BREWING THAT GREAT CUP OF COFFEE WITH THE COFFEE SCOOP!
- BREWING THAT GREAT CUP OF COFFEE WITH THE COFFEE SCOOP!
- WHAT IS THE NORMAL SIZE OF A COFFEE SCOOP?
- HOW LARGE IS YOUR CUP OF COFFEE?
- WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR COFFEE?
- HOW MANY SCOOPS OF COFFEE DO YOU NEED?
- WHAT MATERIAL SHOULD YOU CONSIDER FOR A COFFEE SCOOP?
- F.A.Q.
- WHAT SIZE IS A COFFEE SCOOP?
- IS A COFFEE SCOOP 1 OZ?
- WHAT MEASURE IS A SCOOP?
- CONCLUSION
Do you want to make the best cup of coffee?
When brewing your coffee, control is king: some things must stay the same, one of these things is a coffee scoop. The coffee scoop is one of the most important tools for making a perfect cup. It’s your guide to getting different flavors, depending on what type you’re using!
The coffee scoop is one of the first things people notice when they walk into your kitchen, so it should be something that makes them smile. And if you’re using the right size scoop, it will also help you make sure that every pot of coffee tastes exactly how you want it to!
You can read more about keeping things in sco(o)pe on Golden Sin!
WHAT IS THE NORMAL SIZE OF A COFFEE SCOOP?
What’s a normal size of a coffee scoop? Generally, you’ll need about 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds for brewing coffee.
As with most recipes, this isn’t good for everyone. Some people like stronger coffee, some like weaker. So you can play around with the number of ground coffee beans for different flavors (finely ground vs coarse). Two scoops aren’t the same for an espresso machine or a French Press.
Finding the right coffee ratio for you is done by a lot of trial and error, thus by experience. So many factors can influence the outcome of your brew.
The finer your grounds are, the more coffee you can have in 1 scoop and thus how stronger your coffee can be. When your coffee grounds are thicker and thus require more place in the scoop, this will give you less strong taste (if the factors are the same as water).
Everywhere they say, a coffee scoop needs to be about 2 tablespoons. Really? No, it doesn’t matter. There’s a wide range of coffee scoops, so measure them with a measuring cup.
HOW LARGE IS YOUR CUP OF COFFEE?
Before you think about the coffee scoop, you’ll probably know how many cups you’re going to brew. Keep that in mind.
Another important thing is the size of your cup. Everywhere you hear: a cup of coffee is small, big… so there’s also a wide range in definitions.
A coffee cup is not the same as a coffee mug, a coffee cup is about 6 ounces (~180 ml), a coffee mug is about 8 ounces (~240 ml). You have also other mugs like travel mugs, which are about double the size of a coffee mug. So think about this before you use your regular amount of scoops for brewing that cup of coffee.
After all, brewing coffee is all about math. If you adjust your cup sizes, please adjust your scoop amount with the same multiplier. Remember, we want to get the water to coffee ratio right.
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR COFFEE?
Simply take your scoop and fill them with tablespoons of water. You can count these until the scoop is full. Not all scoops are the same.
There’s even a better alternative to efficiently measuring these things: weight. We’ll do this by using scales, there’s a wide range available.
We won’t dive deeper into the scales in this post, but if you’re a real data person, it might be a great alternative to the scoop. Extra control in the brewing process is beneficial for brewing high-quality coffee.
If you always drink the same coffee from the same brand, you might scoop your coffee, if you change your coffee beans, please consider using a scale. You’ll be happy you did it.
HOW MANY SCOOPS OF COFFEE DO YOU NEED?
| Cup/Mug | Ounces coffee | Fluid ounces water | # Scoops | # Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cup | 0.36 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Mug | 0.48 | 8 | 1.33 | 2.66 |
You’ll read a lot of instructions on this one on the internet. We’ve said before that a scoop is about 2 tablespoons of coffee. That’s about 0.36 ounces or 10 grams of ground coffee for 6 fluid ounces of water (~180 ml).
Remember what we’ve talked about above: cups or mugs?
When you use a cup: use 2 tablespoons or 1 scoop of ground coffee (assuming 1 scoop is 2 tablespoons of course). A cup is about 6 ounces (~180 ml).
When you use a mug: use 8/6th, so about 1 1/3rd of a coffee scoop of coffee grounds. A mug is about 8 fluid ounces (~240 ml)
Remember, adjust your ratio according to the beans you use and the brewing method you’ll brew. Always take notes about what is best for you, proven data never lies when it comes to brewing coffee.
WHAT MATERIAL SHOULD YOU CONSIDER FOR A COFFEE SCOOP?
We’ve all done our research, we’ve bought the right coffee gear like coffee maker, grinder, whole bean coffee, and so on… yet we haven’t thought about the materials of our coffee scoop.
I hear you thinking out loud, why bother? It’s just for getting the coffee in my coffee maker and to start brewing? There’s something to say about the different materials, so stay with us on this one.
Generally, there are about 3 materials: plastic, ceramic and stainless steel.
Plastic
Plastic coffee scoops can downgrade over time more quickly. They can be a place where bacteria will grow if you don’t clean them regularly. Do you clean your scoop regularly?
When you say plastic, you also say BPA (Bisphenol A). We’ve written a post about BPA-free coffee makers, it would be weird to brew in a BPA-free coffee maker and get your coffee with a BPA-plastic coffee scoop right?
Ceramic
Ceramic coffee scoops can also downgrade over time and attract bacteria. As with most gear, a regular check or cleaning is needed.
Beware, ceramic can break easily if you let it fall onto the ground. These scoops don’t cost a lot of money but these costs are all extras and unnecessary right?
Stainless steel
Premium coffee scoops we’d say. They’re harder for bacteria to reach. Regular cleaning is still advised though and won’t harm you.
If they fall, they won’t break, of course, when falling from normal heights! These things last a lifetime if you use them right. Treat them well and clean them regularly.
F.A.Q.
WHAT SIZE IS A COFFEE SCOOP?
A coffee scoop is 2 tablespoons, about 10 grams or 0.36 ounces of either ground coffee or whole bean coffee. That’s the common size for a coffee scoop. There’s a wide range available for sale. If you have a new scoop, empty it and fill it with tablespoons of water, one at a time to measure it.
IS A COFFEE SCOOP 1 OZ?
No, a coffee scoop is about 2 tablespoons and thus about 10 grams or 0.36 ounces of ground coffee.
WHAT MEASURE IS A SCOOP?
A coffee scoop is about 2 tablespoons of coffee, about 10 grams or 0.36 ounces. Mostly you’ll drink coffee out of cups and mugs.
There’s a difference between cups and mugs in capacity: cups are about 6 fluid ounces, mugs about 8 fluid ounces.
Generally, you can say about 1/3rd of these ounces are the number of tablespoons (2 tablespoons or 1 coffee scoop for a cup and 2.67 tablespoons or 1.33 coffee scoops for a mug).
CONCLUSION
We’re all coffee lovers here and we deserve the best possible cup we can brew, period. Some things must stay the same and have a good ratio. One of the most underestimated parts of brewing coffee is measurement.
Measuring is possible via a scoop or a scale. It’s a small detail to some people in brewing that can make a major difference in brewing your daily cup of coffee.
A coffee scoop is about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee and per scoop, you’ll need about 6 fluid ounces of water.
Try and tweak the recipes and ratio for the best cup and write them down in your coffee bible ;)!
As always, enjoy your coffee!