How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale? (Proven With Tests)
“How to make pour over coffee without a scale” is a fairly common question when you are outdoors camping and have forgotten to bring along your weighing scale.
Well, the best way you can make pour over coffee without a scale is by using a coffee measuring spoon. In fact, any spoon works!
All you need to know is the amount of coffee each of these spoons holds and you are set.
In this blogpost, I am going to show some of the common household items that you can use to measure coffee without relying on a scale.
Disclosure
Some of the links here are affiliate links, and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. I hope you find the information here useful! Thanks!
At a glance: How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale
How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale?
In absence of a scale, the next best alternative you have is to use a coffee measuring spoon. But this requires you to have prior experience measuring out coffee with the measuring spoon.
For example, if you have been making your pour over coffee with 15 grams of coffee and you know you always use two tablespoons. You can simply replicate that measurement.
However, if you have always relied on your scale, fret not because I will cover all about how much coffee each of the measuring spoons can bear below.
To do so, we need to know about weight measurement and volume measurements.
Weight Measurement
By weight measurement, you need to know the weight of each coffee bean. On average a single coffee bean weighs 0.12 grams on average. Bear in mind that coffee beans come in various shapes and sizes!
Knowing this, you can roughly estimate how many coffee beans you need for your brew.
For example, a typical pour over coffee recipe uses 15 grams of coffee. Therefore, you will need roughly 125 coffee beans to get 15 grams of coffee.
Without a scale, you have to count each coffee bean, one by one. But this method is long, tedious, and honestly not practical.
Unless you really have the time to spare, I’d highly suggest using the volume measurement method instead.
Volume Measurement
Volume measurement is the next best alternative you have if you do not have a scale for pour over coffee. This method estimates the number of coffee beans or coffee grounds each measuring spoon holds.
As an example, through multiple tests that I’ve done, a single scoop using a measuring spoon (tablespoon size) yields 7 grams of coffee beans on average.
However, you have got to understand that coffee beans come in various shapes and sizes. Therefore each scoop that you make might yield slightly varying results.
Although there are more accurate ways, this serves as a really good estimation if all you have are measuring spoons.
Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoons
Looking for some great measuring spoons for your coffee?
The Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoons are accurate and most importantly durable!
On top of that, it comes with a leveler which is very handy for coffee measuring!
4 Ways To Measure Coffee For Pour Over (Volume Estimation Method)
Figuring out how much coffee each of the measuring spoons hold is too much work. And so, I have done the hard work for you and summarized the results here.
In this section, I will use some of the most common household items that you can find and find out how much coffee each of them can hold. Also, since some of you may opt to use coffee grounds instead of coffee beans, I made a measurement for both coffee beans and coffee grounds.
1. Measuring Spoon
Since measuring spoons is almost a staple item in every single household’s kitchen, this will be the first recommended item that I will share.
For this test, I use the 2 types of measuring spoons which are the tablespoon and teaspoon. Also, for results consistency and replicability, you should level out the measuring spoon.
After a couple of runs measuring the coffee beans and coffee grounds with each of the measuring spoons, below is a summary of the results.
| Measuring Tool | Measuring Tablespoon | Measuring Teaspoon |
|---|---|---|
| Average No. Of Coffee Beans | 60 | 20 |
| Coffee Beans Weight | 7 grams | 2.5 grams |
| Coffee Grounds Weight | 2.5 grams | 2.1 grams |
Results: On average, one measuring tablespoon of whole coffee beans is 7 grams while one measuring tablespoon of ground coffee is 6 grams.
On the other hand, one measuring teaspoon of whole coffee beans is 2.5 grams while one measuring teaspoon of ground coffee is 2.1 grams.
Not much of a difference here.
2. Common Tablespoon
If in any case, you do not have measuring spoons laying around, common tablespoons are good enough too. I am sure you will have access to that easily.
Fortunately, an ordinary tablespoon has a wide surface area with reasonable depth. This allows you to scoop good amounts of coffee in a single scoop.
Although the tablespoon’s depth is not as deep as the measuring tablespoon, it has a wider surface area. So again for consistency and results replicability, try not to mount your tablespoon with too much coffee.
The table below summarizes the results of using a common tablespoon to scoop both whole coffee beans and ground coffee.
| Measuring Tool | Common Tablespoon |
|---|---|
| Average No. Of Coffee Beans | 90 |
| Coffee Beans Weight | 9 grams |
| Coffee Grounds Weight | 6 grams |
Results: On average, one common tablespoon of whole coffee beans is 9 grams while one common tablespoon of ground coffee is 6 grams.
3. Common Teaspoon
Another alternative is an ordinary teaspoon if you do not have access to a common tablespoon.
Since the teaspoon surface area is fairly small and has barely any depth, expect yourself to make multiple scoops of coffee. To save you the time to measuring this one by one, I made multiple scoops of coffee using a teaspoon and measure them out.
For your reference, the table below is the result of my tests.
| Measuring Tool | Common Teaspoon |
|---|---|
| Average No. Of Coffee Beans | 23 |
| Coffee Beans Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Coffee Grounds Weight | 2.1 grams |
Results: On average, one common teaspoon of whole coffee beans is 2.5 grams while one common teaspoon of ground coffee is 2 grams.
4. Bonus: Aeropress Coffee Scoop
Here’s a little bonus to all Aeropress owners out there. For you guys, your Aeropress kits come with a coffee scoop. During such times, this coffee scoop is pretty convenient if you do not have your measuring scale.
This is because the Aeropress coffee scoop has a deep “U” shape which allows you to scoop both whole coffee beans and coffee grounds without making a mess.
And you know the drill by now, you should level out the coffee beans or coffee grounds in each scoop.
The table below summarises the weight of coffee beans and coffee grounds that will get with a scoop of the Aeropress Coffee Scoop.
| Measuring Tool | Aeropress Scoop |
|---|---|
| Average No. Of Coffee Beans | 163 |
| Coffee Beans Weight | 16 grams |
| Coffee Grounds Weight | 16 grams |
Aeropress Original Coffee Maker
Highly reliable and durable coffee brewing device.
This manual coffee brewing device uses a combination of pressure and immersion to produce a consistent smooth, full-bodied coffee.
Excellent for beginners!
Other Factors That Affect Volume Measurement
While using a measuring spoon to measure out coffee in order to make pour over coffee without a scale seems straightforward, there are also other little factors that affect this measurement.
Here I will discuss 4 factors that will affect the volume measurement of coffee for pour over when using measuring spoons and ordinary spoons.
#1 Whole Coffee Beans and Ground Coffee
Both whole coffee beans and ground coffee occupies a different volume of space in a single scoop.
At a glance, you will think that there will be more coffee when you scoop coffee grounds. But in reality, whole coffee beans are denser and hence each scoop of whole coffee beans has more coffee than you think.
Ground coffee on the other hand is comparatively finer in size but the coffee particles are loosely arranged. While the scoop may seem full, there are actually a lot of empty spaces between the coffee grounds.
#2 Roast Levels
The roast levels of coffee beans have a direct correlation to the weight of the coffee beans. In other words, the weight of a Light Roast and a Dark Roast of a single same coffee bean is different.
This is because as the roasting level progress and develops, it gradually removes moisture from the coffee bean. Therefore, a single scoop of Light Roast coffee beans is comparatively heavier than a scoop of Dark Roast coffee beans since it has higher moisture content.
In fact, since they are of different roast levels, you will also need to tweak your brew ratio to extract the optimum flavor from the coffee.
#3 Coffee Grind Size
Different coffee grind sizes will occupy different volumes of space.
For comparison, a single scoop of fine coffee grounds contains more coffee in comparison to a scoop of coarse coffee grounds. This is because finer coffee grounds occupy more space per volume and there are lesser gaps between each particle.
In the context of this post, the measurements above are for pour over coffee. Hence, the numbers presented in this post use medium-coarse grind size which works best for pour over coffee.
#4 Static And Clumping
For static and clumping, this applies specifically to ground coffee beans. If you notice, sometimes you will see your coffee grounds clumping up due to static.
This will cause some discrepancy in volume estimation when you scoop up the clumpy coffee grounds.
To prevent this, you can loosen up your ground coffee before scooping.
Author’s Note: The clumps that we are talking about here will easily crumble with light pressure. If it is a hard clump, it is most likely due to moisture and oxidation. In this case, the coffee grounds might not taste good anymore or may have gone rancid.
Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale
If you didn’t have a coffee scale yet for pour-overs, this is the perfect one to start with.
The Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale measures in 0.1 gram increments for the highest precision.
On top of that, there is a built in timer which is certainly a plus point for all pour over coffee brewers.
Caffeine Dojo’s Pour Over Coffee Recipe
A post on pour over coffee is definitely not complete without sharing my personal pour over coffee recipe. And since we are addressing the question of How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale, this recipe will reflect that too!
Caffeine Dojo’s Pour Over Coffee Recipe Requirements
Step-By-Step Guide To Making Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale
1. Boil a kettle of water and allow it to cool a little before transferring 225 ml of water to a gooseneck kettle.
2. Scoop out 2 scoops of whole coffee beans with your measuring spoon (tablespoon). This should yield you approximately 14 grams to 15 grams of coffee.
3. Grind your coffee with a hand grinder or electrical grinder.
4. Set up your pour over coffee equipment and wet the filter paper with hot water.
5. Pour your coffee grounds into the filter paper and gently tap it to level the coffee bed.
6. Start your timer and begin pouring water onto the coffee grounds.
7. In the first 20 seconds, from the center, pour in a circular motion outwards while aiming to saturate all the coffee grounds.
8. Allow the coffee to bloom for 15 to 20 seconds (you will notice some bubbling).
9. Proceed to pour in a circular motion outwards from the center until you reach ¾ of the filter holder level.
10. Keep refilling until you have depleted all the water in the kettle.
FAQ On How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale
How Many Tablespoons Ground Coffee For Pour Over?
For pour over, you will need to use 2 level tablespoons which will yield about 15 grams of coffee. This is perfect for a brew ratio of 15:1 where you need 15 grams of coffee and 225 ml of water. Using this ratio, you will definitely brew a fairly decent pour over coffee with your first try.
How Do You Measure Pour Over Coffee?
The perfect measurement for pour over coffee is a water-to-coffee ratio of 15:1. Essentially, you have to weigh the amount of water you want to brew and divide that by 15. This ratio will yield you a balanced cup of pour over coffee where you can taste the natural flavors of the coffee beans easily.
How Fine Does Pour Over Coffee Need To Be?
The perfect fineness of a pour over coffee is a medium-coarse grind. This is because a medium-coarse grind offers the right resistance for optimum extraction of flavors from the coffee grounds. For physical reference, a medium-coarse grind size looks slightly finer than the coffee grind size you would use for French Press
Can You Make A Pour Over With Just A Filter?
Yes, you can make a pour over with just a filter as long as you have a fitting container to hold the filter in place. While the right brewing gear offers the best results, alternatives such as a cheesecloth or putting the filter in any funnel cone. However, do not expect the flavors to be as delicate as using proper brewing equipment.
Closing Notes
That concludes and answers the question of How To Make Pour Over Coffee Without A Scale. In fact, with these numbers, you might not need a coffee scale anymore for your pour over coffee.
That said if you are serious about how your coffee taste, you can always measure and portion out your coffee before traveling. That way, you can be sure of the weight of the coffee that you are brewing each time.
If you find this piece of article informational and have taught you a thing or two about ways to measure coffee without a scale, please share it with your fellow friends, baristas and home brewers!
Happy brewing!
