The complete V60 brew guide
Ideal for home brewing beginners and roastery experts, the Hario V60 is renowned for making top-quality pour over coffee.
Our complete guide will walk you through V60 brewing to help you achieve the perfect pour:
What is V60 coffee?
V60 coffee is a type of coffee brewing method that uses the Hario V60 - a glass, plastic or ceramic V-shaped dripper.
This V60 is one of the most popular ways to make pour over coffee (also known as drip filter), and it involves pouring hot water over your coffee grounds.
Once poured, the water slowly drains through the grounds, towards the bottom of the cone shaped dripper and into your mug.
When was the V60 invented?
The V60 is a relatively new product, invented in 2004 by Hario - a Japanese glass manufacturing company.
The name Hario is derived from the ancient Japanese words for glass: 玻璃王, and King 王, ō, and can be translated to ‘the King of Glass’.
Hario products are environmentally friendly, using minerals that are completely natural to refine heat-proof glassware.
Over the years, Hario has designed several products, but the V60 coffee dripper is their most famous invention.
The name ‘V60’ comes from its V shape and 60 degree angle, and it is available in ceramic, glass, plastic and metal.
Japanese coffee culture:
Despite being better known for tea drinking traditions, there is also a huge coffee culture in Japan.
In fact, Japan is one of the world’s top three coffee importers, generating the third highest revenue globally after America and Germany respectively.
The perception of coffee drinking in Japan differs greatly to that of tea drinking. Whereas tea culture is viewed as a social and unifying event linked to long standing traditions, coffee shops are seen to serve as a more disruptive social function, and were commonly used as meeting places for social movements during the 1970s and 1980s.
Fun fact: The concept of drinking coffee as a chilled beverage with cold water is thought to have originated in Kyoto, Japan.
What does V60 coffee taste like?
Brewed correctly, V60 coffee should be crystal clear - hold it up to the light and you’ll see this beautiful rose gold liquid.
If it didn’t taste so good we’d be just as happy staring at it all day!
The V60 produces bright, clean acidity that is well balanced and it’ll highlight fruity notes in your coffee.
We absolutely love pouring all coffees on the V60, but especially juicy Kenyan roasts, as the fruit bomb mouth explosion is something to behold.
What you'll need to get brewing:
- Kettle
- Timer
- Odd Kin’s speciality coffee (grind type: whole bean or pourover)
- Hario V60 dripper
- Filter papers
- Scoop
- Scales
How to use a V60 coffee dripper:
If you’re new to home brewing, the Hario V60 is a great place to start.
We love the simplicity of the V60 - follow our Head Roaster’s 6 step V60 coffee instructions to brew the perfect cup:
Step 1: First things first, boil 250 ml of water in your kettle.
Step 2: Next, pop your V60 filter paper into the V60 and wet it with boiling water. Wetting the filter helps to remove any papery taste from getting into your brew. Once you’ve done this, discard the water and place your V60 and mug onto your coffee scales.
Step 3: Using your scale and scoop, measure approximately 15g of coffee. This will be enough coffee to make a 250 ml brew. You’re going to be using a medium to medium-fine grind, finer than cafetière, but not as fine as AeroPress.
Step 4: Carefully add your ground coffee into the V60, making it as level as possible. Then, poke a little dip in the middle to create a small well.
Step 5: It’s time to pre-infuse the coffee. Start by pouring the water into the well in delicate spirals. At this stage, you want to double the weight of the coffee in water, then lightly swirl the V60 to evenly mix the water and ground coffee. Wait for 30 seconds to allow your brew to ‘bloom’, this enables C02 to escape the coffee.
Step 6: Continue to pour the rest of the water very gradually in concentric circles. Do your best to evenly cover all the coffee and avoid directly pouring onto the paper or agitating the coffee grounds.
Step 7: After some of the liquid has drained, give your V60 another little swirl to level out the bed of coffee. Your coffee should brew in 3 - 4 minutes. Voila! Your coffee is served.
Top Tip: We recommend using fresh, filtered water to allow for a fuller flavoured brew.
To learn more about V60 coffee brewing, check out our Coffee Making Masterclass - a workshop designed to improve home brewing skills.
V60 coffee FAQs:
What grind size should I use for V60 coffee?
The best V60 grind size is a medium to medium-fine grind. Each coffee particle will be between 0.5 - 0.75 mm in size, with a texture that’s slightly smoother than sand.
We recommend grinding your coffee to order, as whole bean coffee keeps fresher for longer.
This can be done with a hand grinder or electric coffee grinder, but if you don’t have one of these - don’t worry, we can do it for you!
All you have to do is choose which bag of Odd Kin’s speciality coffee you want, then choose the Pour Over grind type and add to cart.
What is the best coffee to water ratio for V60?
When using a V60, we recommend a coffee to water ratio of roughly 1 to 16. This means that for every 15 g of coffee you use you’ll need 250 g of boiling water.
Should I use filtered water for V60 coffee?
Yes, we always recommend using fresh, filtered water to improve the quality and taste of your coffee. How? You can use a coffee water filter to optimise your water for home brews.
How long should a V60 take to brew?
When brewing V60 coffee, you need to factor in 30 seconds of bloom time.
This starts a chemical reaction that lets CO2 gases escape from the coffee. Including the bloom, your brew should be ready in 3 - 4 minutes.
What are the benefits of V60 coffee?
If you’re only just getting started with home brewing, the V60 is one of the most popular entry-level drippers.
There are lots of pros to brewing V60 coffee, including:
- Affordable: The Hario V60 comes in various models for different budgets
- Portable: Take your small coffee dripper with you wherever you go
- Great heat retention: The glass and ceramic V60 dripper helps keep your coffee warmer for longer
- Easy to brew: It’s a straightforward brewing style that you can pick up quickly
Which is better, V60 or AeroPress?
Both the V60 and AeroPress offer several benefits to coffee lovers.
We really can't say which product is better, because they each boast cool features and functionalities.
To compare these brewing styles, check out our AeroPress brewing guide.
Where can I buy a Hario V60?
You can buy the Hario V60 right here from Odd Kin Coffee Roasters.
We stock both the V60 Glass Dripper and the V60 Plastic Coffee Dripper, as well as the paper filters.
While you’re at it, bag yourself some speciality beans! We promise you won’t be disappointed.
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