- Also called: ratio
- Availability: Common
Brew ratio is the simplest single number behind any well-made coffee. For pour-over, the SCA Golden Ratio is roughly 1:16–1:18 coffee-to-water by mass. For espresso, ratios are quoted as dose-to-yield: 1:2 for a normale, 1:1 for a ristretto, 1:3 for a lungo. Changing only the ratio — without changing grind, time, or temperature — can move a coffee from sour and underdeveloped to balanced to bitter.