A ratio is two numbers: how much coffee, how much water. Read 1:16 as one gram of coffee for every sixteen grams of water. Lower numbers mean stronger coffee.
The pour-over standard
1:16 is where most filter recipes live. It's not magic — it's the ratio where most coffees taste sweet, balanced, and clear without leaning thin or syrupy. Start here when you open a new bag. Adjust only after you've tasted what 1:16 does.
Stronger or lighter
1:14 pulls more concentration into less water. The cup is heavier, sweeter, and pushes back. Good for milk drinks or anyone who wants the coffee to be the loudest thing in the room.
1:18 is for tea-like clarity. Aromatic, delicate, slightly thinner-bodied. Best for specialty coffees whose nuance you want to hear, not coffees you want to feel.
Weigh, don't scoop
A scoop of beans varies by 20–30% depending on grind, density, and how you fill it. A scale does not. The most reliable upgrade you can make to your kit costs 15 €.