How Many Coffee Scoops Per Cup? A Complete Brewing Guide

Use This Guide to Help You Make the Perfect Pot of Coffee Every Time!

Wondering how many tablespoons for a cup of coffee? How many scoops per cup? Check Out This Complete Scoop and Coffee Strength Guide!

Ever wondered how many coffee scoops per cup you need for the perfect pot of coffee every time? When you make coffee in a standard coffee machine, getting the ideal coffee ratio in every mug is a bit more complicated than you might think. In this helpful guide, we will cover everything from how many tablespoons in 12 oz of ground coffee to how many tbsp per cup you need for a perfect cup of coffee every time! Let's dive in. 

Quick Answer: How many coffees scoops for 12 cups? Anywhere from 12-18 tbsp-sized scoops, depending on how strong you like your coffee. 

Use about 1.5-2 tbsp of coffee per cup. Don’t add more than 1 ½ cups of coffee grounds to a coffee filter. Scoop coffee into the filter until it is at least one centimeter deep. You should not be able to see the bottom of the coffee filter once covered. You can use a measuring cup and add about ¼ cup of grounds at a time. Pile coffee higher for stronger coffee and use a thinner layer for a weaker pot of coffee. Generally, 1 cup of coffee grounds per pot is used for medium-strength brews.  

How Many Tablespoons for a Cup of Coffee? Grounds vs Water

As a rule, you can use 1.5 to 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds per cup of coffee. So, if you have an eight cup coffee maker, that's 12 to 24 tablespoons of coffee grounds in your coffee filter. For a 2-cup pour over coffee, that's 3 to 6 tablespoons of grounds. 

How Many Scoops of Coffee Per Cup: Overview

When making coffee, it all comes down to your coffee-to-water ratio. Usually, the ideal coffee-to-water ratio involves using two spoonful's (tablespoons) of coffee grounds for every six ounces of water. This comes out to about ¾ cup of coffee grounds for a medium-strength pot of coffee. You can adjust your recipe from there as needed. 

Tips for Grounds of Coffee Per Cup in a Coffee Maker

When you are filling up the reservoir on a coffee pot, you might not know exactly how many ounces of water you are putting in. Getting the right coffee ratio involves first knowing how many cups your coffee maker produces. Here are some helpful facts to guide you. 

 

• Most coffee makers produce 12 cups of coffee at 8 ounces per cup. 

 

• You need about one heaping tablespoon of coffee for each cup, so 12 very full tablespoons. 

 

• If you are using normal (non-heaping) tablespoons of coffee grounds, 14 spoonsful will do the trick. This is about one ¾ of a cup of coffee grounds. 

 

• Coffee scoopers are usually the size of a heaping tablespoon, so, for a standard coffee maker, use 12 scoops per pot of coffee. 

 

• Make sure your coffee grounds are medium in size and not too coarse or too fine. 

 

• For weaker coffee, use 11 scoops, or about ⅔ of a cup.  

 

• For stronger coffee, use 16 scoops, or about 1 cup. 

How many tablespoons in 12 oz of ground coffee?

A 12 oz bag of coffee grounds can contain anywhere from 42.5 to 68 tablespoons (tbsp) of grounds, depending on the grind size and how compact your tablespoons are.

• Grind sizes range from fine powdery espresso grinds to coarse French press grinds. The smaller the grounds, the more compact the tbsp scoops will be, and thus, the heavier on ounces they are. 

• Generally, one tablespoon of coffee weighs is about 12.5 grams, or half of an ounce. (28 grams is equivalent to one ounce.) So the answer to how many tablespoons in 12 oz of ground coffee?

Ergo, if your bag of coffee weighs about 350 grams, you can expect to get 42.5 to 68 tablespoons worth of grounds, depending on how finely ground your coffee is. About 50 tablespoons is the average. 

 

How many tbsp per cup do you need when making coffee? 

The general coffee to water ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for 6 ounces of water. An 8 oz coffee mug requires about two tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee for a medium-strength cup. To brew the perfect pot of coffee with the right amount of tbsp per cup, you must consider factors like: 

• Coffee strength and roast 
• Coffee ground size (coarse, fine, espresso, etc.)
• How large your coffee pot is
• Extraction water temperature 

How many tbsp coffee for 8 cups?

 

For making 8 cups of coffee, you need approximately 15 tablespoons of coffee grounds. !2 tablespoons will do for weaker coffee, or 16 tablespoons, if you want your coffee stronger. Adjust your coffee ground proportions based on your taste and preferences, and remember to take the roast profile into consideration. 

 

The Old-Fashioned Way of Making Coffee: Eyeballing It 

Sometimes, you aren’t ready for math first thing in the morning. After all, you can’t think without your coffee, and you can’t have your coffee until you make it. It’s a paradox! That’s why a lot of people eyeball the amount of coffee used per pot. Although this isn’t the most precise method, if you get some practice in, it can save you a lot of time and works pretty well.  

Here’s how it’s done: 

Prepare your coffee maker by filling it with water. Then, put your coffee filter in the filter holder. Scoop coffee in until it is at least one centimeter deep. You should not be able to see the bottom of the coffee filter. You can use a measuring cup and add about ¼ of a cup at a time. Pile coffee higher for stronger coffee and use a thinner layer for a weaker pot of coffee. 

By the way, don’t add more than 1 ½ cups of coffee grounds to a coffee filter. At this point, your coffee won’t get fully saturated or extracted and you could get some really disappointing results. If you want REALLY STRONG COFFEE, just use a slightly finer grind. This allows for more saturation and extraction from a standard countertop drip grind coffee maker. 

 

How Many Tablespoons of Coffee Per Cup: Exact Measurements

So how many tablespoons per cup of coffee do you need for the best flavors? This will depend on the flavors you want to achieve and how well your coffee is ground. Generally speaking, you should use about 16 tablespoons of coffee for each 12-cup coffee pot. 

 

How Many Tablespoons of Coffee Per Cup: 

Strong Coffee: 16 tbsp (1 cup of coffee grounds) 

Medium Strength: 14 tbsp (¾ cup)

Weak Coffee: 12 tbsp (a little over ⅔ of a cup) 

 

Tips for Picking Your Preferred Coffee Strength 

Coffee can be really strong or really weak. According to some people (Russians especially), if you can see through your coffee when the light hits it, it’s WAY too weak. According to others, coffee this strong is difficult, nay, impossible to drink without cream. Really, it will all come down to what you personally like. If you are making coffee for a group of people, a medium-strength pot is always a safe bet. 

Considering Grind Styles and Coffee Ratios for Espresso Machines, French Press Makers, and K-Cups 

Grinding your coffee fresh gives you the best flavor in most cases. Medium coffee grounds are a little coarser than granulated sugar but finer than a coarse French Press grind. This kind of grind is just right for an at-home, standard, countertop drip grind coffee maker. 

Most “regular” coffee grinds are medium-sized. Our coffee, for instance, is ground precisely for use in standard kitchen coffee makers. However, we also offer whole bean coffee, French Press coarse grinds, and espresso grinds in our finer gourmet coffees. 

If you have another kind of coffee maker, you might need to use a coarser or finer grind style. Pour over and French Press coffee makers, for instance, require coarse grinds. (Learn how much coffee to use for a French Press by clicking here!) Espresso makers necessitate espresso grinds, which are finer and powderier.

The longer the extraction (brewing) process is, the larger the grinds should be. Espresso machines brew shots of espresso in about 30 seconds, so they need finer, more powdery grounds. French Presses can take far longer to extract, meaning a coarser grind is best. 

K-cups and single-serving coffee pods come pre-ground and measured. That way, you get a nice medium-strength cup of coffee each time with zero guesswork. We sell FRESHLY ROASTED gourmet single-serve coffee pods online for your convenience. Click HERE to browse our single-serve fresh cup coffee pod collection. 

How many ounces of coffee beans for 12 cups?

Get Deliciously Flavorful Coffee Every Time by Ordering Here

At One Great Coffee, we are all about helping you make the most delicious brew every time. That is why we offer some of the finest coffee flavors in the business! Check out our amazing flavored coffees if you want to brew up a pot of excellence. We have flavors like Old-Fashioned Gingerbread, Caramel Apple, Pecan Pie, and White Chocolate Mousse, to tantalize your taste buds and bring a smile to your face first thing in the morning. 

Our flavored coffees make wonderful gifts and are sold online for your convenience. We even offer custom virtual gift cards with a personalized recorded message for a loved one! Or, try our signature single-origin coffees from far away destinations to travel the world one sip at a time!