Brewing a strong cup of coffee is a seriously misunderstood science. Most people assume strong coffee to be a dark roast and throw out terms like “bold” or “bitter”. Coffee’s strength does not come from its bitterness or roast level. Typically, lighter roast coffee’s have more caffeine but even caffeine levels are only one part of what makes coffee strong. A cup of coffee’s strength comes from its water to coffee levels, which is known as a ratio.
Strength in a ratio is up to the coffee drinker themselves. It will depend on each individual person to determine what ratio they will most enjoy. The “golden ratio” of coffee is for every gram (g) of coffee you use 16 millilitres (ml) of water. A 1/16 ratio is a well-balanced cup. However, depending on the origin of coffee you buy, how fresh it is, what roast level, how you are brewing it, and what brew method you are using, there may be other ratios that will work better for specific coffees. If you have a coffee that is overwhelmingly fruity, then a stronger ratio might be necessary. A more bitter coffee then you might want a less strong ratio. The ratio is dependent upon the person and their idea of strong coffee.
Balancing out coffee and water is incredibly easy if you have a scale or even measuring scoops. Creating a ratio is simple, invaluable for making your coffee taste better, and finds that perfect strength balance. Hope this helped answer some questions and remember, feel free to reach out to us for any more tips!
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♦1 – Hoffman, James. “The World Atlas of Coffee.” Octopus Books, 10.4.2018.
♦2 – Rao, Scott. “The Coffee Roaster’s Companion.” 2014.