Brewing guide · 5 min read
V60 pour-over for beginners
V60 is the brewing method we use most at the shop — it produces clean, bright cups that highlight the character of the bean. This guide walks you through a foolproof recipe.
What gear do you need?
- Hario V60 dripper (size 02 for 1-2 cups)
- Hario V60 paper filters
- A burr grinder (the single most impactful upgrade for any home setup)
- A gooseneck kettle for pour control
- A digital scale that reads to 0.1g, ideally with a timer
What's the recipe?
- Rinse the filter: Place a paper filter in the V60 and rinse it with hot water. This removes paper taste and pre-heats the dripper. Discard the rinse water.
- Grind 20g of beans to a medium-fine setting (think coarse table salt).
- Bloom: Add the grounds to the filter, start your timer, and pour 60g of water in a circular motion. Wait 30 seconds.
- Continue pouring: Slowly pour the remaining 260g of water in 2-3 pulses, finishing around 2:30.
- Drawdown: Total brew should finish around 3:30-4:00. If it's much faster, grind finer; much slower, grind coarser.
Why does my V60 taste sour?
This is the most common question we get. Three causes, in rank of likelihood:
- The brew is under-extracted — grind finer or pour slower.
- The water is too cold — aim for 92°C.
- The beans are too fresh — let them rest 7-14 days post-roast.
Which beans work best for V60?
Lighter roasts shine on V60 — the brewing method gives you a clean, bright cup that highlights origin character. Our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Kenya AA are particularly excellent. Darker roasts and Indonesian beans tend to work better in immersion methods like French press.
What grind size should I use?
Medium-fine — similar to coarse table salt or kosher salt. Too fine and the brew gets bitter and slow; too coarse and it tastes thin and weak. If your grinder has numbered settings, V60 is usually 1-2 clicks finer than your French press setting.