French press coffee ratio: grams, water, and a simple chart
Jack Donnell
At a glance
Start with one gram of coffee per 15 grams of water. This chart and simple calculation help you scale a French press recipe to your brewer.
A useful starting French press coffee ratio is 1:15 by weight: 1 gram of dry coffee for every 15 grams of brew water. For a small batch, that means 30 grams of coffee and 450 grams of water. Try 1:16 if you prefer a little less coffee in the same amount of water.
The ratio describes your ingredients before brewing. It does not describe the exact amount you will pour into your mug, because some water stays with the grounds.
French press coffee-to-water ratio chart
These are amounts of water added to the press. Water in grams is approximately the same quantity in milliliters for practical home brewing. Leave the headroom required by your brewer.
| Brew water | Coffee at 1:15 | Coffee at 1:16 |
|---|---|---|
| 250 g | 16.7 g | 15.6 g |
| 350 g | 23.3 g | 21.9 g |
| 500 g | 33.3 g | 31.3 g |
| 750 g | 50.0 g | 46.9 g |
| 1,000 g | 66.7 g | 62.5 g |
How to calculate a French press ratio
Coffee in grams = brew water in grams ÷ 15 for a 1:15 ratio. For 1:16, divide the water weight by 16 instead.
Divide your water weight by the ratio number to find the coffee weight. For 450 grams of water at 1:15, calculate 450 ÷ 15 = 30 grams of coffee.
If you already have a measured amount of coffee, multiply it by the ratio number instead. Twenty grams of coffee at 1:15 calls for 300 grams of water. Weighing both ingredients makes the recipe easier to repeat when you change beans.
A starting method for a 450-gram batch
The following is a starting recipe to adjust to your beans and brewer. Follow your French press manufacturer's filling and handling instructions.
- Place a clean press on a stable surface and add 30 grams of coarsely ground coffee.
- Add 450 grams of hot water, staying below the manufacturer's fill limit. Make sure the grounds are wet.
- Let the coffee steep for about four minutes as a starting point.
- Fit the lid and press slowly, following the brewer's instructions. If the plunger resists strongly, stop rather than forcing it.
- Pour carefully into mugs or a separate server.
Coarse grounds and a four-minute steep also appear in Bodum's French press instructions. The manufacturer's directions for your particular model take priority over a general recipe.
How should you adjust the ratio?
If the coffee tastes more concentrated than you enjoy, try a little more water per gram of coffee on the next batch. If it tastes too diluted, try a little more coffee. Keep a note of the change.
Sourness, bitterness, and sediment can also involve grind, extraction, roast, or the condition of the filter. Do not assume every flavor problem is a ratio problem. Change one variable at a time so you can tell what helped.
Common French press ratio questions
How much coffee do I need for a 500 mL French press?
Start with about 33 grams of coffee and 500 grams of water at 1:15, or about 31 grams at 1:16. These quantities describe water added before brewing, not the volume poured into your mug. Use a press with enough room for both the water and grounds.
How many tablespoons should I use?
A tablespoon measures volume, while the chart uses weight. Different beans and grinds can put different weights into the same spoon. If you use a spoon, keep it and your filling method consistent. A scale gives you a more repeatable result.
Does an eight-cup press make eight US cups?
Do not assume that it does. Check the maker's stated capacity in milliliters or fluid ounces, then choose a recipe that leaves safe headroom. The word cup can mean different serving sizes.
Can I use this ratio for cold brew?
Cold brew is a different recipe with its own steeping and dilution choices. A concentrate ratio and a ready-to-drink ratio serve different purposes. This chart is a starting point for hot French press brewing.
If a measured recipe still tastes sharply sour, use our sour-coffee troubleshooting guide to compare grind, steeping, and extraction. For a different steeping method, see our cold brew guide.