How Much Coffee?

[wulf]

How much (ground) coffee do you use compared to the volume of water. For a 250ml mug of coffee, I normally reckon on about 1 generously heaped teaspoon (ie. at least two flat teaspoon's worth) of ground coffee. Obviously the equation will vary according to the blend, the fineness of the grounds and probably other factors but does that sound fairly average or am I being too stingy?

Wulf

 

[Rowley]

Everyone's tastes differ, the better question is if like the coffee that you are making?

For myself I stick to a wee bit heavier, I'm afraid of having too little grounds giving it an overly bitter taste.

 

[notmuffy]

I can't really give you an exact amount, we have this plastic scooper thing we've always used. It works out though to about half of what the bag recommends!

 

[wulf]

For myself I stick to a wee bit heavier, I'm afraid of having too little grounds giving it an overly bitter taste.

Presumably less grounds means you brew it for longer to get the same depth of colour, thus sucking more tannins (or whatever) into the liquid?

I'm interested in finding out the 'parameters' that people use in making coffee so I've got a basis for experimenting. Are there any websites anywhere that give a semi-technical overview of what's involved in making coffee (not too heavy - I'm not a scientist but I do like to work things out in a disciplined way).

Wulf

 

[Rowley]

somewhere I heard something like, when too little grounds are used the good rich coffee flavor gets removed too quickly and then the water going through the grounds is just plain bitter.

But let me see if i might have been basing a fact on a myth.

 

[Rowley]

the 2 tablespoon for each cup of coffee is a widely used standard.

I would begin to use it as your base and start testing useing more and less grinds to find the flavor you enjoy the most. You should also take note to the coarseness in your grinds if you are grinding your own beans.

 

[tintinet]

How much?

I just titrate by eye, following trial and error, to get the strength I like. Usually works well for me.

 

[Rowley]

Yes, I do the same. I eye the levels of beans I am putting into my grinder.

 

[topher]

I always tell people one tablespoon per cup...Rowley you are right though in the sense of 2 for every cup...see people look at a cup as 8 oz. the problem is that a cup of coffee is considered 4 oz. so one tablespoon for every 4 oz cup. If you want to break it down....one pound of coffee makes 3 gallons of liquid :grin: I read above that someone said they like their coffee weaker....use a coffee with a lesser body instead of weakening.just my 2 cents

 

[wulf]

Two tablespoons per cup! That's significantly more than I use at the moment - assuming you're using level tablespoons and my 'heaped teaspoon' is roughly equal to two level teaspoons, it's about three times the quantity of coffee. This I've got to try... :lol:

While I'm plotting my 'scientific' investigations, how long do you normally brew for, assuming a french press style of brewing?

Wulf

 

[topher]

leave the teaspoons for what they are intended for...tea. Use one tablespoon per 4 oz of water....not heaping...and let it brew in your press for 3 to 4 mins. Let us know how it turned out...I just did it and it is very rich!

 

[wulf]

Use one tablespoon per 4 oz of water....not heaping...and let it brew in your press for 3 to 4 mins. Let us know how it turned out...I just did it and it is very rich!

:-D ... yes, that is somewhat stronger than I've grown accustomed to. There shouldn't be too much problem of me falling asleep this afternoon!

I think I'll do some experimentation though to see how I get on with an intermediate amount of coffee (and also factors such as brewing time).

Wulf

 

[Rowley]

....one pound of coffee makes 3 gallons of liquid I read above that someone said they like their coffee weaker....use a coffee with a lesser body instead of weakening....

Great quote topher, It is far better to use a weaker blend to produce a weaker coffee and vise versa for strong coffee.

 

[wulf]

Looking around a bit more, I've found some fascinating information at Alterra Coffee.

Wulf

 

[tintinet]

Ruels R Made 2 B broken!

I still prefer my experimental method! Beans ain't standardized, so brews shouldn't necessarily be, either.... :wink: