Coffee Amount per Person

How much coffee per person

The SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) reference ratio sits at 1:15 to 1:18, meaning 1 g of ground coffee for every 15 to 18 mL of water. In practice, filtered/drip coffee works out to 12 to 15 g of ground coffee per 200 mL of water, about one mug. Say 4 people each have a cup: that's 4 × 200 mL = 800 mL of water and roughly 50-60 g of grounds. Espresso runs far more concentrated, around 7 to 9 g per 30 mL shot, so a double shot needs 14-18 g. The French press stays on the 1:15 line, 60 g of grounds for 900 mL of water. You'll often hear "1 tablespoon (≈ 7 g) per cup of 100 mL", but that brews thin by specialty standards, which is why specialty shops weigh in grams for a result they can repeat.

Applications and context

It earns its keep in specialty cafés and with manual methods like V60/Hario, Chemex, AeroPress, the French press and the Italian moka. In Brazilian homes, the classic "cuca de fim de tarde" (afternoon coffee) feeds about 12 people on 200 g of grounds and 3 L of water. For catering, the planning figure is usually 1.5 cups per person.

FAQ

Why is my coffee bitter even with the right ratio? Most of the time it's the grind being too fine or the water running too hot (above 96 °C). Coarsen the grind a notch, or drop the water to 92-94 °C.

Can I use the same ratio for cold brew? No. Cold brew runs at 1:8 to 1:10, much stronger, since cold extraction pulls less out of the grounds. Cut it back with ice or water at serving time.

How much coffee for an event with 50 people? Figure 1.5 cups per person × 50 = 75 cups × 200 mL = 15 L of water, which calls for about 900-1000 g of grounds. Brew it in batches so it stays fresh.