How does the Hario V60 Work?
The Hario V60 is a coffee dripper, it works in the same way as the automatic drip-coffee machines, but with all the control and at a fraction of the price.
The version we have for sale is ceramic and designed to make one or two cups of coffee, directly into the cup and without the need for a server.
On the inside of the filter cone, there are grooves which prevent the filter from sticking to the side of the cone and this helps to get the brew at the right speed and just as effective every time you use it.
The V60 is way cheaper than most alternative methods of brewing coffee. You can see pricing for the ceramic V60 here or the even cheaper plastic V60 here.
How Do I Make Coffee With The Hario V60?
The Hario V60 is a ceramic drip coffee maker, you need to follow some simple instructions to get some great coffee from it. Here you go:
- Fold the filter paper along the seams and place inside the cone
- Place the bottom of the cone over a cup. You can buy a Server to match the Hario V60, but for a 120ml serving you might as well cut out the middle man and pour it into your favorite cup.
- Add the coffee grounds, you need about 12g per cup and the grind you need is medium-fine. There’s a scoop included to help you with the measurements so you don’t need to weigh unless you’re a perfectionist.
- Add a little water, just off the boil, moisten the grounds and leave for thirty seconds to allow the grounds to bloom.
- Pour the rest of the water over the grounds and let the coffee drip through the bottom, it ought to take about 3 minutes to make a full serving. When pouring be sure to try and pour the water onto the beans and not directly onto the paper for best results. The best technique is to pour the water into the center and then outwards in a circular motion, as if making a spiral in the grounds.
- Enjoy your cup of coffee.
See this page for a comparison of pour over coffee to Chemex coffee, both of which are quite similar.
Is the Hario V60 Suitable For Beginners?
If you are new to this making coffee without a machine, allow yourself the time to practice and experiment with getting a good cup.
Measure things out until you get used to what you’re doing and buy a thermometer to make sure you’re not burning the beans with water that’s too hot or impacting the brew and making weak coffee.
If you give yourself a chance to get it right you’ll soon learn how to do it to your own tastes and this is much more rewarding than getting a good cup of machine coffee.
This is one of the best pour-over coffee makers of them all.
What Filters Do I Need For The Hario V60?
The Hario V60 is only recommended for use with the Hario filters, which aren’t that widely available to buy in local shops but easy enough to order online.
Here are the exact filters for the Hario V60. I’m sure you’ll find them quite affordable. In a bind however you can obviously make do with regular cone filters though.
We’ve heard reports of other people managing fine with other filters but we don’t want to recommend that and ruin your coffee experience, but have a go if you’re feeling adventurous and see if you can make that work for you.
What Coffee Do I Need To Use With The Hario V60?
The coffee beans you use is entirely your own preference so choose whichever beans suit your tastes, there is no difference in use between the different blends of coffee.
We at Gathering Grounds do recommend paying close attention to the instructions for the grind though.
You’ll want a medium-fine grind, as this gives you the right balance between getting the best out of your beans without grinding fine enough to get a powdery cup. The quality of your grinder will be very important in this regard, as it is in all the various brewing methods.
For beginners we recommend getting a good entry level burr grinder but for those that can invest more the Baratza Virtuoso or Encore are good mid-range choices.
Can I Use The Hario V60 With Any Coffee Cup?
The bottom of the Hario V60 fits the majority of coffee cups, but if you want to check it fits your current favorite mug then the inner ring (which sits in your cup) measures 2 1/4 inches and the diameter of the part that sits on top of the cup is 4 1/2 inches, so provided you don’t have a particularly large cup or server you should be fine.
How Do I Clean The Hario V60?
The Hario V60 is ceramic so it’s very easy to clean.
The filters, being disposable, are thrown away with the grounds so there’s very little cleaning required, which is definitely a bonus.
Mostly you’ll just need to give it a quick rinse with soapy water if you need to do anything at all. If you for some reason needs a good clean then it is dishwasher safe should you need to use one. If you’ve used any soap, as with all coffee makers, make sure to give it a good rinse so as not to impact the flavor.
Who Is The Hario V60 Best For?
The strengths of the Hario V60 are in the allowance for the artistic making of drip coffee just the way you like it, without having to rely on a machine that you hope produces good results.
Manual coffee makers are excellent value by comparison and they afford you some versatility, for you can change the brew method to account for individual tastes much easier than with an automatic machine, which sometimes just never give you the coffee you want.
The other advantage is that it’s portable and versatile, fitting most cups and being small enough to fit easily in your luggage to take on vacation, of course with it being ceramic you’ll need to take care with it though.
Here are some additional travel-friendly coffee makers to consider buying.
What Are The Disadvantages Of The Hario V60?
The Hario V60 is a great addition to any coffee maker’s arsenal but the difficulty in sourcing filters locally could be awkward for those who aren’t prepared to risk using other, more commonly available filters.
Also, while the artistic ability is a great feature for a coffee-lover, for those who have to make a lot of coffee at a time or for those who need their morning cup to be less effort might do better getting a machine of some kind.
The brew from a dripper can be time-consuming when you are in a hurry and you want to be able to enjoy the process rather than make coffee in a rush.
Even still the V60 is a great value for the money and even if you only use it occasionally it’s a great compliment to owning a fully functioning automatic grind and brew coffee maker.
The material, while perfectly suited to making coffee, is pretty fragile, so while it’s great for the home, it’s not going to last long if you’re taking it out a lot.