When you’re making your coffee at home and don’t have a barista to do the work for you, half the battle of making a good cup is knowing what coffee scoop size to use.
Coffee companies used to make it pretty easy on us fanatics. In every can, they would include a little disposable scoop that took a lot of the guesswork out of how much coffee to add to your pot. Many companies no longer include those scoops.
If you’re grinding your own beans, you’ll also need to know how much to put in.
So, let’s solve this dilemma once and for all.
What a Standard Coffee Scoop Holds
If you’re a coffee fanatic, you probably already have some scoops or know where you can get some. But if you have a coffee scoop, it doesn’t mean it’s the standard size. Coffee scoops come in a bunch of different sizes -- so how can you tell what’s standard?
The standard scoop, when it’s filled up and leveled, usually holds about two tablespoons of coffee. From there, it’s easy for you to figure out if you have a standard size.
Just take two tablespoons of water and dump them in your coffee scoop. If it fills it up perfectly, you have a standard size.
Why Does the Scoop Size Matter?
Whether you’ve made coffee thousands of times or you are just learning how to make it, you need to pay attention to the scoop size every single time. That’s because eyeballing it and giving it the rough amount you think will work can destroy your coffee.
Every coffee drinker prefers their coffee a particular way, whether it’s strong or weak. That doesn’t mean if you screw up that you can’t drink it any other way, but you won’t enjoy it as much. And what’s the point of having mediocre coffee, especially when it’s so easy to make it the right way if you just measure the amount.
Figuring out the perfect scoop size for your preferences will give you a great cup every time, and start your day off right.
How Much to Use
This is where things get tricky. Not all coffee drinkers agree on what makes a good cup. All you can do is figure out your own preferences and keep making it that way.
You’ll only figure out your preferences by some good old-fashioned trial and error. Here’s a starting point for you though -- the standard coffee scoop we just mentioned? That holds around 0.36 ounces of ground coffee in those two tablespoons.
The rule of thumb is that a good strength for your coffee can be achieved by using one coffee scoop or 0.36 ounces of ground coffee for every 6 fluid ounces of water.
So, as a starting point until you can determine your preferences, get a standard-sized coffee scoop. Don’t have one? Don’t panic, you can dish up two tablespoons instead.
Take the coffee and six ounces of water and brew that. How does it taste? Is it too weak for your liking, or too strong?
Tinker with the recipe, by increasing or decreasing how much coffee you’re using, until you find the exact amount you’re happy with.
Related Reading: Does Coffee Taste Better With Alkaline Water?
Do Your Math
Once you figure out how much coffee you prefer in your six ounces of water, you’re going to have to do some calculating. Don’t worry though, unlike your high school calculus class, this is going to be simple math.
Why do you have to calculate anything? Because you know who only brews six ounces of coffee at a time? Amateur coffee drinkers, that’s who.
Most of us require a much bigger serving to jump-start our day. What tired parent or exhausted employee can power through their day with that measly serving?
You need to figure out how many cups of coffee you generally like to have. But your work isn’t done there. You’ll have to look at what cup you have it in.
Why would you need to do that if you’ve already said you only like to have one cup in the morning? That’s because cup sizes vary dramatically. You might say you only have one cup in the morning, but fail to mention that the cup is so big it takes both hands to lift it.
Six ounces of coffee would look pretty pathetic sitting in an over-sized mug.
Let’s say you calculate that you like to start your mornings with 24 ounces of coffee. We’ll also say you found the 2 tablespoons or one standard scoop is your preferred strength. Then you’ve made it easy on yourself because it’s simple to determine.
You’ll need 4 scoops or 8 tablespoons for that pot. If you don’t feel like counting out four scoops every morning, take a shortcut. Eight tablespoons equal half of a cup.
Find Your Bliss
Now that you have a rough starting point, you can start your homework assignment of finding out what the perfect coffee scoop size is for you. All it requires is some trial and error and you’ll have it figured out in no time.
It won’t be long before you start every day with the perfect cup of joe.
About the Author: Peter Gray is a coffee lover, retired plumber and freelance writer. Peter enjoys teaching others how to fix leaky faucets, save water, and make home improvements without needing to call in an expensive professional.
