Brewing · Thanksgiving
Pie is coming and everyone wants a cup. Here is how much coffee to make for a full table, a few ways to brew it, what to pour with each pie, and a couple of easy after-dinner drinks.
The basics
Everything here uses one ratio: 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water (1:16). A kitchen scale makes it easy, but tablespoon amounts are included too. Grind just before brewing if you can, and taste the first pot. If it is too strong, add a little hot water to the carafe; if it is weak, use a bit more coffee next round.
An automatic drip machine is the simplest way to serve a table. A "cup" on a coffee maker is usually 5 oz, so a full 12-cup pot is about 60 oz (1.8 liters) of water. For a full pot, use about 110 g of medium-ground coffee, roughly 22 level tablespoons. Brew the first pot just before dessert and start the second as soon as it finishes. If your machine has a hot plate, move the coffee to a thermal carafe after 20 minutes so it does not taste cooked.
A standard 34 oz (1 liter) press makes about four mugs. Use 60 g of coarse-ground coffee (about 12 level tablespoons) to 1 liter of water just off the boil. Stir, put the lid on, wait 4 minutes, then press slowly and pour everything out right away, into mugs or a carafe, so it does not keep extracting and turn bitter. Two presses side by side covers a table of eight.
Pour-over is lovely for a few cups but slow for a crowd. The math is the same 1:16 ratio: 30 g of medium-fine coffee to 480 g (about 2 cups) of water makes two mugs. A larger brewer like a 6- or 8-cup Chemex can do 50 g of coffee to 800 g of water in one go. Save it for a smaller second round, or for the guest who wants something special.
Make this one to three days before so it is one less thing on the day. Stir 250 g of coarse-ground coffee into 2 liters of cold water, cover, and leave it in the fridge for 14 to 18 hours. Strain through a fine sieve lined with a paper filter. This makes a concentrate: mix it about half and half with cold water or milk over ice, or with hot water for a quick hot cup. It keeps well in a sealed jar in the fridge for about a week.
Ratio table
Most people have about one and a half mugs with dessert, so these amounts assume 1.5 eight-ounce mugs per guest. The water is a little more than what ends up in the cups, because the grounds hold some back.
| Guests | Mugs | Ground coffee | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | about 12 | 205 g (about 41 level Tbsp) | 3.3 L (about 14 cups) |
| 12 | about 18 | 310 g (about 62 level Tbsp) | 5.0 L (about 21 cups) |
| 20 | about 30 | 515 g (about 103 level Tbsp) | 8.2 L (about 35 cups) |
Tablespoon amounts assume about 5 g per level tablespoon of ground coffee, which varies with the grind and roast. One 12 oz bag holds about 340 g; a 1 lb bag about 454 g. Plan on making about a third of it decaf.
Pairings
These are starting points, not rules. If you only make one pot, a medium roast works with all three.
Medium roast
Pumpkin pie is creamy and spiced rather than very sweet. A medium roast with nutty, caramel or milk chocolate notes sits right alongside the spice without covering it. If your crowd likes flavored coffee, a pumpkin spice bag leans into the theme.
Light to medium roast
Apple pie has fruit, tartness and a buttery crust. A lighter roast with fruity, bright or cider-like notes echoes the apples. Many coffees from Central America and East Africa are described this way, so look at the tasting notes on the bag.
Medium-dark to dark roast
Pecan pie is the sweetest of the three. A fuller, darker roast with cocoa or toasted notes and a little bitterness balances all that syrup. Serve it black, and let people add their own cream.
After dinner
Makes 4 mugs
A gentle, warm mug for the whole table. Easy to scale and kid-friendly if you make it with decaf.
Makes 1 drink
The after-dinner classic: hot coffee, a little sugar and whiskey, under a layer of lightly whipped cream. For the adults at the table.
Contains alcohol. Please serve only to adults of legal drinking age, and skip it for anyone driving home. Leave out the whiskey for a simple coffee with cream.
Shop beans
Prices are shown as listed on each roaster’s shop and were in stock as of October 15, 2026. Prices and stock change, so check the roaster’s page before you order, and order a week or two ahead so the beans arrive in time.
Seasonal blends that small roasters put out for this time of year. A good choice for the big pot.
A fall blend named for the holiday itself, from a roastery and coffee shop in Quincy, Illinois.
$21 as listed
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A seasonal fall blend from Per’La in Miami. The roaster lists dark chocolate, orange and honey notes.
$18 as listed
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An autumn seasonal from Kings Coast in Bohemia, New York, listed as a medium roast.
$19 as listed
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A medium-roast holiday blend from Matthews, North Carolina, with chocolate and caramel notes listed. Easy to like for a mixed crowd.
$19 as listed
Shop this bagCoffees that line up with the pairings above, from a single origin with apple cider notes to a couple of pie-themed flavored roasts.
A Mexican coffee from Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham, North Carolina. The roaster lists cinnamon sugar, apple cider and milk chocolate, which makes it a natural match for apple pie.
$20.75 as listed
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A medium-roast pumpkin spice coffee from Chicago, listed with nutmeg, allspice and clove notes. For the pumpkin pie fans.
$15.99 as listed
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A flavored medium roast named for the Pennsylvania Dutch molasses pie, from Lancaster County Coffee Roasters.
$15.25 as listed
Shop this bagA limited pecan pie flavored coffee from European Roasterie in Le Center, Minnesota.
$13 as listed
Shop this bagDessert often runs late. Keep one pot decaf so everyone can have a cup.
A pecan-flavored decaf from Greencastle Coffee Roasters in Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
$17.50 as listed
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