For a standard 12‑cup drip coffee maker, a good starting point is about 18–24 tablespoons of ground coffee for 60 ounces of water, with 15–18 tablespoons often giving a nicely balanced pot.

Quick Scoop (Short Answer)

  • Light coffee: ~12 tablespoons (about 72 g) for 12 cups.
  • Medium/regular: ~15 tablespoons (about 90 g) for 12 cups.
  • Strong: 18–24 tablespoons (about 108 g or a bit more) for 12 cups.

That assumes a “12‑cup” machine that actually brews about 60 fluid ounces total.

Simple guideline you can follow

Think in terms of coffee‑to‑water ratio (often called the “golden ratio”): around 1 part coffee to 15–18 parts water by weight.

  • For 12 cups (about 60–96 fl oz depending on your machine), this usually lands in the 90–108 g range of coffee.
  • Translated to kitchen measures, that is roughly 15–18 level tablespoons, or 6–9 standard “coffee scoops” (where one scoop ≈ 2 tablespoons).

If your coffee tastes weak, add 1–2 tablespoons more next time; if it’s too strong or bitter, reduce by 1–2 tablespoons.

Example “recipe” for a 12‑cup pot

  • Water: Fill the machine to the 12‑cup line (around 60 fl oz on many models).
  • Coffee for mild: 12 tablespoons (6 scoops).
  • Coffee for regular: 15 tablespoons (7½ scoops).
  • Coffee for strong: 18 tablespoons (9 scoops).

Sticking close to this range keeps you within the classic coffee‑to‑water ratios that most guides recommend for a 12‑cup brew.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.