The Hario V60 is one of the most rewarding ways to brew coffee at home. It's also one of the most unforgiving—which is exactly why we love it. When you get it right, you'll taste clarity and complexity that other methods can't quite match.
This guide will walk you through everything: the equipment you actually need, the technique that works, and the adjustments that turn good cups into great ones.
Why the V60?
The V60's design is deceptively simple. A cone with spiral ribs, a single large hole at the bottom, and thin paper filters. But that simplicity gives you complete control over extraction. Water flows at whatever pace you pour it. The coffee bed extracts based entirely on your technique.
That control is both the appeal and the challenge. Unlike a French press or drip machine, there's nothing automatic here. Every variable is yours to manage.
What You'll Need
The essentials:
Hario V60 (Size 02 handles most brew sizes well)
V60 paper filters
Gooseneck kettle (this really is non-negotiable)
Scale with 0.1g precision and a timer
Fresh coffee, ground medium-fine
Good water
On dripper material: Plastic V60s actually outperform ceramic and glass. They don't absorb heat from your brew water the way ceramic does. Competition baristas overwhelmingly choose plastic despite appearances. If you already own ceramic or glass, don't worry—just preheat thoroughly.
On kettles: A standard kettle pours too aggressively for V60 technique. Gooseneck kettles let you control exactly where water lands and how fast it flows. Temperature-controlled models like the Fellow Stagg EKG make things easier, but a stovetop gooseneck with a thermometer works fine.
The Recipe
This is your starting point. We'll talk about adjustments afterward.
Step-by-Step Brewing
1. Prepare Your Equipment
Place the paper filter in your V60 and rinse it thoroughly with hot water. This removes papery taste and preheats the dripper. Discard the rinse water from your cup or carafe.
Add 20g of coffee to the filter. Give the dripper a gentle shake to level the bed, then make a small well in the center with your finger.
2. Bloom the Coffee (0:00–0:45)
Start your timer and pour 40–60g of water (about 2–3x your coffee weight) over the grounds. Pour in a slow spiral from the center outward, making sure all the coffee gets wet.
You'll see the coffee bed swell and bubble—that's CO2 escaping from the roasting process. Give the dripper a gentle swirl to ensure there are no dry pockets.
Wait 30–45 seconds. Light roasts may need the full 45 seconds; medium roasts are usually ready around 30.
3. The Main Pour (0:45–2:00)
Pour in slow, steady spirals from the center outward, keeping the water level relatively consistent. Avoid pouring directly on the filter walls—focus on the coffee bed itself.
By 1:15, you should reach about 200g total water. Continue pouring until you hit 320g around the 1:45–2:00 mark.
Pour slowly and deliberately. The gooseneck kettle should feel controlled, not rushed.
4. The Finish (2:00–3:30)
Once you've poured all your water, give the dripper one gentle stir clockwise, then one counterclockwise. This knocks any grounds off the filter walls back into the bed.
Finish with a gentle swirl of the entire dripper. This settles the coffee bed flat and promotes even extraction during drawdown.
The last drops should fall between 3:00 and 3:30. If it's significantly faster or slower, your grind needs adjusting.
5. Evaluate
Look at your coffee bed. It should be flat and level—a good sign of even extraction. Grounds stuck to the filter walls or a cratered surface suggest technique issues.
Now taste. We'll cover what different flavors tell you next.
Troubleshooting by Taste
If your coffee tastes bitter, harsh, or drying: It's over-extracted. Try grinding coarser first—this has the biggest impact. You can also lower your water temperature slightly or pour faster.
If your coffee tastes sour, thin, or flat: It's under-extracted. Grind finer, increase your water temperature, or extend your bloom time. Make sure all the grounds are getting wet during the bloom.
If it tastes both bitter AND sour: You likely have channeling—water finding shortcuts through the coffee bed instead of extracting evenly. Focus on your technique: pour more evenly, don't skip the final swirl, and make sure your bed is level before you start.
If brew time is way off: Grind is almost always the answer. Finishing before 2:30? Grind finer. Still dripping past 4:00? Grind coarser.
Adjusting the Recipe
Once you're comfortable with the basic technique, small adjustments let you dial in for different coffees.
Ratio: 1:16 is a great starting point, but you can go stronger (1:15) or lighter (1:17) based on preference. Adjust water amount while keeping coffee dose the same.
Temperature: Light roasts benefit from hotter water—try 96°C (205°F) or even just off the boil. Dark roasts extract more easily and can taste harsh at high temps; try dropping to 88–90°C (190–194°F).
Grind: This is your primary adjustment tool. Small changes create noticeable differences. If you're switching to a new coffee, expect to adjust.
For the Curious: Expert Techniques
If you want to go deeper, here are three methods developed by world-class baristas. Each takes a different approach to the same goal: even extraction and a delicious cup.
James Hoffmann's Ultimate V60
Hoffmann's method emphasizes heat retention and controlled agitation. Key differences from the basic recipe:
Uses water just off the boil for light roasts
Swirls aggressively after the bloom (not just gently)
Pours continuously rather than in stages
Finishes with a deliberate stir pattern: one clockwise, one counterclockwise, then a swirl
This approach produces very clean, clear cups that highlight a coffee's acidity and complexity.
Tetsu Kasuya's 4:6 Method
The 2016 World Brewers Cup winner developed this formula-based approach. It's unusual: you use a coarser grind (closer to French press) and pour in five equal installments.
The name refers to splitting your total water: the first 40% controls sweetness vs. acidity, while the remaining 60% controls body and strength.
For 20g coffee with 300g water, pour 60g five times at 45-second intervals. The breakthrough insight: adjusting the first two pours changes flavor profile. Pouring 50g then 70g emphasizes sweetness; 70g then 50g emphasizes acidity.
Scott Rao's Spin Technique
Rao pioneered the "Rao Spin"—a confident circular motion that levels the coffee bed and prevents channeling. His research found that adding spins after pours raised average extraction by about 1% in café settings.
The technique: after your bloom pour, give the dripper a firm swirl to saturate all grounds. After subsequent pours, gentler swirls settle the bed evenly. It's become standard practice in most specialty cafés.
The Flat Bed Test
Here's the simplest indicator of a good V60 brew: when the water drains, look at your coffee bed. It should be flat and level, with an even color throughout.
Grounds stuck to the filter walls mean those particles never extracted properly—you'll taste sourness beneath an otherwise balanced cup. A crater in the center suggests channeling. Muddy or uneven surfaces indicate inconsistent technique.
A flat bed means even extraction. Even extraction means balanced, complex, delicious coffee.
That's the goal. Everything else is just getting there.
Have questions about your V60 technique? We're always happy to talk coffee—reach out anytime.