Our Recommended V60 Method

The world of pour over coffee is littered with complexities. Some will state it must be done a specific way, with a specific type of water or other fixed elements or your coffee will be completely undrinkable. However, we hold the opinion that to find the best cup of coffee using this method for your personal preference, experimentation is essential. Take our guide as a starting point and experiment with the following key factors and see what makes the best cup for your preference. In regards to quantities of water per stage and timing, this is also a huge area of variance – do trial some other methods and see what you enjoy. In many peoples opinion, the best part of a pour over is this room to experiment.

Variables

  • Type of Coffee – trial different blends
  • Amount of Coffee – typically a ratio of 1:17 is used (i.e. a 300ml coffee would require 18g of ground coffee or a 700ml Hario V60 02 would require roughly 41 grams)
  • Grind size – if you grind at home, try a finer grind for a longer extraction or a coarser grind for a quicker extraction; this will affect the strength of the flavour
  • Amount of water used
  • Method of pouring - this includes speed as well as technique which is commonly Pulsing (pouring then letting drain) vs continuous (pouring and keeping fairly topped up)

Our recommended starting point:

Required

  • Freshly boiled water
  • Ground coffee (pre-ground or freshly ground)
  • V60 filter and filter paper

Steps

  1. First, boil your water
  2. Place the filter paper into the filter and then pour a little of your freshly boiled water over the filter (this has been found to reduce any impact of papery taste from the filter) and then dispose of that water.
  3. Place ground coffee in the filter; many recommend a ratio of 1:17 for this– please note that this ratio is a pure starting point, and the strength of the coffee you get from this can wildly vary dependent on your grind size so don’t be too disheartened if this creates a particularly strong coffee. Many then recommend a small divot is made in the middle of the ground coffee at this point.
  4. Pour enough water to cover the grounds in the filter and allow the coffee to bloom – this is basically leaving the coffee for 30-45 seconds to release the CO2 to be released and makes it easier to extract the grounds.
  5. Begin to pour the water again, covering all the grounds again in a circular motion – try to get the balance of agitating the bed of coffee but not too aggressively.
  6. We prefer to keep this topped up until you reach your required volume of water – this has the benefit of retaining this thermal mass and allowing for extraction at this higher temperature.
  7. Allow the coffee to drain and give the V60 a small swirl by hand when low enough to do so and serve to bring the grounds off the side of the filter paper.
  8. Serve in your favourite mug or mugs and enjoy!

 

Extras

Some recommend using a gooseneck kettle like the one we sell, the Felicita Square Temperature Control Electric Kettle (400-400). The reason this is recommended is both the Temperature Control (which allows you another element to tinker with) as well as the gooseneck spout – this allows for much more control over your pour rate and direction (with another benefit being the beautiful design).

Another element that people adjust is the water used - this can change the taste to a large extent, however, this is likely not to be something applicable to most as this is another step to the process. 

Other resources

In regards to trialling other methods, I would recommend looking into various Youtube sources. Please do note that these can get massively technical, but if you are into that then this is a great rabbit hole to explore.

James Hoffman Ultimate V60 Method - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI4ynXzkSQo

Scott Rao V60 Method - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Qe_ASxfNM

 

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