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How to make the perfect cup of coffee in the Hario V60

How to make the perfect cup of coffee in the Hario V60

V60 as a symbol of the third coffee wave

Hario began producing kitchenware for the home more than100 years ago, but one of its most significant moments came several years later. It was the research into temperature-resistant glass, the so-called "Hario Glass", which brought the products into many kitchens and cafés around the world.

In the barista world, Hario is a symbol of the third wave of coffee. It represents modern coffee preparation with respect for the raw material and the work of all the people involved in the coffee. TheDripper V60 is their flagship product, but they produce many morecoffee accessories.

Choosing a Hario V60 by size

The V60 has long since become more than just one. Everyone can choose their own according to preference. The brand's portfolio includes drippers in 3 sizes - 01, 02, 03.

If you prepare a cup of coffee just for yourself, choose theHario V60 - 01version . This dripper has the right size for a single coffee drinker. If you decide to invite a visitor for coffee, or if you really need a lot of coffee, reach for the larger version marked as Hario V60 - 02.

Size 03 is designed for up to 3 coffee drinkers and you can only get it in plastic.

All materials offer several color treatments. Which V60 is right for you? Image source: Mirka Vnenková

Choosing a Hario V60 by material

This brings me to the fact that you also have several materials to choose from, specificallythree.

The first of the materials used is plastic, which is popular mainly due to its durability and low price.

Next up, Hario is sending out ceramic 'v-sixes', which you'll find in a variety of colours. Some of them are also limited edition. You can also come across all-metal versions.

Regardless of the results of our test, the traditional ceramic V60 is the most popular version with most coffee drinkers. This is mainly because of the properties that this material has.

Ceramic feels more pleasant, is more durable and is more environmentally friendly than plastic. It can easily handle dishwasher cleaning, although most of the time you can just rinse it under running water.

Hario V60 decanter

Are you missing a glass version? I have something for you too. You won't find the glass V60 in the classic version, it is adecanter - a dripper connected to the bottom container with an insertable plastic filter holder. Size-wise it corresponds to the 02 version.

What's so great about the Hario V60?

Thereason why the best baristas' winning coffees are made with the V60 is because it'sfun. This alternative coffee brewing method is more than conducive to each barista's unique recipe and personal style of coffee making, whether professional or at home.

The Hario V60 transfers maximum flavour and aromas from the ground coffee beans into your cup. The result is a bold and juicy coffee that captivates and delights.

The emphasis is on originality in the coffee selection. Whether it is the unique processing of the coffee on the plantation, the original roasting process or the unique recipe of the barista. Professional baristas strive to create a "bespoke" recipe for each coffee and this dripper allows them to do just that.

What influences coffee preparation with Hario V60?

All of these factors determine how your cup of coffee will taste.

  • The ratio of water to coffee and their weight

The basic ratio you should start from is 6 grams of coffee per 100 ml of water. More coffee and less water will give you a fuller flavour.

  • Grinding coarseness

A coarser grind will bring out the acidity of the coffee, while a finer grind will slow down extraction and result in coffee with a bitter aftertaste.

  • Water temperature

Ideally, you should be between95°C and about 87°C. With cooler water, you will achieve a pleasant sweetness to the coffee and a mild acidity. Conversely, with warmer water you will get a more pronounced extraction.

  • How to pour the coffee

You shouldsteep and pour thecoffee evenly. The method of watering has a big effect on extraction and you want all the coffee to be extracted equally.

Choosing a paper filter

Just like the material, you have a choice when it comes to filters, and this decision will affect the taste of your coffee.

  • Paper filter

With paper filters, you have a choice of three sizes depending on the size of the dripper, but also different papers. The difference between them is the fineness or permeability of the paper.

  • Fabric filter

Do you want to save nature from paper filters? Thenfabric filtersare the right choice. However, it is important to remember that even cloth will wear out over time and its permeability changes with use.

  • Metal filter

Stainless steel filters not only save nature, but are also easy to clean. Just rinse it off. However, the metal funnel does not catch all the oils that are released from the coffee and thus affects its taste. The resulting cup then has a fuller flavour.

Before pouring the coffee into the paper filter, you need to run hot water through it. This does three important things that lead to a great cup of coffee:

  1. You get rid of the paper taste that would affect the final taste of the coffee in the cup.
  2. By keeping the paper filter moist, it will adhere well to the walls of the dripper.
  3. This way, the paper is firmly attached to the dripper and the decanter.

How do I make coffee in the Hario V60?

You know all about making and choosing a V60, so let's get down to making coffee. Thanks to its popularity with baristas around the world, you'll find many ways to make coffee with the V60 online.

TheV60 dripper can adapt not onlyto any coffee, but also to the barista. That's why everyone will eventually find their own special recipe. One that picks up exactly the characteristics you prefer in your coffee. At the same time, it lets theunique potential of the coffee you prepare shine through .

It's always good to have one recipe that never lets you down, so my tips include one universal recipe and then three more if you want to play around a little more.

The basic Hario V60 recipe

I've taken this basic recipe from a leading expert and world-renowned authority on coffee brewing and preparation - Scott Rao.

You will need:

  • 93°Cwater
  • 22 g medium finely ground
  • paper filter or other filter of your preference
  • dripper V60-02

Instructions for making coffee in the Hario V60

  1. Prepare the filter and fold the seam, then open the filter and insert it into the dripper.
  2. Rinse the filter with hot water. Pour out the water after rinsing the filter.
  3. Pour in the ground coffee and smooth it evenly (preferably by tapping the side of the dripper with your palm).
  4. Pour 60 g of waterover the coffee , remembering to start the stopwatch the moment you start pouring.
  5. This first watering is called 'blooming'. It prepares the coffee for proper extraction by allowing the hot water to release carbon dioxide from the coffee particles, a residue of the roasting process that would hinder extraction. Its release can be observed as bubbles forming on the surface, i.e. coffee blooming.
  6. Stir the coffeeduringbloomingto make sure all the coffee is moistened.
  7. After 30 seconds, when the coffee has bloomed, add 300 ml of waterin a slow circular motion .
  8. Stir gently in the direction you were pouring. You can also shake the dripper slightly in the middle of the extraction. The turbulence helps the extraction.
  9. Once the water has flowed (you should be able to do this within 2:15 min), remove the dripper and enjoy your coffee!

Preparing filtered V60 coffee using the 4:6 method

This method by barista Tetsu Kasuya involves pouring the coffee in a certain ratio one by one.

Prepare:

  • 20 g coarsely ground coffee (as per French Press)
  • 300 g of water at 93 °C
  • dripper: Hario V60 - 02

  1. Prepare a paper filter, rinse it and pour the water out of the pot.
  2. Pour the ground coffee into the dripper and settle it.
  3. First, pour three times the grams of waterover the ground coffee, i.e. 60 grams.
  4. After 45 seconds, pour the coffee again. Repeat the whole process 5 times in total - 45 seconds and 60 grams of water.
  5. At the third minute, remove the dripper from the coffee and swirl the coffee to combineall the flavours.

V60 filter instructions by Petra Strelecka

In 2017, Brno barista Petra Střeleckárepresented our country at the World Championship in filter coffee preparation. Let her recipe inspire you.

To prepare coffee according to Petra's recipe you will need:

  • a plastic Hario V60-01
  • paper filter
  • 14.8 g of medium coarse ground coffee. According to Petra's recommendation, coffee from America will be suitable .
  • 250 ml of water at 95 °C

  1. As with any other recipe, prepare the V60 and paper filter by rinsing it with hot water.
  2. Pour the coffee into the dripper and flatten the coffee bed.
  3. Thenpour 50 g of waterover the ground coffee in a circular motion. The flowering time should be 30 seconds.
  4. At an interval of 30 seconds, pour 50 g of water over the coffeefour more times to reach the final 250 ml of coffee.
Our video instructions will also help you prepare your coffee using this method.

Japanese iced coffee method with V60

With the V60, you can also make iced coffee that won't need to be refrigerated for several hours and will be ready to refresh you immediately. This method of making iced coffee is called the Japanese method and uses less water, which is partly replaced by ice. If you were to prepare the coffee in the classic ratio and then chill it with ice, the coffee would be diluted and the taste would be very weak.

For iced filter coffee you will need:

  • 120 g of ice
  • 20 grams of medium ground coffee
  • 180 ml of hot water for the preparation + 100 ml to pour over the filter
  • Hario V60 - 02
  • paper filter

  1. Prepare the paper filter for the dripper and rinse it with 100 ml of water.
  2. Then empty the container and put ice in it. Pour the coffee into the dripper
  3. Start the dripper and pour 50 g of hot waterover the coffee . Dip the coffee in a circular motion from the centre to the side then back to the centre.
  4. At 0:45 add 70 grams of water and at 1: 30add the remaining 60 grams of water.
  5. The extraction should end at 2:15.
  6. Circle the coffee at the end to help melt the remaining ice chunks.

V60 vs. AeroPress

The AeroPress is one of the V60's biggest competitors, yet the two preparations are very different.

  • The AeroPress is classified as a leaching brewing method, while the V60 is a drip brewing method.
  • Another difference is in the extraction time. TheAeroPress has a shorter brew time of usually around 1-2 minutes, while the V60 has a brew time range of2-4 minutes.
  • With a regular recipe in the AeroPress you will only prepare one cup of coffee, with the V60-02 (03)you will treat others.
  • Another important difference is also in the taste and texture of the coffee. Thecoffee from the AeroPress is thicker and has a fuller body. With the V60, however, you can prepare alight, fresh and sweet coffee that helps you to discover the flavour nuances of the different coffees.
  • The most significant difference is the use of pressure. Whereas in the V60 the water only flows through the coffee bed by gravity, the coffee in the AeroPress is literally squeezed through the filter. This makes it particularly suitable for fruity and natural coffees.

V60 vs. Chemex

Inaddition to the AeroPress, the V60 is often compared to the Chemex. In this case, the differences are slightly less, as both are drip brewing methods. But there are a few differences.

  • Chemex uses a thicker paper filter, which results in an even lighter taste. Coffee prepared in the Chemex will also be slightly more acidiccompared to the V60 .
  • With the Chemex, you'll brew more coffee at once, although the 03 variant matches the volume of coffee from the larger Chemex.
  • The difference, which may be irrelevant to some but crucial to others, is the material, i.e. glass versus plastic/nereal/porcelain.

Chemex and V60 are in a never ending battle. In addition, both tools can also be used to make loose tea. Source.

V60 vs. French Press

Coffee from V60 and French Press is very different, as is its preparation.

  • Thecoffee from the French Press is filtered only through a metal strainer and so is not clear and often has coffee particles in it. V60 coffee is cleaner due to filtration through a paper or other filter.
  • As with the AeroPress, pressure is used with the French Press, whereas gravity is the only pressure used with the V60.
  • Thecoarseness of the grind alsodiffers . This is usually coarse for the French Press and medium to medium-fine for the V60.

You will find similarities if you look at the extraction time, which is around3 minutesin both cases.

V60 vs. moka pot

Also in the last case, i.e. when comparing themoka kettle and the V60, you will find many differences.

  • In the case of the moka kettle, the coarseness of the grind is much finer, almost like an espresso machine.
  • The preparation of the two methods is very different. Moreover, you can recognize a cup of coffee from a moka pot at a glance. This is mainly because it is quite murky and delivers a fuller-bodied flavour compared to the V60. This is confirmed by the fact that mocha coffee is referred to as a substitute for espresso.