What is the correct strength of coffee?

by Stephanie
(Vacaville, CA, USA)

QUESTION:

My husband insists that a good cup of coffee must be see-through.

He remembers, as a youth, going to a restaurant and the waitress would bring the coffee in a see through pot and you could see through the coffee (a light brown color).

I do not believe that is how to tell the perfect strength of coffee nowadays.

ANSWER:

The "see-through" test your husband suggests is not very reliable. There are so many variables. How strong is the light behind the pot or carafe? What is the diameter of the pot or carafe? In other words, how much coffee are you trying to see through?

To figure out the best strength for your coffee, first start out with the basic brewing rule of thumb: Two heaped tablespoons of ground coffee for each 6-ounces of water.

Taste the coffee and then decide, based on your own personal preference, whether it tastes too strong or too weak.

If it tastes too strong, use less coffee and more water. Or vice versa if it tastes too weak.

There is no rule when it comes to the strength of the coffee you brew. And no test other than your own taste buds.

Just make it the way you like it.

NOTE: I explain this in detail in my video, How much ground coffee to add when making coffee in a drip brewer.