When we take a sip of coffee, we must have experienced different flavors. It could be because the seeds are different or the tools used are different. However, did you know that from the same bean, with the same processing, the flavor of the coffee can still be different? Even if the coffee beans and processing method are the same, the flavor of the coffee may differ if the ratio used is different.

In its simplest form, coffee is just the seeds of a plant. What determines whether we get a complex, balanced, aromatic, sour, or even bitter coffee is the quality of the beans, the water, and how the two are combined. The combination of coffee beans and water can involve many things, such as grind size, brewing time, water temperature, brewing equipment, and coffee beverage ratio. This ratio of coffee drink is one of the keys to the flavor of a cup of coffee. Curious about the coffee ratio? Check out the article below.

What is Brew Ratio?

Brew ratio refers to the amount of coffee and water used in a drink. Brew ratio is a weight-based formula that can be applied to brew any amount of coffee, be it just one cup or a large pot. This coffee ratio is very important as it will affect the mouthfeel, coffee flavor strength, viscosity, and so on. Therefore, it can be seen that this brewing ratio is very important for making good coffee.

In making coffee, ratio is the key to balance. In addition, the brew ratio can be used to describe the strength of the coffee. The lower the ratio of coffee used, the more concentrated the drink will be. Correspondingly, the higher the ratio, the lighter the flavor will be.

Importance Brew Ratio

Simply put, the more coffee used in a drink, the stronger the flavor. However, did you know that adding more coffee doesn’t necessarily get you the desired flavor? It’s true that the amount of coffee is one of the main contributors to a quality cup, but it’s not the only consideration.

Brewing coffee is like baking a cake. The amount of each ingredient you use to make a cup of coffee is very important. By simply increasing or decreasing the amount of coffee or the amount of water, you can create different coffee flavors, thickness, and strength. Therefore, the amount of water and coffee is very important.

Since coffee flavors can vary depending on the recipe, many baristas or coffee lovers use scales and timers when brewing. The use of scales and timers can help the flavor of the coffee being made to remain consistent. By using these two tools, baristas can determine a fixed number of recipes to ensure a consistent coffee flavor.

In any coffee brewing, the scale in the scale is very necessary as it is more accurate than the spoon scale. A spoon measures volume, while a scale measures weight. Without a scale, you can struggle to develop flavor consistency as you can’t precisely control variables such as the ratio of coffee to water. To make it easier to achieve flavor consistency, baristas usually use digital scales with an accuracy level of 1 and 1/10 gram and have a built-in timer. With these 1 and 1/10 gram weights, baristas can precisely adjust the ratio between water and time.

Golden Ratio Combination is the Secret to Delicious Coffee Treats

It is true that no single ratio is objectively the best, but there are ratios that are very popular because they bring a sense of balance. While coffee ratios are completely subjective and depend on the individual brewer, almost all balanced-tasting coffees are brewed consistently to a certain ratio. This ratio is commonly referred to as the golden ratio of coffee .

There are many people in the world who enjoy their cup of coffee outside of the golden ratio because after all, we all have different preferences. However, most of us will find that this so-called golden ratio is the most satisfactory ratio. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the golden ratio of coffee is 1:18, which is 1 gram of coffee for every 18 grams of water.

If you want a stronger flavor, you can use a ratio of 1:15 or if you want a lighter cup use 1:18. A scale of between 15 to 18 grams of water for every gram of coffee is the most commonly used scale. However, unlike that, the ratio for espresso is 1:2, which is 1 gram of coffee to 2 grams of water because espresso is a concentrate that can be drunk immediately or usually diluted again with water or milk.

This coffee golden ratio uses just enough coffee to brew a rich cup without overdoing it. In the golden ratio, enough water is used to extract the coffee to a balanced and satisfactory level. The reason is, if too much water is used, the resulting coffee flavor will be very watery, bitter, and dull because it is under extracted or watery. However, if too much coffee is used, the flavor will be too strong and sour due to being over extracted.

Which Ratio to Use?

If you still want to explore the ratios that you will use in making coffee, you don’t need to try many ratios at once. You can follow the experiment conducted by Fellow to get the golden ratio according to your preference. Fellow, the brand that manufactures the Stagg Pour-Over System, provides a “cheat sheet” of several uses of the ratio for brewing coffee.

In his experiment, Fellow used four brewing ratios commonly recommended by roasters and baristas: 1:13, 1:15, 1:18 and 1:20. From the four different ratios used, the taste results were also different. In full, here are the differences from Fellow’s experiments using the four brewing ratios.

1:13 ratio

Coffee brewed with a ratio of 1:13 uses a very small amount of water compared to the golden ratio standard mentioned by SCAA. because the amount of coffee used is too much compared to water, the amount of coffee extracted is too little and the flavor will be too strong and sour.

1:15 ratio

Using this ratio, the coffee will be brewed using less water than the SCAA recommends. Although more coffee is extracted compared to the 1:13 ratio, the brewed coffee is still slightly thicker and the coffee grounds are still not maximally extracted due to the use of less water. That way, brewing will result in a cup of coffee that is both crisp and rich with very sharp acidity .

1:18 ratio

When coffee is brewed with this 1:18 ratio, more water is used. That way, the flavor of the coffee will be more subtle or slightly less strong. However, this also means that more flavor is extracted from the coffee grounds. As there is more water to extract, the results from this ratio tend to taste balanced and softer with just the right acidity. This ratio is referred to as the golden ratio by SCAA.

1:20 ratio

With this ratio, more water is used to extract coffee grounds than with other ratios. Since better water is used, the brewed coffee will be too thin. In addition, the resulting flavor is also bitter and dull. In fact, it is possible that the character of the coffee flavor may not be perceived because it is masked by the large amount of liquid.

Conclusion

In making coffee, whether it’s just a cup or a large pot, the brewing ratio is very important. Coffee ratios are important because they affect the strength of the coffee flavor, mouthfeel, viscosity, and so on. Therefore, everyone who is going to brew coffee or every barista should be knowledgeable about this brewing ratio.

In making coffee, the ratio is the key to creating a balanced coffee. In fact, there is also a standard ratio called the golden ratio that is often used by baristas because it can create a balance of flavors. This golden ratio (1:18) is often the secret to a smooth coffee flavor with just the right acidity. Have you used the golden ratio in your coffee yet? If you haven’t used it yet, maybe from now on you can take this standard ratio into account.

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