How Much Coffee Beans to Grind?

One of the secrets behind a great-tasting cup of coffee is the correct coffee grounds to water ratio. The amount of coffee beans to grind while making your cup of joe is important to ensure that your coffee is neither too watery nor too strong. Therefore, you need to know exactly how many coffee beans to grind and how to accurately measure them. This article will take you through everything you need to know regarding the number of coffee beans to grind and how to measure them. Let’s get started.

amount of coffee to grind

First and foremost, you’ll need approximately 10.6 grams or 0.38oz of whole coffee beans to prepare a 6-ounce cup of coffee. When you grind the coffee beans they result in around two tablespoons of ground coffee. Besides getting the right amount of coffee beans and grounds to use when making your coffee, ensure that you get the brewing basics right. For example, ensure that you use high-quality coffee beans and that you freshly grind and brew your coffee when you’re ready to consume it. Let’s take a look at how many coffee beans to grind for different brewing situations. Read on!

How Much Coffee Beans to Grind?

The golden coffee-to-water ratio when brewing your coffee is two tablespoons of coffee grounds for every six ounces of water. Two tablespoons of coffee grounds are equal to around 10.6 grams or 0.38 ounces of coffee beans. Therefore, you should grind 10.6 grams of coffee beans for every six ounces of water. Ideally, one cup of coffee beans should be equal to one cup of coffee grounds. The volume of the coffee beans and grounds should always be the same.

You’ll find that most coffee scoops sold in the stores are equal to two tablespoons of coffee grounds. However, you’ll also find that some are less accurately designed. If you’re not sure how much coffee grounds your coffee scoop holds, you can use a tablespoon to measure your coffee and then pour it into the coffee scoop. One tablespoon of coffee has about 5 grams of coffee grounds. You need about 10 to 10.6 grams or 0.38 ounces of coffee grounds to brew your coffee which is equal to two tablespoons of coffee.

How to Measure Coffee Beans

There are a variety of methods to use when measuring your coffee beans. You can use the volume method or use a scale. The best and most accurate way to measure your coffee beans is to use a weighing scale. Coffee beans come from different origins and therefore, they have different characteristics, including different densities. Therefore, measuring them by volume may not give you the required results. For accuracy and a perfect cup of joe, measure your coffee beans before brewing your coffee. This is because some coffee grounds may remain in the coffee grinder and therefore causing slight variations that may affect the taste of your coffee. Let’s discuss the different methods of measuring coffee beans.

Using a Scale

As mentioned earlier, using a scale to measure your coffee beans will give you more accurate results. However, you need to know how many coffee beans are needed for a specific amount of coffee. Usually, coffee cups are designed to hold 6 ounces of coffee, while coffee mugs are designed to hold 9 ounces of coffee. For a 6-ounce cup of coffee, you need 10.6 grams or 0.38 ounces of coffee beans, which is equal to two tablespoons of coffee grounds. Here’s how to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh your coffee beans.

Place a plastic container, a cup, or a bowl on the kitchen scale
Re-zero your scale to measure the coffee beans
Pour the coffee beans slowly into the cup, bowl, or container as you keep an eye on the weight readings

Stop pouring the beans once you’ve reached the desired grams or ounces. Keep in mind that 10.6 grams of coffee beans will yield a 6-ounce cup of coffee or two tablespoons of coffee grounds
Put the coffee beans into a grinder and grind them to the desired consistency.
Brew your coffee and enjoy

Using Volume

You can measure your coffee beans using volume. However, the results may be inaccurate. With this method, you use scoops of coffee, tablespoons, and cups to measure your coffee beans and grounds. When it comes to measuring coffee beans using tablespoons, keep in mind that two tablespoons of beans are different from two tablespoons of grounds. This is because beans are larger compared to coffee grounds and will therefore leave air spaces in the spoon. Two tablespoons of grounds weigh more than two tablespoons of beans.

If you want to use the volume method, begin by adding one scoop of coffee beans, one cup of beans, or four tablespoons of beans into the grinder. This depends on whether you’re using a scoop, cup, or tablespoon to measure your coffee beans. Grind the beans to the desired consistency then measure two even tablespoons of grounds for a 6-ounce cup of coffee. Depending on what method you’ve used to measure your beans, you can add, more beans into the grinder if the grounds are not enough for two tablespoons. However, keep in mind how much coffee beans you’ll add to ensure that you replicate the same amount when brewing your coffee next time. With this, you don’t have to re-measure and re-add coffee beans into the grinder every morning when brewing your cup of joe.

Benefits of Measuring Coffee Beans Before Brewing

Here’re some of the benefits of measuring coffee beans before brewing your coffee:

Measuring your coffee beans will determine how much coffee grounds to expect after grinding them. The coffee grounds to beans ratio is always 1:1 regardless of the method you use to measure your coffee beans. 10.6 grams of coffee beans is equal to 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds
Measuring your coffee beans allows you to determine how much water to use when brewing your coffee. For example, 10.6 grams of coffee beans equals 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds and you’ll use 6 ounces of water. Furthermore, two tablespoons of coffee grounds are equal to 10.6 grams of coffee. The golden coffee to water ratio is 1:15-18. This ratio translates to 1 gram of coffee grounds to 15 to 18 grams of water.

When to Grind Your Coffee Beans

As mentioned earlier, you should grind your coffee beans when you’re ready to brew your coffee. This is because coffee grounds will lose their flavor and aroma as a result of oxidation. Grind the coffee beans before brewing your coffee to maximize the flavor in your cup of joe.

Coffee Bean Grinders

There are two types of coffee bean grinders. These are a blade grinder and a burr grinder. Each of these grinders has its characteristics, including their advantages and disadvantages. However, coffee lovers prefer the burr grinder compared to the blade grinder. This is because burr grinders provide consistency, overall uniformity, and quality coffee grounds. Additionally, they’re durable and easy to control. You can adjust the grind size to suit your preference and coffee brewer.

Ground Coffee Sizes

There are different grind sizes that you’ll achieve when grinding your coffee beans. The grind size to use depends on the brewing method you’re using. Here are the coffee grind sizes and their brewing methods.