You can measure coffee without coffee scoop, yeah you read it right. The term “golden ratio” can be a bit misleading, since there is no one ratio that can rule them all.
The exact ratio will vary depending on the brand of coffee, how it is prepared, and who is drinking it. Nonetheless, the principles underlying that ratio remain unchanged.
As you work on balancing the acids and bitter notes, be sure to keep the sugars present enough for the drink to be refreshing and pleasant on the tongue. To put it simply, you want your cup of joe to be in perfect harmony.
Despite differences between individuals, coffee enthusiasts seem to agree that there is a sweet spot around 1:16. There are 16 parts water to one part coffee in that ratio. It doesn’t matter what units of measurement you use as long as the ratio is right, the “part” is usually a gram for most people.
Now, you might prefer your coffee a little bit bitter, in which case you should dilute it with 18 parts water to 1 part coffee. Perhaps you prefer your coffee to be slightly sour, in which case you might choose a ratio closer to one part coffee to fourteen parts water. There is no rule that says you can’t adjust the ratio even further than these two examples, of course, but for the vast majority of people, the sweet spot is not too far from the one part coffee to sixteen parts water mark.
Measure Coffee Without Coffee Scoop Tips: Use Food Scale
Having chosen your personal golden ratio (we will stick with 1:16 for this post), you can start measuring things out. To accomplish this without a scoop, we tend to think that kitchen scales are the best way.
Although a scoop is handy, I recommend using a food scale to measure your coffee.
A scale will show you the exact amount of coffee you have, whereas a measuring scoop or spoon can be misleading because of air gaps between coffee grounds. The problem becomes worse when the coffee grounds are larger, with instant coffee being the worst offender. However, if you are using instant coffee, you don’t need to be as precise with your measurements.
How to Weigh Coffee Using a Scale
Make sure you zero your kitchen scales before starting so that you are measuring only the coffee and water and not the containers they are in.
Alternatively, you can measure the volume of water you will need in a container, see how much that water weighs, and divide it by sixteen (or whatever ratio you choose). Measure out one-sixteenth of your water on the scales, followed by one-sixteenth of your coffee.
With a spoon, you can measure out your coffee, but it wouldn’t be practical to measure out your water that way. You need to make sure that you measure your water and coffee in the exact same way, otherwise your ratios will be off.
Measure Coffee Without Coffee Scoop Tips: Use Tablespoon
About 6 grams of whole coffee beans will fit in a kitchen tablespoon. If you know this, you can divide your desired weight of coffee by 6 to determine how many tablespoons you need. You would need approximately 22 grams of coffee for a 350ml cup of coffee (6:350 = 1:16). It would be a little less than 4 tablespoons of coffee beans because 6 x 4 = 24 grams.
Measure Coffee Without Coffee Scoop Tips : Counting Beans
It may be possible to count beans by hand if you do not have a food scale or tablespoon. The weight of one gram is equivalent to seven coffee beans. This means that you will need 154 beans to make 22 grams of coffee.
It wouldn’t be a good idea to count them all manually. Alternatively, you could use a spoon of any size, or another small scoop-shaped item, and count how many beans it takes to fill it. Divide your desired coffee weight by that number to determine how many scoops you will need. In this blog, we also have an article about how big is coffee scoop that you might want to see.
How Accurate Does Your Measurement Need to Be?
Your desire to have your measurements as accurate as possible will depend primarily on how much you love coffee. There is a good chance you won’t notice the difference if you like coffee but wouldn’t call yourself an enthusiast.
Anyone who uses instant coffee, whether they are a coffee enthusiast or not, is subject to the same rule. Even though instant coffee is convenient, it’s not the best option for brewing a great cup of coffee, and that’s for a good reason.
Conversely, if you are obsessed with coffee and cannot tolerate any kind of coffee that has been made poorly, then we recommend getting a home coffee setup.
However, you don’t necessarily have to buy any expensive utensils or equipment to do this. You could use a scoop, but it’s really about experimenting to find the ideal ratio for you personally and then replicating that ratio easily, without having to weigh coffee or use a calculator to determine how much you need.
Establishing your ideal measurements of coffee and water, and translating each into a more manageable method, would be a great way to streamline your coffee measuring process. As an example, imagine that you did decide for some reason to use a spoon in measuring out your water.
Instead of meticulously spooning water into a French press, measure it into a liquid measuring jug and take note of how much water is actually in there. You can also use the spoon to stir your coffee (though your coffee is probably better served with a spoon). This way, when you come to make your coffee next time, you’re not having to weigh coffee or spoon out thirty plus spoonfuls of water. Looking for best coffee scoop recommendation? we have a list you can check.
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
