Ratios & dosing

A brew ratio is the mass of water divided by the mass of coffee. Write it as 1:16 — one part coffee, sixteen parts water. Almost every filter recipe on earth lives between 1:14 and 1:18; espresso runs from 1:1.5 to 1:3; cold brew concentrate sits near 1:5 to 1:8. The number is shorthand for a promise: how concentrated this cup can possibly be.

Can, not will. Ratio sets the ceiling on strength — extraction decides how close you get to it. A 1:14 brew that extracts poorly can still taste hollow; a careful 1:17 can taste rich. Ratio is the frame, not the painting.