Whole Bean To Ground Ratio – How Many Coffee Beans To Grind?

Last updated on November 13th, 2023 at 13:37

So you want to know how many coffee beans to grind and what the whole bean to ground ratio is? Then this article is for you. I will talk about various rations that you need to know and why it is important.

In fact, you can bookmark this page for reference.

If you are in a rush – here is the answer to the above posed question. The whole bean to ground ratio is 1:1. What this means I’ll explain later.

Whole Bean To Ground Ratio – How Much Does A Single Coffee Bean Weigh?

As I stated above, the whole bean to ground ratio is 1:1 or 100%, which is curious. When you look at a whole bean, it is much larger than a pile of grounds no matter how coarse or how finely ground they are.

This is the same no matter which grinder is used or which technique to grind the bean. I tested this with a flat blade grinder, a conical ceramic burr grinder, a conical metal burr grinder, a hand grinder and a good old-fashioned mortar and pestle using a bean from the same bag of whole beans.

After weighing 500 beans each from 20 different packs of whole beans, I found the average weight of a single coffee bean is 0.1325 grams (132.5 milligrams), which is 0.0046738 ounces.

Yes, 10,000 beans were weighed and recorded. I’m a geek for accuracy like that and had my staff at my coffee shop in Vietnam do the task during downtime and bring me the recorded results on a spreadsheet.

To find if there was a difference in the weight of whole beans and ground beans as a ratio, we ground them in a series of different grinders which were fully cleaned before the test to remove old grounds, dust and coffee grounds from beans that are in the grinders.

We ground 100 whole beans at a time from the same bag of whole beans in each of the 5 different grinders. We repeated this process for all 20 bags of coffee of various roasts and noted the results.

The result was that the weight of a ground coffee bean is the same as the whole bean. This means that the whole bean to ground bean ratio is 1:1.

Read: What is a coffee scale used for?

What Is The Ground Coffee To Whole Bean Volume Ratio?

To find out what the volume of ground coffee beans to whole coffee beans ratio is, we filled a cup with coffee beans from each coffee bag and ground them in each of the 5 different grinders. Again we fully cleaned the grinders for accuracy purposes.

The result was that each time we ground a cup of whole beans we ended up with a cup full of ground beans every single time.

This test we repeated for a very fine grind, coarse grind, a medium grind and as large a grind as we could. No matter how small a grind size or how coarse, the end result was still the same – we ended up with a full cup of grinds.

There was no excess and no missing grinds no matter what bean or grind size we used.

We found a ratio of 1:1 for the ground coffee to whole bean volume ratio.

Read: Why are coffee scales so expensive?

How Many Coffee Beans To Grind?

With this information, we can determine how many coffee beans to grind, and we can deduct that it does not matter so much if you weigh your beans before grinding or after grinding. You can also take the average weight of each bean and calculate how many beans you need.

Let’s say you are making a pour over coffee at 360ml (360 grams of water) at a 1:12 coffee to water ratio. You will need 30 grams of coffee (360/12 = 30).

With a scale, you can weigh out 30 grams or count 30 / 0.1325 = 226.4 beans.

This is not a technique that we at Latte Love Brew recommend you use due to a lack of accuracy over all as counting the beans is only an average weight and not an exact weight. We suggest that you weigh your coffee grounds while ground right before you start brewing. The end result will be much better.

However, if your scales are broken, or you have no access to scales, you can use the average weight of bean as a back-up.

How Many Grams Of Coffee Are In One Tablespoon?

his is a very good question, and much easier to run as a test. For the purpose of this experiment, we have taken the question as “how many grams of coffee are in one tablespoon of ground coffee?”

In this test we used varying grind sizes of the largest most coarse grind we could and the finest grind possible for each grinder. We split our coffee beans into two groups in which they fell, dark roast and light roast.

For accuracy, we tested 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each bag of coffee beans for each grind size.

The result was very interesting. On average, there are 5 grams of ground coffee for one tablespoon of light roasted coffee, independent of grind size.

For dark roasted coffee, there is an average of 7 grams of coffee per tablespoon, again independent of grind size.

This indicates there is a greater density in dark roasted beans and highlights why it is much better to use a digital coffee scale for weighing coffee.

How Many Grams Of Coffee Are In A Cup?

In terms of volume, one cup full of coffee beans will result in one cup of coffee grounds, regardless of the roast, grind size or the beans used. This is a test that we ran extensively.

How many grams of coffee are in a single cup of coffee is something that is difficult to give you an exact answer to as it depends on two factors; the size of your cup of coffee and the coffee to water ratio used to brew your coffee, which is often associated with the brewing method.

Let’s run a few examples to answer this question accurately.

A typical cup of pour over coffee at a 12 ounce sized cup and coffee to water ratio of 1:12 will use 30 grams (1 ounce) of coffee.

A cold brew coffee, 12 ounce cup size and a 1:8 ratio will use 45 grams (1.5 ounces) of coffee. A single or double shot of espresso, depending on the ratio used, be it 1:1.5 or 1:2 ratio, will have 7 to 14 grams of coffee.

How To Measure Coffee Beans

There is absolutely no doubt that the best way for you to measure coffee accurately is to use a coffee scale. The small investment is worth it as you will be weighing both the coffee grounds and the water used.

Your investment will pay for itself in a perfect Cuppa Joe every single time you make one. As each bean is different in its density, not only varying due to the roast, they vary from place of origin and each bean tastes different and has its own flavor characteristics and profile.

To get the most value, in terms of taste, you will need to weigh your grounds using a coffee scale. It would be such a shame to invest in great single origin beans and use too few grounds and not get the full flavor from the beans. It would be pretty bad if you used too many grounds and got too strong a flavor from them.

To correctly weight your grounds – which is the best way, when compared to weighing the whole beans simply place a small container on your scales, press tare to zero out your scales, so they do not include the weight of the container.

Now weigh your grounds and when you have the exact amount that you need, you can then brew and enjoy your coffee.

This is entirely the most accurate way of weighing your beans and getting consistently great coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions About Whole Bean To Ground Ratio

What Is The Ratio Of Whole Bean To Ground Coffee?

The ratio of whole beans to ground coffee is a one to one ratio. Ground coffee has the same mass as whole bean coffee. If you weigh one coffee bean and then weigh the grounds, no matter what grind size, how coarse or how fine, the weight will be the same.

Also, the same amount of space is taken up.

How Much Ground Coffee Does 1 Cup Of Beans Make?

The ratio of ground coffee and coffee beans is 1:1. The ratio is the same no matter what device you are using to measure, be it digital coffee scales or your kitchen scales. One cup of whole beans will result in one cup of ground coffee. 

Does Whole Bean And Ground Coffee Weigh The Same?

Yes, the mass of a coffee bean does not change if you grind it and to what grind size. 1 kilo or one pound of whole coffee beans are the same as a 1 kilo or one pound of ground coffee, regardless of the grind size. 

Is It Cheaper To Buy Whole Bean Or Ground Coffee?

Whole bean coffee is often more expensive than ground coffee. The reason behind the difference in price is that whole beans are of better quality and make a better quality cup of coffee. The manufacturers know it and the slight difference in price is worth it. 

Do You Weigh Beans Before Or After Grinding?

It is much better to weigh your beans before you grind them. You will keep them fresher for a little longer.

When you grind your beans you increase the surface area and thus accelerate the oxidization, therefore by definition it is better to weigh your coffee beans before you grind them as you reduce the time the grounds are in contact with oxygen and brew as soon as they are ground.

Is Whole Bean Coffee Stronger Than Ground?

No, there is no difference in terms of strength of flavor or caffeine content based on your beans being whole or ground. The main difference is the freshness, which is noticeable.

Do Whole Beans And Ground Beans Weigh The Same?

Yes, the mass of a whole coffee bean is the same as ground coffee beans and thus the weight is the same. Grinding your coffee beans does not change its mass. A coffee bean that weighs 1 gram will produce one gram of ground coffee.

Does 1 Pound Of Coffee Beans Equal 1 Pound Of Ground Coffee?

Yes, due to the mass of whole coffee beans not changing at all during the process of grinding them, one pound of whole coffee beans will produce one pound of ground coffee.

Frappé-ing It All Up – Whole Bean To Ground Ratio!

The whole bean to ground ratio is 1:1 when measured by weight and volume regardless of which grind size or which type of grinder you are using.

10 grams of whole beans will be 10 grams of ground beans and a cup full of coffee beans will be an equal cup of grounds.

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