Is 1:15 Really the Best Coffee Ratio? I Put It to the Test

It Smells Better Than It Taste — a quiet coffee newsletter where I share what I'm learning about coffee, curiosity, and daily rituals, this channel is an extension of that space: https://www.itsmellsbetterthanittaste.com/ I hope all is well with you — today's experiment is about going to the extremes before dialing it in. Instead of guessing at one ratio, I tested three: 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20, on the same Ethiopian medium roast coffee, using a flatbed brewer to lean into sweetness over acidity. The goal wasn't to find "the" right ratio — it was to find mine, and to show you a quick way to find yours. Testing 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20 ratios on one coffee, back to back Using 110 PPM water and a flatbed brewer to build balance from the start Comparing flatbed brewing to Hario V60 cone-shaped filters Tasting notes across all three ratios — from stringent and intense to watery and tea-like Landing on a direction between 1:15 and 1:17 for this specific coffee Why the bag's tasting notes matter less than how you actually like to drink it Do you usually brew at 1:10, 1:15, or 1:20 — or does it depend on the coffee? Let me know in the comments. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro: going extreme before dialing in 0:39 – The three ratios: 1:10, 1:15, 1:20 1:16 – The coffee I got wrong for weeks 1:40 – Today's coffee: Ethiopian medium roast 2:01 – Brew setup and water PPM 3:07 – Gear: flatbed brewer and grind setting