CupClarityOur approach International Coffee Day 2026: a home tasting plan for 2, 4 or 6 people
A small tasting for October 1, with a practical water-and-coffee worksheet, a repeatable serving plan and a downloadable ratio card.
Published September 24, 2026. Calculations and planning examples are our editorial work, not results from a tasting trial. Defaults are adjustable examples. No affiliate links.
| People | Water per coffee | Grounds per coffee | Total for two coffees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 320 g | 20 g | 640 g water + 40 g coffee |
| 4 | 640 g | 40 g | 1,280 g water + 80 g coffee |
| 6 | 960 g | 60 g | 1,920 g water + 120 g coffee |
Start with two coffees and one question
International Coffee Day falls on October 1. FAO’s March 10, 2026 announcement reports the UN resolution proclaiming the observance and its focus on coffee’s social and economic importance. For a home gathering, a useful starting question is simply: which of these two coffees would we choose for tomorrow morning? Our plan below is an informal tasting, not a professional cupping protocol. Pick two coffees you can identify and describe honestly, and use the same brewing method for both.
Size the preparation, not an imaginary finished yield
The worksheet uses 160 g of brew water per person for each of two coffees, at a chosen 16:1 water-to-coffee ratio. That gives some room to pour modest tasting portions, but it is not a promise of 160 ml in each cup. Grounds and equipment retain water. Weigh the drink you actually collect, divide that evenly and record the served amount. The table shows quantities for each coffee and the combined shopping total; do not put the combined coffee dose into one brewer.
Check the brewer before multiplying the recipe
For four people the example needs 640 g of water and 40 g of grounds for each coffee. If your brewer cannot handle that batch comfortably, make two equal smaller batches and label the servers. Do not fill above the manufacturer’s limit. Changing batch size can change how water moves through the bed; our arithmetic does not establish that the same grind setting or brew time will work. A rehearsal with the equipment you already own is more useful than buying a larger brewer for one afternoon.
Use a serving order you can actually repeat
Label the coffees A and B and keep the bags available to read afterwards. Write down the dose, water, grind setting and start time for each brew. Serve comparable amounts in matching cups when possible, and compare them at a comfortable drinking temperature. Taste A then B, then revisit them in the opposite order. This will not remove every bias; it makes the sequence clear enough to discuss without pretending the exercise is a blind laboratory test.
Keep the tasting notes short
Ask each person to note their preference, how strong the drink seems and one description in ordinary words. Leave room for a second note after it cools. Milk or sugar can be tried afterwards in a separately recorded portion; otherwise you may end up comparing additions rather than the two preparations. Do not infer origin, quality scores or processing methods from a flavor guess. Use the bag’s actual information when talking about the producers and roaster.
Make one change next time
Save the recipe that was easiest to repeat, including any difference between planned and collected water amounts. The linked calculator opens with the four-person, per-coffee example; change the water amount for your brewer. Download the ratio card for the counter or share its calculator link with guests. A gathering on October 1 gives you a reason to start, but the useful outcome is a preparation note you can return to after the calendar event ends.
How we research these guides · Find your next step
