The Perfect Pour-over with the Hario V60
February 15, 2023 (Published: March 18, 2020)
The Hario Dripper V60 is one of the most popular pour-over coffee brewing methods. It’s become a favorite of Brew Bar customers at our Crimson Cup Coffee Houses for its elegant presentation and the way it showcases the taste of the coffee.
Why We Like the Hario v60
This beautiful dripper comes from Japan, where the pour-over craze got started. It’s available in ceramic, glass and plastic models.
The V60’s distinctive cone-shape design, with spiral ridges along the inner wall, helps push its paper filter off the side wall. This enables extraction from both the bottom and sides of the brewer. A large, single-hole opening at the bottom allows you to decant the coffee directly into a cup after brewing.
The cone-shaped paper filters are among the thinnest on the market, allowing nuanced flavors to flow through without contributing much paper taste.
Follow the instructions and video below to learn the art of brewing with the Hario V60.
Preparing for the Perfect Pour-Over
Here’s what you’ll need to brew coffee with the Hario V60:
- Hario Dripper V60
- Hario Paper Filters (bleached or unbleached)
- Coffee cup to place under the Hario V60
- Fresh roasted coffee
- Burr Grinder
- Scale
- 300 grams of filtered water that’s just under boiling – 205 degrees.
- A goose-neck kettle with a thin spout (the thin spout provides the control you need to perfect this brewing method).
- Timer
- (Optional) a pour-over stand like the one pictured. Or, you can set the brewer directly on top of the coffee cup.
Follow these steps for a 12-ounce cup of coffee:
- Place the paper filter in the Hario V60 and rinse it with a stream of almost-boiling water. This will rinse out any paper flavor and helps the filter cling to the brewer.
- Weigh out 25 grams of fresh-roasted coffee and grind to your preferred texture. We recommend a fine-to-medium or drip grind.
- Add coffee to your brewer, level the coffee in your brewer, and zero out the scale.
- Make a small indentation in the middle. Start the timer.
- Starting in the middle of the indentation, pour just enough water to wet the grounds – about 50 to 60 grams.
- Let the grounds sit for 30 seconds to “bloom” as the fresh coffee swells and releases carbon dioxide.
- Slowly pour in the remaining hot water in concentric circles, moving from the indentation outward. Don’t allow the water to rise above the coffee grounds, and try not to pour over the filter at the very edges. You can stop and start pouring as long as all of the grounds remain consistently wet.
- Stop pouring when you reach 200 grams of water. The pour – and brewing – should take two to three minutes.
- When you’re finished pouring, the remaining grounds should be flat and evenly distributed around the edge of the filter.
- Remove the brewer and pour the coffee into a warm mug. Enjoy!
Coffee Extraction and How to Taste It
When coffee professionals taste espresso or brewed coffee, they often describe it as either over- or under-extracted.
When you mix coffee and water, the water acts as a solvent, extracting the flavors from the coffee grounds.
The compounds in coffee extract in order. The process starts with most of the pleasant acids and salts, bringing in the balance of sugars until finally unpleasant acids or tannins are most of what’s left.
When over extraction occurs, you will taste bitter, papery, ashy or smoky dryness with a thin, watery body.
When your coffee is under extracted, it will taste sour, salty, muddy and weak.
You can fix under- or over-extracted coffee by making small adjustments in the grind and amount of coffee.
Adjusting the Variables
Use a consistent technique. Only change one variable at a time, then track your results.
Evaluate the Grind
A finer grind of coffee increases extraction. The brewing process will flow slower and last longer.
A coarser grind decreases extraction. The brewing process will flow faster and shorten your brewing time.
Consider the Strength
If the coffee tastes right but you want more or less body or presence of coffee flavor in the liquid, you can adjust your coffee to water ratio.
If the coffee tastes too dense or thick, use less coffee.
If the coffee tastes weak or watered down, use more coffee.
Changing the strength of the coffee often means you need to adjust your grind.
Choosing a Coffee for Hand-Pour Brewing
We especially recommend trying pour-over brewing with bright coffees that have fruity and floral notes. This brewing method allows their natural sweetness and subtle flavors to shine through. For a smooth, nuanced cup, consider our craft coffees.
If you’re in the Columbus or Tallmadge area, you’re invited to stop by one of our Crimson Cup Coffee Houses to sample micro-lot coffees at our Brew Bar. Our Cuppers will be happy to discuss the fine points of pour-over while serving one of the best cups of coffee you’ll find anywhere.
Check Out Our Other Home Brewing Tutorials
Once you get the steps down, pour-over coffee is actually quite easy. It takes a little more time and attention than drip coffee or French press, but you gain control over all aspects of the extraction process.
The process differs slightly depending upon the brewing equipment you choose.
Check out our other home brew tutorials before choosing your brewer:
Looking for everything you need to brew awesome coffee at home? You can stock up on coffee, brewing equipment and beverage ware in the Crimson Cup store.
Originally published: November 8, 2012
Last update: March 18, 2020