How Many Scoops of Coffee Per Cup Is Needed?

For those who make coffee at home, the question of how many scoops of coffee per cup is a common one. Nobody wants to waste coffee or create a brew that is either too weak or too strong.

Measuring coffee with spoons and scoops

Most people use a teaspoon, tablespoon or a coffee scoop to measure out the beans or ground coffee. Don't worry about re-measuring coffee after grinding it at home: A tablespoon of beans is much the same as a tablespoon of ground coffee, so figuring out how many scoops of coffee per cup should be fairly straightforward.

This method, by the way, is known as "measuring by volume": One measuring teaspoon is one-third of a tablespoon, so there are three teaspoons to a tablespoon. This can be important to know if someone likes to be very precise when preparing coffee, or who prefers tea, as loose-leaf tea is often measured by teaspoon.

In addition, some coffee pots and machines come with their own scoop and instructions for how many scoops of coffee per cup should be used. However, it's important to double-check the size of these scoops: Some hold two tablespoons of coffee, while others only hold one.

Measuring coffee by weight

Measuring your coffee by weight requires a kitchen scale that provides gram measurements. Keep in mind that teaspoons, tablespoons and "scoops" measure by volume, not by weight, so it is not always possible to come up with an exact equivalent, particularly since some people prefer to use different grind levels (fine to coarse) for their coffee.

Still, many people figure fifteen grams of coffee to one tablespoon. It's possible to test this by measuring out fifteen grams of one's preferred coffee grind on a scale and then filling a scoop or tablespoon with it. Coffee lovers can eyeball the measurement in the scoop or spoon and use that measurement for future cups of coffee if they'd prefer not to use a scale regularly.

Professional coffee scoop sets provide consistent results when making coffee or tea. They also have long handles that make it easy to scoop coffee, tea, or other ingredients from bags, jars, and other containers.

How much coffee is needed?

Instructions for making coffee often recommend one to two tablespoons for a cup of hot coffee. However, these instructions don't take into consideration the variances between coffee cups and mugs, which come in a range of sizes and hold anywhere from five to 16 ounces of liquid.

Making matters worse is that these instructions provide guidance for making 6-ounce cups of coffee, which is even less than the standard 8-ounces per cup measurement.

When in doubt, a person should fill a cup, mug, or pot with water and then pour the water into a measuring cup to determine how many ounces the vessel holds. This can help determine how much ground coffee is needed.

Strong Vs. Weak Coffee

Another consideration is personal taste. Weak coffee can be prepared with about one tablespoon of coffee to six ounces of water, while a strong brew requires two tablespoons.

Individuals who prepare coffee may also want to consider whether people will be adding milk, sugar, or flavored syrups (which can be added directly to coffee through a syrup pump). If a person likes additions, such as syrups, cream, or sugar, they may prefer a stronger brew that can stand up to the additions. This preference also affects how many scoops of coffee per cup is needed.