The golden ratio everyone starts with
The simplest place to begin is 1:16: one part coffee to sixteen parts water. For a balanced single cup, use 18 g coffee and 288 g water. Prefer a slightly fuller cup? Try 20 g coffee and 300 g water (1:15).
Quick ratio table
| What you are brewing | Coffee | Water | Starting ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| One balanced cup | 18 g | 288 g | 1:16 |
| One fuller cup | 20 g | 300 g | 1:15 |
| Two cups | 30 g | 480 g | 1:16 |
Weighing beats scooping: a tablespoon changes with bean size and grind, while a gram stays consistent. A small coffee scale and prep set makes it much easier to repeat the cup you liked.
A beginner pour-over recipe you can repeat
- Grind 18 g of coffee to a medium-fine texture, similar to table salt.
- Heat 288 g of water to about 93-96C / 199-205F.
- Pour about 45 g of water over the grounds and let them bloom for 30-45 seconds.
- Pour the remaining water slowly in two or three gentle circles, keeping the bed evenly wet.
- Let the brew finish draining, then taste before changing anything.
Fresh grinding is the easiest way to make this ritual feel more rewarding. The Slow Mill Manual Coffee Grinder Pro is made for dialing in a consistent grind before each brew.
Dial in by taste, one change at a time
- Sour or thin? Grind a little finer, or move from 1:16 toward 1:15.
- Bitter or dry? Grind a little coarser, or move from 1:15 toward 1:16 or 1:17.
- Water ran through too quickly? Try a slightly finer grind.
- Water drained very slowly? Try a slightly coarser grind.
Change only one thing at a time. That is how you learn what your coffee needs without turning a calm morning brew into guesswork.
Build a simple first setup
You do not need a crowded counter to make a better cup. A grinder, a scale and a simple brewer cover the essentials. If you are starting from scratch, the Slow Mill Portable Pour-Over Kit brings the core tools together in one compact setup.
The short version
Start at 18 g coffee to 288 g water (1:16), grind fresh, pour steadily, and adjust slowly by taste. That is the whole formula for a more reliable pour-over cup.