Hario V60 Recipe:
Perfect Pour Over Coffee

The Hario V60 dripper is the coffee community’s dream brewing device. Cheap, portable, and relatively easy to use. As long as you have the right Hario V60 recipe you’ll get all the amazing flavors from your coffee beans in a few easy steps.

It may be intimidating in the beginning, but we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. Soon, you will be making amazing pour over coffee at home. So let’s dive right in:

Time needed: 5 minutes

1. Set up your Hario V60

Place the paper filter in the V60 and put it on top of your mug or carafe. Then pour hot water through the filter to heat up the V60 and mug/carafe. This also removes the “paper taste” that can come from the filter. Don’t forget to discard this water before brewing.

2. Weigh and Grind Your Coffee Beans

For the perfect Hario V60 recipe, you will want to start with the golden ratio of 3:50. (Hint, jump ahead to our V60 ratio calculator for the exact coffee-to-water measurements).

This means for the 01 V60 you’ll need 3.5 tbsp (21g) of coffee and 12 oz (350ml) of water. Your coffee should be slightly coarse ground, about the size of kosher salt or sand. Once ground, place your coffee into the filter. 

3. Bloom the Grounds

You want your water to be around 200-205°F (93-95°C), not boiling. If you don’t have a temperature-controlled kettle then leave it for 2 minutes after boiling and you should be close enough. This temperature is the same for many different types of coffee maker so investing in a kettle could be a good idea.

Pour a small amount of water into the V60, around 50g if using a scale. It should be just enough to cover your grounds. You’ll see the grounds rise up and foam a bit, this is known as the “bloom”. It is all the gasses escaping from the grounds and allowing them do this means better coffee. Give them a stir to ensure they’ve all degassed. Manual coffee methods like the V60 coffee dripper are generally better for pre-infusion. Only the expensive automatic machines do it. 

4. Pour the Rest of the Water

Now you need to slowly pour in the rest of the water. Pour in a circular motion working from the outside of the filter, moving towards the middle. With the 01 V60, you want to do this until the scale says 350g or until you’ve used all 12 oz of water. Pour over any dark spots and avoid light spots for even extraction.

It can also be a good idea to gently stir the grounds a couple of times at this point too. The coffee community is divided on whether or not you should stir the grounds to get more even extraction from the V60. The best thing to do is to try both ways and see which result you prefer.

The name comes from the “V” shaped filters that are used and the 60-degree angle of the sides – V60. It’s made by Japanese coffee maker giant, Hario, and is a beautiful example of Japanese simplicity and functionality in design.

Drip coffee brewers have been around for a long time but were on the sidelines due to the popularity of espresso machines. The V60 and other pour over drip coffee makers (like Chemex) have recently risen to prominence due to the third-wave coffee movement. The movement has focused more on non-pressurized extraction methods. 

• 01 V60: 12oz size
• 02 V60: 20oz size
• 03 V60: 25oz size

These sizes are all based on ideal Hario V60 recipes from the coffee community. However, you can produce more or less in each if that is your preference.

You’ll find the Hario V60 available in plastic, ceramic, and metal, with different colors and finishes for each. Since the ribbing and angle remain the same, the material only matters in terms of heat retention and how fragile it is. 

If you’re someone prone to dropping things, like me, then a ceramic V60 probably isn’t the best option. Plastic and metal are much more durable. So anyone that’s clumsy or travels with their coffee set up should opt for a metal or plastic V60 coffee brewer. Luckily both of these versions come in a variety of colors. 

Heat retention only really matters if you’re brewing outdoors. You need to preheat your V60 but if it’s metal and you’re making coffee in the snow, you’ll lose that heat really quickly. Ceramic and plastic are much better for brewing in cold temperatures. 

Burr Grinder

To get the best from your V60 you need to have a burr grinder and use freshly ground coffee. The pour over brewing method extracts all the delicate oils that create super aromatic and delicious coffee. But these oils are volatile and will evaporate within 30 minutes of grinding, so pre-ground coffee is no good to you.

There are lots of options for burr grinders at all price ranges. Our top choice is the 1Zpresso J-Max as it’s an incredible manual grinder that can brilliantly grind for all brewing methods. But even a budget burr grinder is better than pre-ground coffee or a blade grinder. So get the best type of coffee grinder you can afford to maximize the flavor from your single-origin coffees.

Filters

You need the correct size filters for your Hario V60 which are very cheap and easy to get hold of. Due to the V60’s popularity, you’ll find lots of filters labeled with the size of V60 they are designed for. Buy in bulk to save some money in the long run, they don’t go off after all. 

Good Quality Coffee Beans

A coffee brewer is only as good as the coffee that goes into it. If you buy cheap, generic beans you will get cheap tasting, generic coffee out. Regardless of how good your Hario V60 recipe is. To really make the most of your V60 you should look to buy single-origin beans from an ethical coffee roaster. 

Brewing with the Hario V60 is ideal for tasting the subtle differences between regions in the coffee world. So try some new beans and see how they taste. Personally, I think that the hyper aromatic coffee from Ethiopia is a must-try with a V60 – there is nothing else like it in the world. For all our top picks, check out our article on the best Ethiopian coffee beans for you to try. 

Wherever you buy your coffee, make sure they’re looking after the farmers and the environment. Look for Fairtrade, organic, Smithsonian bird-friendly, and/or Rainforest Alliance approved labels. That said, not all coffee farmers can afford these accreditations. So speak to your local roaster (and read our article on ethical coffee) to make sure your delicious coffee is sourced the right way.

Scale

This is optional – you can make exceptional pour over without a scale – however, it is easier with one. You place your brewing setup (mug, V60 with filter and ground coffee) on top of the scale and reset it to zero. This allows you to accurately measure how much water you’ve added. Any digital kitchen scales will work as long as there isn’t a delay in the weight updating.

Kettle

You’ve probably seen those beautifully crafted kettles that people in coffee shops or YouTube videos use for pour over. They’re called gooseneck kettles and whilst not necessary, they do make life easier. The spout is designed for the slow, consistent stream of water needed for a great pour over coffee. Some are even temperature controlled so you know your water is at the optimal temperature.

If you don’t have a top gooseneck kettle, you can use a regular kettle or even water boiled on the stove if you prefer. Just leave it a few minutes to cool after boiling so you don’t end up with burnt coffee. The most important part is the steady flow when pouring.

Equator Coffees: Ethiopia, Ardi Natural

Grown in the south of Ethiopia at over 5,800 feet asl, this coffee typifies the extraordinary aromatics and complexity of Ethiopian coffee. Equator coffee has had a Direct Trade relationship with the smallholder farmers of this region since 2013 and the result is consistently exceptional coffee.

Natural processing these high-altitude grown beans adds sweeter berry notes to the complex style of flowers and tea. The light roast allows the unique style to really shine through.

When brewed with a V60 you’ll be rewarded with intense blueberry and white flower aromas with jasmine tea and cacao nibs coming through on the palate.

Out of the Grey Coffee: Antigua SHB, Guatemala

Grown on the slopes of the stunning Acatenango volcano near the city of Antigua in southern Guatemala, this high-quality strictly hard bean coffee shows the full and complex flavors that make Guatemalan coffee one of the most exciting coffee regions in the world.

Grown in nutrient-rich soil, very close to the very active Fuego volcano, between 4,500-6,000 feet asl, these beans have everything you’d want for an amazing flavor profile.

With a lower acidity, the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel notes really shine through. When brewed with a V60 you’ll get the powerful vanilla and sweet spice note aromas too. A really special example of Guatemalan coffee beans.

However, our perfect Hario V60 recipe starts with a coffee to water ratio of 3:50. The water should be at around 200°F, poured in a slow circular motion after blooming. It really is that easy to get delicious tasting pour over coffee at home. As for the coffee beans, we love Ethiopian coffee with the V60 for its amazing complexity.

Matt Woodburn-Simmonds

Matt's coffee obsession started in 2006 when working as a Barista. A tendency to turn up to work hungover kickstarted his coffee journey which quickly turned into a love affair. As he moved on to work as a Restaurant Manager and Sommelier, the obsession continued to grow. Now, his passion is helping others to enjoy better coffee at home.