How the coffee yield calculator works
Not all the water you pour ends up in the cup. Coffee grounds soak up and hold roughly two times their own weight in water, so your brewed yield is the water you added minus what the spent grounds keep. This tool subtracts that retained water to show how much coffee you actually end up with, plus your brew ratio and how many cups it fills.
Why brewed coffee is less than the water you add
If you brew 30 g of coffee with 500 ml of water, the wet grounds trap about 60 ml, so you are left with roughly 440 ml in the cup or carafe. The heavier your dose, the more water is lost to the grounds, which is why a strong brew gives you noticeably less drinkable coffee than a light one from the same amount of water.
Choosing a brew ratio
Brew ratio is the weight of water divided by the weight of coffee. A 1:15 to 1:17 ratio suits most drip and pour over coffee, giving a balanced cup. Lower ratios near 1:12 taste strong and intense, while higher ratios past 1:18 taste light and tea like. French press holds a little more water in the bed, so account for slightly lower yield.
How to get more coffee from the same beans
To raise your yield without buying more beans, add a touch more water and lengthen the brew slightly, or choose a method that retains less, such as a paper pour over over a thick French press bed. Pressing or squeezing the grounds recovers a little trapped liquid but can pull out bitter flavors, so do it gently.
Frequently asked questions
How much water do coffee grounds absorb? About two milliliters per gram of dry coffee, or roughly twice their weight. So 25 g of coffee keeps about 50 ml of water.
What is a good brew ratio for drip coffee? Around 1:16, meaning 16 g of water for every gram of coffee. For 30 g of coffee that is about 480 ml of water.
Does this apply to espresso? Espresso works differently, by ratio of dose to liquid out under pressure. For shots use the espresso yield calculator instead.
Related coffee calculators: Coffee to Water Ratio, Pour Over, French Press, Espresso Yield.