How to Brew Pour-Over Coffee with a Hario V60

A Hario V60 makes one of the cleanest, brightest cups you can brew at home, and it costs less than a bag of beans to start. This guide gives you a recipe with exact numbers, explains why each step matters, and tells you what to change when a cup tastes off.

What you need

• A Hario V60 02 dripper and V60 02 paper filters
• 15 g of freshly ground coffee, a little finer than for a drip machine
• Water just off the boil, and a kettle you can pour slowly from
• A kitchen scale and a timer (your phone works

Why is it called the V60?

Hario says the name comes from the V shape of the cone and its 60 degree angle. Two details make it brew differently from a flat-bottom dripper. Spiral ribs inside the cone keep the paper off the wall so air can escape, and a single large hole at the bottom means the dripper does not hold the water back. How fast or slow you pour decides how the coffee tastes. (Hario)

A simple V60 recipe, step by step

This follows Hario's own method, which is measured in multiples of the coffee's weight rather than fixed amounts. We have put numbers on it for one mug.

1. Rinse the filter. Fold the paper along its seam, set it in the dripper and pour hot water through it. Throw that water away.
2. Add 15 g of ground coffee and level the bed with a gentle shake.
3. Bloom: pour 30 g of water (twice the weight of the coffee) and wait 30 seconds. The coffee swells as it releases carbon dioxide.
4. Pour 60 g of water (four times the coffee), slowly, in small circles.
5. Pour a second 60 g once the level drops, then a third 60 g.
6. Let it finish. Hario's guidance is that brewing should be done within 3 minutes, however many cups you make.

That is 210 g of water in total, about 1 part coffee to 14 parts water, which gives a full, rich cup. (Hario's V60 method)

What ratio of coffee to water should I use?

There is no single right ratio, and that is useful to know. Hario's method works out at roughly 1:14. The Specialty Coffee Association's brewing standard uses 55 g of coffee per litre of water, about 1:18, which gives a lighter cup. (SCA Standard 310-2021) For 15 g of coffee, that is about 270 g of water. Start in the middle and adjust to taste: more water for a lighter cup, less for a stronger one. Our coffee brewing tips explain how dose changes strength.

What water temperature is best for pour-over?

The SCA standard asks for the brewing coffee to sit between 90 and 96°C (about 194 to 205°F). As our brewing tips explain, water about 30 to 60 seconds off the boil usually hits that range. James Hoffmann, whose V60 technique Hario publishes, puts it simply: "the hotter, the better (especially with lighter roasts)". (Hario USA)

What grind size does a V60 need?

Medium-fine. Hoffmann's recipe uses a medium-fine grind, and Hario leaves it to taste. Grind is your main dial for fixing a cup, so change it one step at a time.

How long should a V60 take, and what if it runs too fast or too slow?

For one mug, aim to finish in about 3 minutes, in line with Hario's guidance.

• Finished much sooner and tastes thin or sour? Grind a little finer.
• Still dripping well past 3 minutes and tastes harsh or bitter? Grind a little coarser.
• Tastes good but too strong or too weak? Leave the grind alone and change the ratio instead.

Do I really need to bloom the coffee?

Yes, and it only takes 30 seconds. Freshly roasted coffee is full of carbon dioxide. If you pour all the water at once, the gas pushes water away from the grounds and the brew runs unevenly. A small first pour lets that gas escape so the rest of the water can do its job. The fresher the beans, the more they bubble, which is one reason we roast in small batches.

Ceramic or plastic: which V60 should I buy?

Both are the same 02 size, which brews one to four cups. (Hario Europe) They make the same coffee; the difference is how they feel to own.

Which coffee is best for a V60?

A pour-over shows off bright, delicate flavours that heavier brewing methods can hide. Two of ours suit it well:

• Aurora Light Roast: mellow and bright with a delicate sweetness, from washed Colombian and natural Ethiopian coffees.
• Clipper to Rio Brazil Peaberry: a single-origin coffee, so you taste one farm region on its own.

Every bag is roasted to order, so it arrives close to its roast date.