coffee-to-Water Balance

Unfortunately, buying a perfectly roasted, quality coffee doesn’t actually guarantee a good cup of coffee. And since it’s you and I who determine what “good” coffee taste like, it’s important to know how to brew your coffee to get your perfect cup.

Coffee has remained a cultural staple for millennia (in part) because it can be customized and personalized endlessly from seed to cup. Of course, it helps if you know someone who’ll custom roast your beans 😉

Once you’re home with your bag of Surreal Coffee, there are countless ways you can grind and brew your coffee to find the perfect cup for the roast you’ve selected (more on grind and brew styles in a soon-to-come post). But it’s critical to find the right coffee-to-water balance.

Here’s a good start:

• Method of brewing and grind size are essential variables to consider in your coffee/water ratio. Not surprisingly, brew method and grind size go hand-in-hand.
• Espresso, specialty drinks, cold brews, and iced coffee often require a higher ratio of coffee.

For pour over coffee: Grind coarse and use 2 rounded tablespoons per 8 oz. water. If you’d like your coffee stronger, increase to 3 tbs. per 8 oz. water.

If you’re into precision measuring, consider 10g coffee per 236g (8oz) water or 15-20g coffee per 354g (12oz) of water. FYI, 1 flat tablespoon of coffee is ~5g.

For drip coffee maker: Grind fine-medium (roughly the size of grains of salt) and use 2 rounded tablespoons per 8 oz. water.

For French press: Grind coarse and use 3 tablespoons per 8 oz. water (use 25g for 12oz).

For Keurig filter: Grind medium to coarse (experiment to find the best grind for your Keurig-brewed coffee). If ground too fine, coffee can clog the screen/filter.

If you have questions or are having trouble finding the right ratio for your coffee, reach out and let us know. We’re glad to help!