Key Takeaways

Why Choose Pour Over? Pour over coffee gives you complete control over the brewing process, allowing you to create a cleaner, more nuanced cup.
V60 Coffee Ratio: A great starting point is a 1:15 ratio (15 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee) which you can adjust to your taste.
Top Brewing Tips: Check out our tips on controlling your water flow and adjusting your grind. Find the perfect V60 coffee beans to start your journey at Di Stefano.

The creation of a perfect, high-quality, and delicious cup of coffee begins with the way it’s brewed. The V60 coffee dripper is one of the most popular brewing methods for specialty coffee because of the way it produces unrivalled flavours and aromas in as little as 3 minutes.

V60 coffee is a type of drip coffee, meaning it is made from a machine that filters and pours hot water over ground coffee beans to make coffee.

So, what is pour over coffee and why is it such a popular home brewing method? Let's take a closer look at what V60 coffee is and why it has made such a positive impression on today's coffee enthusiasts.

Pour Over vs Drip Coffee: What’s the Difference?

Before we get into our brewing, let’s clear up the confusion between drip coffee vs pour over. The main difference isn't the basic concept, both involve hot water dripping through coffee grounds, but rather the level of control.

Drip coffee is all about convenience. A machine automatically heats and pours water over a filter, making it a quick and easy way to brew a large batch with minimal effort.

On the other hand, pour over coffee, like V60, is a manual method that gives you complete control over every variable, from water temperature to how fast you pour. This hands-on process allows for a more nuanced and vibrant cup of coffee.

V60 Coffee Drip

Hario released the V60 in 2004, getting its name from the shape of the coffee maker. The "V" indicates cone-shaped filters, while the "60" represents the dripper's slope angle.

After filling the V60 coffee filter with coffee grounds, the brewed coffee drips into your cup, delivering a flavourful cup of coffee joe.

The Hario V60 comes in ceramic, plastic, glass, and metal types, with a solution to fit every budget or need. The material you choose is primarily determined by your personal style; it has no bearing on how excellent your coffee will be.

If you wish to brew coffee in the comfort of your own home, the V60 coffee dripper is definitely worth the investment.

V60 Coffee Ratio & Recipe

How to Make V60 Coffee

The perfect amount of extraction starts with the proper V60 coffee ratio. We propose a 1:15 ratio, which means 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water. This coffee ratio allows you to achieve the best extraction possible, ensuring a pleasant-tasting brew that doesn’t taste sour or bitter.

While a 1:15 ratio is a great starting point, a good rule of thumb for pour over coffee ratio is to stay within the 1:15 to 1:17 range, with 1:16 being the most commonly recommended. This gives you control over your brew's strength, ensuring a pleasant, balanced cup that’s never too sour or bitter.

For a more precise guide to customising your brew strength, refer to the table below.

Grams of Coffee	Grams (or mL) of Water	Ratio (Water:Coffee)	Brew Strength
10	160	16:1	Balanced
12	192	16:1	Balanced
14	224	16:1	Balanced
15	225 - 255	15:1 - 17:1	Adjustable
16	256	16:1	Balanced
18	270 - 288	15:1 - 16:1	Medium-strong
20	320	16:1	Balanced
25	400	16:1	Balanced
30	510	17:1	Lighter
35 - 40	525 - 640	15:1 - 16:1	Medium to strong

How to Make V60 Coffee

Ready to get started? Brewing a perfect cup with a V60 isn't as complicated as it seems. It's all about a simple, repeatable process that unlocks incredible flavour.

Step 1: Heat the Water

Heat your water anywhere between 90 and 95 degrees; never use boiling water. For optimal flavour extraction, use filtered water with a balanced mineral content, as it prevents bitterness.

Step 2: Prepare the Filter

Fold your Hario paper filter along the crimped edge before inserting it into the dripper. This ensures a proper fit and prevents the filter from collapsing during your pour, which guarantees a more consistent brew.

Step 3: Rinse the Filter

Rinse the V60 filter paper with hot water before you start brewing to remove any residue and avoid a papery taste in the coffee. This also helps to heat up the dripper, resulting in a more consistent extraction process.

Step 4: Add Coffee

Then, add the coffee grounds, set your timer, and begin pouring water over the coffee. For a balanced extraction, aim for a medium-fine grind size, similar to kosher salt, and gently shake the dripper to level the coffee bed.

Step 5: Let it Bloom

Pour in just enough water to cover the ground coffee and let it bloom for 30 seconds. The bloom occurs when hot water forces freshly ground coffee to release trapped gasses, causing the coffee bed to expand and create a slight bubbling. Allowing the bloom to last 30 to 45 seconds is essential for better extraction and a more even saturation.

Step 6: Pour

Begin pouring coffee in slow, circular motions, making sure the liquid does not touch the sides of the filter. Pouring too quickly can result in uneven coffee extraction. Maintain a slow, steady flow rate of about 3 to 5 ml per second, and be sure to avoid pouring directly onto the filter walls.

Step 7: Let it Drain

After you’ve finished pouring, allow all of the water to drain through the coffee grounds. The end result is a full-bodied, rich cup of coffee. The ideal total brew time should be between 2:30 and 3:30 minutes.

If you enjoy fruity aromas, nice acidity, sweetness and clarity, then V60 coffee is for you.

Top 5 V60 Coffee Brewing Tips

When it comes to mastering your V60 coffee and perfecting your brew, a few expert tips can take your coffee to the next level!

Use the right kettle. While any kettle will do, a pour over coffee kettle with a gooseneck spout gives you the precise control needed to pour water slowly and evenly. This is crucial for a balanced extraction.
Control your flow rate. To get the ideal brew time of 2.5 to 3.5 minutes, use your grind size to control the water flow. Finer grounds will slow the flow down, increasing extraction, while coarser grounds will speed it up.
Taste and adjust. After each brew, taste your coffee and be prepared to adjust. If it tastes sour or underdeveloped, your grind may be too coarse. If it tastes bitter, your grind may be too fine or your water too hot.
Experiment with water chemistry. Beyond just temperature, the minerals in your water can dramatically affect flavour. For the best result, use filtered water with a balanced mineral content to unlock the coffee's true body and acidity.
Try a different pouring sequence. Instead of a continuous pour, expert brewers sometimes use specific, timed pouring intervals to control extraction and highlight different flavour notes. You can explore methods like the popular 4:6 technique to see how it changes your brew.

Pour Over Home Brewing Essentials

To start brewing your own pour over coffee at home, you'll need just a few key pieces of equipment.

Pour Over Coffee Maker: The Hario V60 dripper is the cornerstone of this method, with its cone shape and spiral ribs designed for even extraction.
Gooseneck Kettle: This kind of pour over coffee kettle gives you the precise control needed for slow, steady, and circular pours.
Digital Scale with Timer: A digital coffee scale is essential for measuring your coffee and water, as well as for timing the pour and bloom phases for repeatable results.
Coffee Grinder: To get the freshest flavour, grind your beans just before brewing. A burr grinder is recommended for a consistent, medium-fine grind.
V60 Paper Filters: These are specifically designed to fit the dripper, ensuring a clean cup with no unwanted grounds.
Server or Carafe: This is the vessel that sits under your dripper to collect the final brew.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is so special about pour over coffee?

The key to pour over is control. This hands-on brewing method gives you the ability to fine-tune every variable, serving up a delicious cup that’s far more vibrant and nuanced than a standard machine brew.

Is pour over coffee stronger than regular coffee?

A cup of pour-over coffee usually has more caffeine than a single-shot latte. Your standard 8 oz cup of pour-over contains 80-140 mg of caffeine, while a latte with one espresso shot has about 63 mg. The difference is volume. While espresso is highly concentrated, pour-over’s larger serving size results in more total caffeine per cup.

Why is it called V60 coffee?

V60 gets its name directly from its design. The "V" refers to the cone's shape, and the "60" represents the 60-degree angle of its sides.

Why is my V60 coffee always bitter?

Bitterness is usually a sign of over-extraction. This means your coffee grounds have spent too long in contact with the water. To fix this, try making your grind a bit coarser, pouring your water a little faster, or using a slightly cooler water temperature.

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About the Author

Nicolas Di Stefano, a third-generation Master Roaster and Director of Di Stefano Coffee, continues his family’s proud legacy of exceptional coffee craftsmanship. Blending traditional Italian roasting methods with a modern dedication to quality, Nicolas ensures every cup embodies the rich flavour and consistency Australians have come to love.