Coffee Brewing
Brew better coffee at home — pour-over, French press, and more, each with the right coffee-to-water ratio, grind, and method. Start with the free coffee-to-water ratio calculator, then dial in your method below.
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Buying guides and explainers — start here if you are new to the category.
Coffee Brewing Terms, Explained: A Plain-Language Glossary
A plain-language glossary of the coffee terms that actually change your cup: extraction, TDS, fines and boulders, bloom, degassing, channeling, drawdown, retention, and more. Each one defined in a sentence, with why it matters — so the vocabulary on every other coffee page makes sense.
Read →How to Make Cold Brew Coffee: Ratio, Grind, and Steep Time
Cold brew is the most hands-off way to make coffee: coarse grounds, cold water, a 1:8 ratio for concentrate (or 1:15 to drink straight), and a 12–24 hour steep in the fridge before you strain. There's no heat and no timing pressure — the two things to get right are a coarse grind and enough steep time, and the payoff is a smooth, low-acid coffee that keeps for a week.
Read →How to Make Pour-Over Coffee: The Ratio, Grind, and Method
Great pour-over comes down to four numbers: a 1:16–1:17 coffee-to-water ratio, a medium grind, water at 195–205°F, and a total brew time of about 2:30–3:30. Bloom the grounds first, then pour in slow, steady circles. Get those right and a V60 or Chemex makes a cleaner, sweeter cup than a drip machine — the technique is the whole point.
Read →How to Use a French Press: Ratio, Grind, and Steep Time
A French press is the most forgiving way to make full-bodied coffee: a 1:12–1:15 ratio, a coarse grind, water just off the boil, and a four-minute steep before you press slowly and pour. The coarse grind and long steep are what give it its rich body — and what make grind size and steep time the two things to get right.
Read →How to Use a Moka Pot: Grind, Heat, and the Right Technique
A moka pot makes strong, espresso-style coffee on the stovetop: fill the base to the valve with hot water, fill the funnel with a fine-medium grind (don't tamp), and brew on medium-low heat until you hear a gentle gurgle — then pull it off. The two things that make or break it are grind size and heat: too fine or too hot and it turns bitter and metallic.
Read →How to Use an AeroPress: Ratio, Grind, and Method
The AeroPress makes a clean, concentrated cup in about a minute: a medium-fine grind, a 1:14–1:16 ratio, water around 175–200°F, a short stir-and-steep, then a slow press. It's forgiving and fast — the two levers that matter most are grind size and press speed, and you can brew it standard or inverted depending on how much control you want.
Read →The Coffee-to-Water Ratio, Explained (The Golden Ratio)
The coffee-to-water ratio is how much coffee you use per unit of water, written like 1:16 — one gram of coffee to sixteen grams of water. The widely used golden ratio is about 1:15 to 1:18 by weight, and it's the single biggest lever on how your coffee tastes: a lower number means stronger, a higher number means milder. Weigh it once and every cup gets predictable.
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