Extraction Yield
The percentage of the dry coffee dose that dissolved into the cup. The single most predictive measurement of how a coffee will taste.
Extraction yield is the percentage of the original dry coffee, by mass, that dissolved into the brewed beverage. The Specialty Coffee Association target is 18–22%. Most great-tasting coffees land near 19–21%.
The formula
Extraction Yield % = (TDS × Beverage Mass) ÷ Dose
TDS comes from a refractometer reading of the brewed coffee. Beverage mass is the weight of the cup (or shot, for espresso). Dose is the dry coffee weight used.
Worked examples
- Espresso: 18 g dose, 36 g shot, TDS 9.5%. Yield = (9.5 × 36) ÷ 18 = 19.0%.
- Pour over: 15 g dose, 240 g beverage, TDS 1.32%. Yield = (1.32 × 240) ÷ 15 = 21.1%.
- Batch brew: 60 g dose, 1000 g beverage, TDS 1.20%. Yield = (1.20 × 1000) ÷ 60 = 20.0%.
The SCA brewing control chart
The Specialty Coffee Association plots TDS on one axis and extraction yield on the other. The "ideal" rectangle for filter coffee is roughly 1.15–1.45% TDS × 18–22% extraction. Espresso sits at 8–12% TDS × 18–22% extraction. Cups outside this rectangle don't necessarily taste bad — but they're starting from a statistically unforgiving place.
Reading the result
- Below 18% — under-extracted. Cup tastes sour, weak, salty. Grind finer, raise temperature, or extend contact time.
- 18–22% — in the zone. Use taste to fine-tune the last percent.
- Above 22% — over-extracted. Cup tastes bitter, hollow, dry. Grind coarser, lower temperature, or shorten contact time.
Why extraction matters more than ratio
Brewers often obsess over ratio (1:15, 1:16, 1:17). Ratio sets a range; extraction sets the taste inside that range. Two cups at identical 1:16 ratio can land at 17% and 22% extraction depending on grind, temperature, agitation, and water chemistry — and taste very different.
Related terms
- TDS — the strength measurement that extraction is calculated from.
- Brew Ratio — sets the strength range; extraction sets taste inside it.
- Dial-In — the process of converging on a target extraction.
Read more
Extraction calculator → · Full TDS & extraction guide →
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