How Many Tablespoons of Coffee Per Cup? (Chart)

A good starting point is 1 level tablespoon of ground coffee for every 4 oz of water for a balanced cup, or about 2 tablespoons per 8 oz mug. Adjust from there to taste.

Tablespoons of coffee per cup chart

Note that a "cup" on a drip coffee maker is often 5 to 6 oz, while a mug holds 8 to 12 oz. Measure your own mug once so you know which row to use.

Why measuring by weight is better

A level tablespoon of ground coffee weighs roughly 5 g, but it changes with the grind and how tightly it is packed. A scale removes the guesswork. The usual starting point is 1 part coffee to 16 parts water by weight, which is about 22 g of coffee for a 12 oz mug. See the coffee to water ratio chart for every brewer.

Strong or weak? Adjust it

• Too weak or sour: add half a tablespoon more coffee next time, or grind a little finer.
• Too strong or bitter: use half a tablespoon less, or grind coarser. See why is my coffee bitter.

Change one thing at a time so you know what made the difference.

Different brewer?

Tablespoon amounts are a rough guide for drip, pour-over and French press. For French press specifically, see the French press coffee to water ratio chart. Cold brew uses a much stronger ratio. See French Press Cold Brew.