There is no one-size-fits-all on how much coffee for 6 cups. It can be 6 scoops or 15 tablespoons and depending on how strong or weak you want your coffee. However, it helps to know how much coffee is for 6 cups especially if you’re making it for a group.
At first, it might be a bit of a hit-and-miss, but you will definitely come up with the one that fits your palate. Thankfully, other coffee lovers have established some ratios you can use as a guide in finding the best balance for you.
How much coffee to use for a perfect cup of coffee? (the Golden Ratio)
Determining the best amount of coffee for 6 cups worth may vary greatly depending on a lot of factors. Applying the golden ratio that suits best for you will help you find the perfect balance for your coffee.
Yes, even coffee has a so-called golden ratio —and there are actually quite a few of them. Basically, it refers to the ratio between water and coffee. 🚰+☕
It’s up to you to choose the taste and zero in on a preference.
It also depends on where you’d be drinking your coffee from. Are you sipping from a mug or a coffee cup? This is pretty important since coffee cups and mugs differ in size.
There are even different coffee sizes depending on what you’ll be having. Take a look at this guide from Shutterfly below.
With that said, you also need to determine how much liquid your coffee maker can hold before testing out any one of the ratios mentioned in this article.
One of the most commonly accepted golden ratios for coffee is between 1:15, This is for a lighter coffee taste. If you stronger coffee, you can stick to a ratio of 1:18.
That means you need 15 or 18 grams of water for every gram of coffee. By the way, a gram is equal to ml.
A usual mug can fit somewhere between 8 to 12 ounces. If you got that figured out, all you need to do is calculate how much liquid your mug can fit, and then figure out your own ratio.
But before you do the math, keep in mind the following things:
- Type of coffee beans
- Your coffee machine (capacity and type)
- The kind of water you use in preparing your coffee
- Brewing method
All these might affect the flavor of the coffee you are preparing.
There are various methods available for brewing coffee. But in general, it is categorized into two: Immersion or Infusion, and Percolation.
French Press or AeroPress falls under the process called infusion, sometimes also referred to as immersion. This requires all of the water to mix in with the coffee.
On the other hand, percolation is just water passing through a bed of coffee. Coffee prepared through percolation needs more water compared to that made from an infusion. Keep that in mind when determining the right water-to-coffee balance for you.
Experimenting with which one suits you the best is highly recommended before sticking to the one for your usual coffee fix.
How much coffee for 6 cups?
If you are preparing coffee for half a dozen people, 6 scoops of coffee grounds or between 57 to 75 grams is good.
Let’s assume you’ll be using a coffee machine to prepare 6 cups of coffee. You can measure a cup as 6 ounces.
Now let us apply the golden ratio to determine the right amount for different strengths of coffee. Take a look at the table below. 👇
How many scoops of coffee for 6 cups?
To make 6 cups of coffee for a group, you are going to need 6 scoops of coffee.
However, it is important to note that it is not a perfectly accurate method for measuring coffee. While the standard coffee scoop is made for a 6-ounce cup, a coffee pot usually has a “cup” of around 5 ounces per cup. Yeah, that calculation is off.
Scoops can also differ in volume. If you want to make things easier for yourself, it might be a good idea to buy a coffee scoop like this one from Amazon below. 👇
And even if it’s a standard coffee scoop the amount of coffee will change depending on the grind.
Here are the different kinds of coffee grind:
- Coarse Grind
- Medium-Coarse Grind
- Medium Grind
- Medium-Fine Grind
- Fine Grind
If your beans are coarsely ground, water will move quickly between the pieces, extracting only a portion of the flavor. Fine coffee grinds are packed closer together. Water may take longer to pass through all of the grounds, extracting more flavor as a result.
This also means there is more coffee in a fine grind compared to a coarse grind. You should take this into consideration when making coffee.
How many tablespoons of coffee for 6 cups?
Assuming 1 level tbsp is 5 grams, you would need 11.5 - 15 tbsp for 6 cups of coffee.
These amounts follow the golden coffee ratios between 1:18 to 1:14. Go lower for lighter coffee or higher for stronger coffee.
Honestly, it might not even be that convenient because it doesn’t hold much coffee. You’d have to scoop coffee with a tablespoon many times compared to when you’ll be using a scoop.
Tablespoons can vary from 5 to 8 grams which doesn’t make it an accurate way to measure coffee.
However, this is something that is more likely found in the kitchen. I mean not everyone has a coffee scoop, while everyone most definitely has a spoon. Right?
How much coffee grounds for 6 cups? (grams)
You need between 57 to 75 gr of ground coffee for making 6 cups of coffee.
These amounts follow the golden coffee ratios between 1:18 to 1:14. Go lower for lighter coffee or higher for stronger coffee.
As I mentioned above, keep in mind that the brand or the grind of your preferred coffee would most likely affect the final result.
But it is best to adjust your calculations based on your actual experience in brewing your favorite coffee.
The downside to preparing coffee this way is the number of steps required in the preparation. This includes bringing out your scale, scooping coffee to weigh, weighing the coffee and adjusting the amount, and putting the weighing scale away.
But hey, you can say this method compared to the others is the most accurate. And the process reminds me of science projects in middle school.🧪
It also helps that there are kitchen scales made for exactly the purpose of making your favorite cup. Here’s a coffee scale I found on Amazon. 👇
Pretty cool huh? I can imagine looking so voguish preparing coffee for my guests with this.
How many ounces of coffee for 6 cups?
In terms of weight, around 2 to 3 ounces would do for 6 cups.
For volume, however, a coffee maker with a 6-cup capacity would require 30 ounces of water for 12 to 15 tablespoons of coffee.
As usual, making your own adjustments based on your preference is suggested before you pick a ratio you plan to stick to.
What’s the best way to make coffee for 6 cups?
Having visitors over can be pretty daunting. And you definitely want to impress your guests with food and drinks.
To recap, 57 to 75 grams of coffee should be enough to prepare 6 cups worth of coffee using the common coffee machine.
So among everything that has been discussed, which one is actually the best way to measure coffee for 6 cups? The answer depends on what is accessible and convenient for you. But if it was up to me, I’d say using scoops is the best in terms of ease.
But what’s the best way to make coffee for 6 cups?
There’s already so much to do when you have guests over. Even if you are only expecting 6 people, it can pretty much get your hands full.
A coffee maker like the one below that can make a big batch of coffee can be quite a big help. 👇
You can also try a fancy french press like the one below.
Since a french press works without power, you can take your coffee party out on the garden or patio.
I hope our article on how much coffee for 6 cups is helpful for you to prepare for your next coffee party!
