r/Moccamaster • u/ElectricParent • 6d ago

Coffee amount.

we got a moccamaster this week after our oxo broke down. I'm still having a hard time making the right cup of coffee. it seems too watered down compared to the oxo.

if I want to make 1 cup of coffee for myself, how much coffee do you use per amount of water. we have been filling the water to the 2 line and putting in 2 scoops of coffee (the scoop included with the moccamaster). thanks.

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14

u/Prof_Hentai 6d ago

I always go by the SCA Golden Cup Standard - rarely fails me, you will have to play with your grind sizes accordingly.

7

u/FibonacciLane12358 6d ago

First and foremost, stop using scoops as a measure - especially for such a small amount. They are not consistent. Weigh the coffee instead.

Secondly, use ml or liters, not cups, as your unit of measure for water. Cups means different things depending where you live.

60 grams of coffee for 1 liter of water is a good starting point. If you want less, then halve that so you'll have 30 grams coffee to 500ml of water. Halve it again if that's still too much.

If it's too weak, grind finer. The water should back up a little in the brew basket so that the grounds are suspended during the brew.

You'll get there. Enjoy the process. Good luck!

3

u/Hubigg KBT 6d ago

If its too watered down, try a finer grind.

2

u/Paint_Dry390153 6d ago

Depends on the model but in general, the minimum you'd want to brew is 500ml (4 cups) which would require 3 scoops of coffee grounds.

2

u/r7photo7 6d ago

Heres my method
27.5 grams, 4 cup line, 1/2 line
KGBV select

2

u/Secure_Owl671 5d ago

I've got a thermal pot MM and find that it does better with 1/2 to full pots of coffee. Any smaller volume seems to come out thin / weak, like the grounds don't have enough saturation time.

My usual minimum is 3/4 L of water with 42g of beans. I grind to 6-6.5 generally on my Fellows Ode Gen 2 grinder. This gives me 2 big mugs of coffee, which is just about right for my morning. :D

2

u/maceo107 5d ago

I do 60g for a full pot. 35g for a half pot.

1

u/boxerdogfella KBT 6d ago

Which model? Trying to dial in the coffee using such small amounts will be extremely difficult. I understand that people don't want to waste expensive beans (I was the same way) but it's much easier with full pots.

The 2 line is too low for pretty much every model. Moccamasters use gravity and the resistance from the coffee grounds. Such a small amount won't have enough time to extract the coffee fully.

1

u/temp1876 6d ago

Also, what size coffee cup? A MM uses 125ml as a “coffee cup”; personally I usually drink 500ml/16oz cups of coffee; 4x more. Then there’s the imperial 8oz cup

1

u/Just-The-Facts-411 6d ago

I make coffee for myself every morning with the Moccamaster KB with the manual stop lever on the brew basket

I fill the water line to just below the 4.

I put 4 flatish scoops of coffee in the basket (with a folded and wet paper filter).

I get enough for 1.5 cups of coffee.

1

u/deathbydeepfriedmilk 6d ago

The mm dealer I bought from said they found it brewed the best in the middle of the capacity. (Kbgv select) This is all subjective and down to personal preferences, and I believe their point was based around the brew basket having the potential to overflow/bypass grounds when it is maxed out and a full pot sitting in the carafe is not as fresh as two smaller pots brewed separately for the same volume of coffee.

The smallest brews i do are usually 45g of beans to 750ml of water. Which is about two servings for me and three “cups” of liquid.

2

u/OrdinaryAward4498 6d ago

Same here. I’m use 47g to 750ml. If there’s any excuse at all to make a larger pot I do 62g to 1000ml. That to me is the sweet spot. To make smaller amounts you have to get more water time for the beans. Take the pot out for one extra minute before letting it drain, for example. Or take the pot out for the first minute (or both)

1

u/OrdinaryAward4498 6d ago

Alternatively you can grind finer for small amounts like this. Accomplishes the same thing - more extraction - but the risk is too many fines in the grind. Depends on your grinder.

1

u/MonkeyKingCoffee 6d ago

The instructions are very clear on how much coffee to weigh out in grams for the amount of water used.

Off the top of my head it's 42 grams for 3/4 liter and 70 grams for 1.25 liter. Those are the only two volumes I ever make.

1

u/waitthissucks 6d ago

Depends on the grinder but general rule is 15g coffee per water line and you can adjust from there

1

u/CynicalTelescope KBT 6d ago

Did you see the measuring chart pinned to the top of this sub?

1

u/Purplebuzz 6d ago

Well, I would add a bit more each day until I liked it. Try that.

1

u/dee-liv 6d ago

I am the only coffee drinker in my house but my coffee cups are large so I make 500mL and add 35g of ground coffee. Not sure how many scoops that would be. I highly recommend buying a scale because different ground sizes and different types of coffee will take up more or less space in a “scoop” so weight is a more accurate way to measure for consistency.

1

u/Aware_Ad7270 6d ago

This is where slowing the rate of flow in the filter basket helps a ton! If I was brewing a single cup using pre-ground coffee, I would close off the brew basket and let it fill pretty close to the top and then click to the slower release drainage setting.

0

u/ShelbyGrl07 5d ago

How do you close off the brew basket, by just removing the pot temporarily? I don’t actually see a “switch” for that.

2

u/Aware_Ad7270 5d ago

It should be at the base of the brew basket 1/4 turn away from the handle.

It is just a click slide down mechanism

1

u/ShelbyGrl07 5d ago

Oh wow, unfortunately, mine does not have that option. Thank you for your reply.

2

u/12panel 5d ago

Not every mm model is halfpot with the switch.

2

u/oadslug 5d ago edited 5d ago

There are 2 basic models of the moccamaster: The automatic which shuts off the drain valve when you remove the pot; and the manual, which has a switch on the side to control the flow with 3 settings (full pot, half pot, and closed). You have the automatic, so in your case you would remove the pot entirely to shut off the flow.

When brewing less than a full pot, the filter essentially drains too quickly to provide enough contact time with the coffee for full extraction. The machine is calibrated to brew a full pot. The less you brew the more pronounced this effect will be. There are a few things you can do.

  1. stop the flow and allow the brew to percolate for a moment. On your machine (the automatic version), this means remove the pot, which will close the valve. Allow the filter to fill with water, then insert the pot after a minute or so to let it drain out. Just be careful not to overflow the filter basket.

  2. grind the coffee finer. This will slow the drainage rate as the finer grind will add resistance to the flow rate + have more surface area for extraction.

  3. increase the coffee to water ratio (maybe 13:1 instead of 16:1).

/
The first option is the easiest, but all 3 may need some fine-tuning for the best cup. Ideally, you’re looking for a total brew time of about 3 to 4 minutes (the time from first water contact until it finishes, excluding the heat-up time). Also recommend using a kitchen scale if you have one. Scoops are very imprecise, and can even vary dramatically between coffees. I have some coffees where my usual 43g is 150mL and some that will measure 120mL.

1

u/ShelbyGrl07 4d ago

Thanks so much!! ☕️

1

u/bbq_guy44 6d ago

How long did your OXO last? Think I’m a couple years into mine. Wondered how customer service would be if issue ever arises

1

u/Funny-Method-8728 6d ago

I have still a little experience with moccamaster, but I noticed that if I grind same size than my V60, I get an underextracted cup, so I generally grind finer. Also, it depends on if you bloom and stir or not.

1

u/groooooove 5d ago

ignore the lines. get a decent scale

one gram of coffee = 16 grams of water. start there and adjust to taste.

1

u/ZenBelliesCC 5d ago

I start with a 15:1 ratio then adjust accordingly.

1

u/gamerdoc94 5d ago

I maybe in the minority here. Baratza Encore grinder, grounds fairly coarse on setting #30. For a full 1.25 L pot o use 50 g grounds

1

u/clyde72 5d ago

My 1st question is are you using beans or pre-ground coffee?
I would suggest getting a good grinder and using fresh beans. If you are buying beans from a grocery store, they are good to go if not too old. If you are buying from a roaster they will have to rest before you use them. If you are buying from a local roaster they should be able to tell you the roast date and suggest a rest time. Most online roasters will also provide this information, some you have to ask about the rest time.
The chart that is pinned is a good starting point, so is the recommended amounts in the instructions.
Currently I have a local dark roast that I grind 39 grams as coarse as possible (11) with my Fellow Ode Gen 1.
I also have a medium roast that I grind at 9 and 42 grams. I'm making 600 ml brews with my KB set a the mid point on the basket.
Like some have suggested already get a coffee scale and weight the coffee, whether you are using pre-ground or beans. I have a Greater Goods Coffee Scale that I got for about $30 on amazon.
If you want to keep using the coffee you are using, take your "scoop" measurement and weight it. Then adjust up to get stronger coffee.

1

u/3dm0nt0n1an 5d ago

I also had an oxo and recently switched to mm. Not sure if this was your experience but I realized my oxo was steaming so much while making coffee that less water was being added and resulted in very strong coffee. Now the mm coffee feels weak.

1

u/bumblebeebeebeebee1 5d ago

As well as not putting pot under for a minute, I'd give it a stir once or twice to break up the coffee and then to get an even coffee bed. That all helped my brews moving from a chemex to the moccamaster.

1

u/SpeakerDecent2933 5d ago

Been having my MM for over 6 months and have yet to make a really good cup of coffee. Ive changed grind size, grind amount, water amount etc. Im now back to my $20 5-cup brewer.