Coffee Brewing Calculators: Ratios, Extraction & Espresso Tools

by Marcus McCombe | Jun 26, 2026

TL;DR

Routes Coffee has three free brewing calculators to help you make better coffee at home. The Pour-Over Ratio Calculator works out how much coffee and water you need for any cup size. The Coffee Extraction Calculator estimates TDS and extraction yield across five brewing methods, with a visual brewing control chart. Furthermore, the Espresso Calculator identifies your shot style (ristretto, normale, lungo) and diagnoses dial-in issues like channelling. Use them individually, or work through all three to develop your palate and technique.

Why Use a Coffee Calculator

Making great coffee is about getting four variables right: ratio, grind, time, and temperature. Furthermore, small changes in any one of them shift the final cup in noticeable ways. A coffee calculator helps you stop guessing and start brewing with intention.

A good calculator does three things. First, it gives you a starting recipe based on your method and roast level. Second, it estimates where your brew sits on the extraction spectrum, between under-extracted (sour, weak) and over-extracted (bitter, harsh). As a result, it tells you whether to adjust your grind, your time, or your ratio next.

Whether you are dialling in a new bag of beans, troubleshooting a brew that doesn’t taste right, or just trying to make your morning cup a little better, the right calculator gets you to a better answer faster than guesswork.

The Three Routes Coffee Calculators

We have built three calculators to cover the most common home brewing decisions. Furthermore, each one targets a different brewing question.

1. Pour-Over Coffee Ratio Calculator

Use this calculator when you need to know how much coffee and water to use for a pour-over brew. Enter your cup size and roast level, and it gives you the dose, water weight, and a recommended ratio.

Best for: beginners, anyone setting up a new pour-over recipe, scaling up for a group.

Covers: V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave, and most filter brewing methods.

Try it: Pour-Over Coffee Ratio Calculator

2. Coffee Extraction Calculator

This is the more advanced filter calculator. Choose your method (Espresso, V60, Filter/Moccamaster, AeroPress, French Press), set your dose, water, grind, time, and temperature, and the calculator estimates your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and extraction yield. Furthermore, it places your brew on a visual brewing control chart so you can see whether you are heading toward under-extraction, over-extraction, or the balanced sweet spot.

Best for: anyone learning extraction theory, comparing methods, troubleshooting a brew, working with a refractometer.

Covers: five major brewing methods, three roast levels, three method-specific presets (Balanced, Bright, Rich).

Try it: Coffee Extraction Calculator

3. Espresso Calculator

The espresso-specific tool. Enter your dose, yield, shot time, grind, and water temperature, and the calculator identifies your shot style (ristretto, normale, lungo), estimates TDS and extraction yield, diagnoses channelling and shot speed issues, and gives you specific dial-in advice based on your roast level.

Best for: espresso drinkers, home baristas dialling in a new bean, anyone diagnosing a shot that doesn’t taste right.

Covers: ristretto/normale/lungo classification, channelling detection, choked shot diagnostics, roast-aware dial-in advice.

Try it: Espresso Calculator

How TDS and Extraction Yield Work

Two numbers sit behind every brewing calculator: TDS and extraction yield. Furthermore, understanding what they mean helps you make sense of the readouts.

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). This measures the strength of your coffee as a percentage. As a result, it tells you how much dissolved coffee is in the liquid. Filter coffee typically sits between 1.15 and 1.45 percent TDS. Espresso runs much higher, typically 8 to 12 percent. A higher TDS means a stronger, more concentrated cup.

Extraction Yield. This measures the percentage of soluble compounds you have actually pulled from the coffee. The specialty coffee standard is 18 to 22 percent. Below 18 percent and the cup tends to taste sour or weak (under-extracted). Above 22 percent and it tends to taste bitter or harsh (over-extracted). Furthermore, the same extraction yield range applies across most brewing methods, from espresso to French press.

The two numbers work together. A brew can be strong (high TDS) but under-extracted (low yield), or weak (low TDS) but over-extracted (high yield). A good brew hits both targets at once.

Which Calculator Should You Use

Pick the calculator that matches the brew you are making.

Making a pour-over and want a quick recipe? Use the Pour-Over Calculator. It is the fastest way to get a working recipe.
Want to understand extraction theory or compare methods? Use the Coffee Extraction Calculator. It estimates TDS and yield with a visual control chart.
Pulling shots and dialling in espresso? Use the Espresso Calculator. It is the only one with channelling diagnostics and dial-in advice.

If you are new to specialty coffee, start with the Pour-Over Calculator and work your way up. Furthermore, if you are already comfortable with brewing, the Extraction Calculator and Espresso Calculator will be more useful.

Better Calculators Need Better Beans

A calculator can guide your technique, but the beans determine the ceiling. Furthermore, freshly roasted specialty coffee, brewed within a few weeks of roast date, will always taste better than supermarket coffee dialled in to perfection.

A Routes Coffee subscription delivers freshly roasted single origins and blends to your door, with detailed tasting notes for each coffee. As a result, you can match your brewing recipe to the flavour profile the roaster intended. Cancel or pause anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best coffee-to-water ratio?

The most common starting ratio is 1:16, meaning 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. Furthermore, lighter roasts benefit from longer ratios (1:16 to 1:18) for clarity, while darker roasts work well at shorter ratios (1:14 to 1:16) to avoid bitterness. Use a brewing calculator to dial in the right ratio for your specific coffee.

What is TDS in coffee?

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. It measures the strength of your coffee as a percentage. Furthermore, filter coffee typically runs at 1.15 to 1.45 percent TDS, while espresso runs much higher at 8 to 12 percent. A higher TDS means a stronger, more concentrated cup.

What is extraction yield in coffee?

Extraction yield is the percentage of soluble compounds dissolved from the coffee into the water. The specialty coffee standard is 18 to 22 percent. As a result, brews below this range taste sour or weak, and brews above it taste bitter or harsh.

How do I know if my coffee is under-extracted?

Under-extracted coffee tastes sour, sharp, weak, or hollow. Furthermore, it often lacks sweetness and finishes quickly on the palate. The fix is usually a finer grind, a longer brew time, hotter water, or a combination of the three.

How do I know if my coffee is over-extracted?

Over-extracted coffee tastes bitter, astringent, ashy, or dry. Furthermore, it often feels harsh in the back of the mouth. The fix is usually a coarser grind, a shorter brew time, cooler water, or a combination of the three.

Are coffee calculators accurate?

Coffee calculators provide estimates based on your inputs. Furthermore, the readouts are visual guides rather than laboratory measurements. For precise TDS and extraction yield readings, use a refractometer. Your specific grinder, machine, water, and bean freshness will all affect real results.

Do I need special equipment to use a coffee calculator?

No special equipment is needed. You need a kitchen scale (accurate to 0.1g if possible), a timer, and your brewing kit. Furthermore, a thermometer helps if you are dialling in water temperature. A refractometer is useful for precise TDS measurement, but not required.

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