QUESTION: – How many ounces is a serving of coffee? I’m confused about how much coffee is actually in a cup. Is it the same as a regular cup? – Joseph A.
ANSWER: – This is a common question among coffee drinkers and although this is a simple question, there is no simple answer. Six ounces is the standard serving size for one cup of coffee, when it comes to how it is measured with a coffee machine and your brew method. Though it varies a bit from country to country, the standard cup of coffee is measured in six ounce servings. In the United States, cups of coffee can be purchased in various sizes, all the way up to 32 and even 44 ounces, but is most commonly served in eight to 24 ounce coffee cups.
At Starbucks, coffee sizes vary pretty widely. The smallest size is an eight oz cup (short), and the next step up is double that size, for a whopping 16 ounces (Grande). The Venti size is regularly 20 ounces, while the iced Venti size holds an extra four ounces, though it is typically used for ice.
While the American standards of measuring a cup of coffee is officially eight ounces, the six ounce measurement for coffee and tea is pretty much universal. Still, in America, the standard coffee cup size is eight ounces. There are also plenty of large mugs available as well, and most people use a large cup for their morning brew.
So why does it matter what size cups people use and how much coffee the average person chooses to drink in one sitting? Well, it doesn’t really matter all that much, except for when it comes down to the science of brewing the best cup of coffee. It becomes rather confusing, when it comes to how much coffee you are supposed to add for the perfect cup of coffee in relation to how many cups you are trying to make. It can be even more frustrating when you learn that many coffee makers don’t agree on the size of what a cup should be, it can vary from four to six ounces of coffee.
If you use a pour over device to brew your coffee, there is a system of measurement in place, the golden ratio, that calls for 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee beans for every 32 grams of water you use. But this is very confusing as well for people who don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh out how many grams of water they are going to use. There’s got to be another way, right?
Well, the simple solution is to count the cups you are going to use and measure out 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each cup. This is suggested for six ounce cups. Start out using less coffee, maybe one tablespoon of coffee grounds per single cup unless you prefer a strong cup of coffee, in which case, you will want to use 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of coffee. The best way to find out what you prefer is by experimenting with it a bit and you will figure out the ratio that works best for you with your favorite brewing method. There is not really a wrong ratio when it comes to coffee brewing, it really depends on your personal preference.