Coffee: the morning fuel. It is such a basic drink, made out of only 2 ingredients: water and coffee beans. Yet, coffee comes in all sizes, colors, strengths. There is a world of variety between roasts. No matter what your preference is, there is no right or wrong answer.
You’ve decided to brew your own coffee, you a pat on the shoulder. Did you know that only 7% of to-go cups end up being recycled? Homebrewing is the best way to start avoid using single-use plastic. Use a reusable coffee mug, and off you go!
The most popular method of brewing coffee, is using the drip system, hence the eternal question: what is the ideal Coffee to Water ratio?
Selecting the right water
Water makes up the majority of your coffee, so make sure you go for the best. Tap water often has a strong odor or taste, this is mainly due to the chlorine used for disinfection. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be using tap water. As a matter of fact, for best coffee results, you should stay away from distilled or softened water.
It is recommended to use filtered tap water. Small faucet mounted filters, with activated carbon such as TAPP are ideal. They will get rid of the bad taste and odor, as well as lead or other contaminants, and most importantly let the healthy mineral through, such as Calcium, Magnesium or Potassium.
Selecting the right Coffee to Water ratio
In the case of a drip system, there is a simple generally accepted rule: the golden ration. This is just a baseline for a good Coffee to Water ratio, but not ratio you should follow religiously. Once you’ve brewed your coffee using that ratio, you can make it evolve to suit your taste.
The golden ratio is 17.42 to 1. For every unit of coffee, at 17.42 times the amount of water. Simply said: 1 tablespoon of coffee bean, for 17.42 tablespoons of water. Or in even simpler terms, if 17.42 tablespoons equal 1.0888 cups, your baseline is 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon of coffee.
Want to learn more? Here’s the ultimate Coffee To Water Ratio Calculator: How Much Coffee Grounds Per Cup?
Evolving the Coffee to Water ratio
Equip yourself with filtered water, and your favorite coffee beans, and start brewing. You’ll know right away if this is the right Coffee to Water ratio for you.
Coffee not strong enough: Try adding an extra tablespoon of coffee
Coffee too strong: Add more filtered water or less coffee
Simple!
Recap
For best results, it is important to start with good base ingredients.
Get a water filter: TAPP is the world’s first water filter with biodegradable refills. Combine that with a reusable coffee mug, and start avoiding plastic today.
Find the right beans and roast for your brew: Talk to someone about your coffee preferences, go to a specialized shop. Since you are buying your own coffee, check it’s origin. Try to use fair-trade coffee and ideally; buy it in bulk so you don’t need to waste extra plastic resources.
Use the golden ratio: That’s your starting point, which will evolve with your taste. 1 cup of water for 1 tablespoon of coffee.
Mix it up: Add ore coffee or less. Try a stronger roast or a more perfumed one. The possibilities are endless.
Enjoy!