How to Brew Pour-Over Coffee with a Hario V60

Method

1. 0:00

   Fold the filter seam, set it in the V60, and rinse it thoroughly with hot water. Discard the rinse water.

   Rinsing removes paper taste and pre-heats the cone and carafe.

2. 0:00

   Add 15 g of coffee and tap to level the bed. Tare your scale.

3. 0:00 – 0:45

   Bloom: pour 50 g of water to fully saturate the grounds, then gently swirl. Wait until 0:45.

   Expert tipFresh coffee will dome and bubble — that is CO₂ escaping. The swirl wets every ground so extraction is even.

4. 0:45 – 1:15

   First pour: add water in slow concentric circles up to 150 g total.

   Keep the pour gentle and avoid drilling into the bed.

5. 1:15 – 1:45

   Second pour: top up to 250 g total, keeping the water level steady.

6. 1:45

   Give the V60 one gentle swirl to settle the grounds flat against the filter.

   Expert tipA flat bed at the end means the water drew through evenly — the single biggest lever for a clean cup.

7. 1:45 – 3:30

   Let it draw down. The brew should finish between 3:00 and 3:30.

   Finishes before 2:30? Grind finer. After 3:30? Grind coarser.

Why this works

The V60’s steep 60° cone, spiral ribs, and large single hole let you control flow with your pour rather than the dripper — more water raises the level and speeds extraction, less slows it. The 1:16.7 ratio is a reliable starting point for clarity without thinness. The bloom degasses fresh coffee so CO₂ doesn’t push water away from the grounds, and the final swirl flattens the bed so every particle extracts evenly. Grind size is your main dial: it sets contact time, and contact time sets strength and balance.

Where beginners go wrong

1. 1

   Brew drains too fast and tastes weak or sour

   Your grind is too coarse (or your pours too aggressive). Grind finer so total time lands near 3:00–3:30, and pour gently.

2. 2

   Brew stalls and tastes bitter or harsh

   Your grind is too fine and the bed clogged. Go coarser and avoid agitating the bed late in the brew.

3. 3

   Cup tastes flat or papery

   Rinse the paper filter thoroughly with hot water before adding coffee, and use water just off the boil.

4. 4

   Uneven, lopsided spent bed

   Pour in steady concentric circles from the center out and give a final gentle swirl so the grounds settle flat.

What you should taste

A clean, bright cup with clear fruit and florals and a tea-like body — the V60 emphasizes clarity over heaviness. A flat, even spent bed is the visual sign of a good brew. Bitter and hollow means over-extracted (grind coarser); sour and thin means under-extracted (grind finer or use hotter water).

FAQ