If you’re looking at this post, chances are you’ve already heard of the Hario V60, and I wouldn’t be surprised, the Hario v60 is one of the most popular coffee makers in the industry. Take a walk into any third wave coffee shop and you’ll see this little coffee maker toiling through shifts of baristas as hard as its counterpart, the espresso machine.
I know what you’re thinking, “Gee, if the ‘professionals’ use the Hario V60 in making coffee, can I use the same dripper in making my coffee, and have a similar or better taste?
My answer to that question is a definitive “YES!”
Let’s take a dive and study this coffee maker in depth.
Sizes of the Hario V60
As with many drippers, the Hario V60 comes in many sizes. Here are the three sizes that comes with the dripper:
- Size 01: makes 1-2 cups
- Size 02: makes 1-4 cups
- Size 03: makes 1-6 cups
Do take note that the sizing is for cups. One cup of coffee ranges from 150-180 ml (5-6 oz). If you make mugs, buy the Size 02 right away, you’ll find that making mugs for 2 people will be quite a task if you use the smaller size.
Material Variations of the Hario V60
There are four types of materials that the V60 is made of:
- glass
- metal
- plastic
- ceramic
Personally, I own the Hario V60 in both ceramic (Size 02) and glass (Size 01).
I use the ceramic one most of the time. The glass set looks so nice that it seems that it was meant for a collection of coffee makers, so I always hesitate in using it.
Hario V60 Taste Notes
Different drippers have different taste notes. This is due to the design of the dripper. I can’t say how it happens, but when I make coffee using different drippers, the taste that comes out from each dripper is not the same.
Especially in the case of Hario V60. If you use medium fine grounds, the coffee will tend to drain really fast. You need to make a smaller grind size which will be discussed more in the section below.
As for the taste notes, the Hario V60 brings out the strong citrus flavors of the coffee. If you have coffee beans with fruity accents, the taste will be more prominent using the Hario V60. Using medium roasted beans will be even better as medium roasts tend to have more flavors.
The coffee itself will tend to have a stronger taste because you’re using finer grounds as compared to other types of pour over drippers. This will be more evident if you taste the difference between a Hario V60 and a French press coffee maker.
If you like a stronger citrus flavor with your coffee, you won’t go wrong with the Hario V60.
Starting the Coffee Making Process: Grind Size
Grind size is always important when brewing coffee. Have the wrong grind size, and you can have a very disappointing cup of coffee. Even if you buy the best and most expensive coffee beans in the market, having the wrong grind size will kill your chances of having a half decent cup.
So what is the optimal grind size for the Hario V60? Here is my initial suggestion: have a grind size that is in between fine and medium fine. Think of going for a bit larger size than you would for espresso, but smaller than the regular wedge type coffee dripper. In the Baratza Encore, which is the grinder that I’ve used since I began making coffee five years ago (Wow, has it really been that long?), I normally start at a grind size of #15 and have the tendency to go down to #12, depending on the taste that I find best.
As I stated in the Taste Notes section, the smaller the grind size, the more acidic/citrus flavor will be extracted. This also assumes that the beans you are using does have that citrus profile. If not, you would get a strong, bold café americano from that coffee.
How Many Grams of Coffee Grounds Do I Need?
A general rule of thumb made by the industry experts is when using medium roast coffee beans, use 10 grams of coffee grounds for every 150 ml (5oz) of water, and 20 grams of grounds for every 300 ml (10 oz) of water.
This ratio fairly depends on the person brewing though. I’ve been making a mug of 454 Horse Power (Dark Roast) from Kicking Horse Coffee. And I’ve used only 8 grams of coffee grounds for a mug (300 ml) of coffee. That’s quite a difference from what the industry experts say. But the again, it’s dark roast coffee anyway, so it will naturally tend to use less grounds.
The only way to know for certain is to start at the standard and slowly adjust as you go along. Again, the rule of 20 grams per 300 ml rule usually works on medium roast, and you would normally go with lower grams for darker roast.
The Pouring Method
So you now have your excellent beans, grind size, and amount of coffee grounds ready. Your water just finished boiling, gooseneck kettle warmed and filled up. You’re Hario V60 dripper has been warmed, and you’re now ready to brew. The pouring method will be your final make or break moment. Are you nervous? After writing this last paragraph down, I sure have become nervous myself, and I don’t even have a cup of coffee anywhere near me!
Don’t worry too much. The pouring method for the Hario V60 is fairly straightforward:
- Start by dripping 10% of your target water volume into the coffee grounds to allow it to bloom. Give it about 30 seconds to bloom. This would be equal to pouring in 30 ml of water for a 300 ml target brew. Do a slow, circular pour while you do this.
- At the 30 second mark, follow the same slow, circular flow, pour the water into the Hario V60 little by little, stopping every few milliliters to allow the water to drain a bit, and then continuing with your pouring again. Repeat this cycle until you reach your target brew amount. Be careful not to let the water pour on the sides of the coffee maker, thereby hitting the filter. You should always keep the water flowing within the coffee brewer only, and create a wall of coffee grounds on the filter as your water level rises.
- Your target brew time for a mug of coffee would be about 3 minutes. And for a cup of coffee, it would be around 2 minutes 30 seconds. A few seconds off will not be a problem, but if you are still brewing about 20 seconds after the target time, remove the brewer so you don’t burn your coffee.
There are many other tips out there on how to make your pouring fancier, but the method above will already produce an excellent cup, or mug, of coffee.
My Thoughts on the Hario V60
There’s a reason why the Hario V60 is used by many coffee shops. This is because there’s a certain skill that you need to have with the Hario V60. After getting all the factors like coffee origin, grind size, and weight of coffee grounds right, you still need to contend with the pouring method. Pour too fast, the water will drain too fast and you will have a bad brew, pour too slow (the water is just short of dripping), you will have an overly acidic or bitter coffee. In my experience, The Hario V60 needs a slow pour. The water needs to be eased out of the kettle, rather than forced out.
That being said, practice makes perfect. And as you brew your coffee day in and day out, it’s impossible that you won’t be able to hone your skills as a home barista. It wouldn’t even take too long. I’d say you could probably get a good cup in 3 to 5 tries as a beginner, and then you’re on your way to making cup after cup of excellent coffee.
Once you get good at your brew, the Hario V60 will shine. The taste notes of medium roasted coffee, with its fruity accents, will most especially be noticeable. As I stated in the taste notes section above, the Hario V60 brings out more citrus flavors from coffee. It’s probably the best in its area. And if you like that taste of coffee, then the Hario V60 should definitely be part of your collection.
Pros and Cons of the Hario V60
With all that said, here are the pros and cons of the dripper in my opinion.
Pros
- Has a high citrus taste profile, probably the best of all other pour over coffee makers
- Very easy to clean
- Puts you in the league of industry baristas when your friends see you brew
- Can use other paper filters that are not compatible with other drippers
Cons
- Not as forgiving as other pour over coffee drippers
- Needs a weighing scale to weigh the volume of water
Is the Hario V60 Worth Buying?
If you’ve reached this far into my writing. It means one of two things. One, is that you’re really looking for information if the Hario V60 is a good buy; or two, you are really entertained by my writing. I’m sure it’s more because you’re looking at the qualities of the Hario V60.
Let me answer the question in my own opinion. I would say that you would definitely want to have the Hario V60 as part of your coffee dripper collection. With proper care, it will last you a lifetime. And it can change your coffee profile by switching it up with other types of pour over coffee makers, even while using the same bag of beans.
You could even learn how to make the swirling effect with the Hario V60. This would impress some of you friends and family members for sure!
All in all, the Hario V60 is a really good buy. I’ve personally gone through lots of filter bags with this coffee. It doesn’t fail to impress me and my family with whatever type of beans I use on it. I’d say you should have it too!
If I will Buy it, Which One Should I Choose?
This is a good question. I am sure that this is one that I’d ask too. With so many options, it becomes harder to choose which one to get, doesn’t it?
Allow me to give my opinion on which one to go for. Buy the ceramic, size 02 Hario V60.
Here is my reason as to why I encourage you to buy that. Ceramics have a larger heat capacity than glass or metal. This means that the ceramic coffee maker will hold heat longer, allowing it to keep warm longer after you finish warming it up, just before you brew your coffee.
I also chose size 02 because most people I know drink a mug of coffee. A mug already consists of 2 cups. This size is perfect for all occasions. You can make a mug for yourself, and you can also make 4 cups of coffee when you have guests.
Bonus Section: Using an Unrelated Filter on my Hario V60
This is just a small addition to the article. I want to share an experience I recently had. I needed to resupply one of my smaller wedge-shaped coffee drippers, so I bought a Melitta #1 paper filter from the grocery a few weeks back.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the Melitta filter did not fit my small dripper. It was actually smaller than the dripper, and the water was draining really slow. This made some really horribly bitter coffee.
I didn’t want to throw the filter papers away, so I needed to find a way to drain the water in the dripper faster. What I did was I wedged the filter into the Hario V60 as shown in the picture below.
What do you think? It doesn’t look too nice, doesn’t it? But by doing this, the coffee came out good. It wasn’t Hario V60 paper filter good, but good enough to use, and so I didn’t need to throw the paper filters away anymore.
That’s my small experience as to how the Hario V60 saved me from having to throw away some good paper filters.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read through my review. I hope you liked it and have a more in-depth understanding of the Hario V60.
If you like my content and have decided on buying the Hario V60, do consider supporting my website and purchase the Hario V60 from Amazon.
Do you use the Hario V60? Would you have any more questions about the coffee maker? Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Leave your comments below.
Nice article on the v60….and ceramic is indeed a better choice. But brewing 12 to 15 grams is much better on #1 dripper than #2. I feel #1 size dripper helps a more slower , fuller , richer extraction than #2. Whenever I use 12 grams in #2 dripper coffee is weak . But at the end of the day, my brewer of choice is Bonmac style filter with one hole. What’s your favorite Darwin ?
Hello Dan! Thank you for leaving such a nice comment on the Hario V60 Review. I should try using the smaller V60 next time I make coffee with a lesser amount of ground coffee. Although I do have the #1 size dripper, I’ve never used it. It was given to me by my mother and I left it in the cupboard as a souvenir. I’ll try it out and update my post in the future.
Speaking of brewer of choice. I don’t want to sound like a copycat, but the Bonmac Dripper for 1-2 cups is also my favorite Dripper! It’s really amazing that we have the same brewer of choice. It’s such a shame that it hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves. The taste of the coffee from this is really balanced, not too acidic and not too bold. And even if my brew time is off, the taste is still pretty consistent. It’s a pretty amazing product in this high tech world that we live in today.
Another brewer that I like very much is the Bonavita Immersion Dripper. It has the function of both a French press and a filter dripper in one. The taste is a bit lighter than the coffee from the Bonmac, but still tastes pretty good nonetheless. I use it when I’m not in the mood to pour slowly with the gooseneck kettle, or when I just want to leave the coffee for five minutes while I’m off doing something else.
I agree with you Darwin …Both the Bonmac and the Bonavita immersion dripper are really good choices . I recently broke my Bonmac I loved and started using single holed ceramic Melitta and it still delivers the same flavor profile as it’s the same wedge design. Also I got a new plastic dripper with four holes and it’s the #1 size and it makes really amazing coffee….the heat retention , speed of water discharge are all amazing and it makes world class coffee real easy. Just look at the aggressive ribs on the dripper you will know what I mean. Also they have ribs where the coffee exits ( near the holes ) and helps in easy water flow. I usually have issues with water drainage on some ceramic drippers due to the weight of coffee choking the drip holes, but this issue is fixed here as the fins lift the paper …Someone who loved coffee designed this ….and it’s also very very affordable.
https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Coffee-Filter-Number-2-Size/dp/B01HXGDZGY/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Red+plastic+hic&qid=1598325147&sr=8-1
I feel you when you said your Bonmac broke, especially since I also use the same brewer almost everyday and will keep using it until it breaks (hopefully it will never break).
It’s good to know that you found an alternative in the Melitta brewer though, and that they produce the same taste profile. I don’t have a Melitta brewer, but I bought Melitta #1 filters. Did you know that these filters are too small for the Bonmac brewer? The paper filter can’t reach the ridged sides of the Bonmac, and extraction becomes excruciatingly slow. It will feel like your Bonmac brewer is flooded and choked. The resulting coffee is really bad, an extra dose of over extraction and bitterness.
However, in fairness to Melitta, I’m pretty sure that their #1 brewer should handle the filter perfectly. I can’t find a Melitta #1 brewer where I live though, not even in online stores! They sell filters, but not brewers. I find this really odd.
That link of HIC in Amazon is making me curious. I’ll have someone get it for me when I can piggy back on a shipment. Do you use a bigger or smaller grind size using the HIC as compared to the Bonmac? Does the 4 holes extract faster then the single hole brewers? The reason I ask is because I have a Kalita 2-4 cup brewer here. This was my first brewer, and it has 3 holes at the bottom. That being said, it still extracts coffee at a slower rate than the Bonmac. It also needs a larger grind size than the Bonmac, making the coffee taste weaker than the one made with the Bonmac.
Darwin …..Besides the #1 plastic HIC dripper , here is another awesome ceramic dripper …also from HIC with three holes ….it’s very cheap at $6 at fantes store. They charge a lot for the same dripper at Amazon.
https://www.fantes.com/1-cone-white-porcelain-coffee-filter-holder
I really don’t tune the grind setting a lot and I fairly grind it fine like a mokapot grind to maximize extraction.. ..It’s not like espresso but still very grainy and fine. I don’t see big time difference in brewing . My brew times for 300ml is around 2 – 2.20 minutes at the most. Also I got another confession to make …I find paper filters however high quality it may be , impart a taste to my coffee and also at times chokes the flow by sticking to the walls of the dripper. So I have been using organic cloth filters as a solution. I get a very good quality #4 Melitta style cone cloth filters and can use it Any brewer . I use it on my hario style cone drippers and also even on flat bottom ones like kalita wave …No issues. I use the same on #1 Melitta or # 4 Melitta when brewing for a crowd.
In my experience smaller #1 dripper, with fine grinds and very less agitation makes superb coffee for a single cup ( 12 – 15) grams. I have not experimented with # 2 a lot as no one in my house drinks coffee expect me…By the way recently added this little #1 brewer to my collection and very happy. It has straight ridges unlike swirls like hario and it’s almost similar to Bonmac V60 style brewer . Bonmac had released something similar to this a while back….
https://www.amazon.com/BLUE-BREW-BB1001-Cornflower-Filter-BB1001/dp/B07F6B2ND1/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Blue+brew+ceramic&qid=1598367820&sr=8-6
Hi Dan. That porcelain brewer looks very much like my Kalita 102 (2-4 cup) brewer. It’s nice, but the Bonmac still makes a better cup. It might also be because my Bonmac only makes 1-2 cups while my Kalita 102 makes 2-4. I still need to test that theory out the next time I get a smaller sized 3-hole dripper.
You have a cool method of making coffee. I use paper filters as I find them easier to clean. I don’t taste the paper in my coffee, but that might be because I’ve always used paper and am so used to it. I also have cloth filters, but I find it hard to clean them. So much residue gets into them and I have a habit of cleaning them all out before washing the cloth filter so it doesn’t clog up my sink. Another issue I have is with extended use, the cloth filter starts to accumulate the old coffee taste and it gets into my brews, making the coffee taste burnt. I need to dip the cloth filter in hot water many times just to get the old coffee residue out. How do you clean your cloth filters? If I can have an easier way of cleaning it, I’d try it again. And no wonder you use the mokapot grind size, water just passes through cloth filters. I think you are using the right size, as extracting with smaller grounds will take longer than with larger grind sizes.
For crowds, I used to brew 2 batches of 4 cups for eight people. Then got lazy and used the coffee maker instead. I can vouch that brewing by hand still makes a better cup of coffee over a low end coffee maker. Time vs taste, I guess.
That Brew Blue brewer is cute. Looks like a Hario merged with a Bonmac. I think there are some of that here. I’ll try it out. Is it any good? Any difference compared to your other brewers?
I bought something that looks like this when I went to another country:
Cafellissimo Paperless Pour Over Coffee Dripper (Amazon link here)
I haven’t used it yet. It’s a dripper that doesn’t need a filter. Some reviews say it’s great. Others say it starts clogging up over time and it’s hard to wash. Some have found a way to wash it properly. It’s one of those love and hate drippers. Have you tried this one yet?
Cloth filters are easy to maintain ….every month or so you can give them a hot water bath and add couple table spoons of citric acid if needed to clean them. Citric acid does not smell like vinegar and is a good descaler to have.But storing them is the key. If you leave it outside they can absorb cooking odors and spoil the coffee. I just stick them in a ziplock bag after use in a freezer. Stays fresh for months even when I am not home.
I use the blue brew a lot and it does not brew any different from hario v60 #1 dripper.
It’s cute , cheap and very well made. I also got the # 2 from them , but it’s hard to dial 12 to 15 grams as the hole is a bit large. But the little one is a keeper. No complaints there…
As far as non paper filters go , I have wasted lot of money in them . The one you show has double layered and they will stop working after a while. But the secret is they can make very delicious cup , even better than hario paper style filters if it’s SINGLE layered mesh.
Only a very few on the market are single layered and I have all 3 of them.
1. Hario paperless
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Cafeor-Stainless-Coffee-Dripper/dp/B0040VIN18/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Hario+paperless&qid=1598457822&sr=8-1
2. Dripton honeycomb
https://dripton.co/
https://www.ebay.com/c/7005452724
3. I have not tried this but I have just ordered this from amazon yesterday.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082XPZJSC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The hario paperless and Dripton are amazing….I got to clean the hario with hot water and citric acid every month , but that’s about it. They both make nice cup without any paper or cloth. But you got to make sure your grinds are good without any fines so I use a good burr grinder….
Where are you based off Darwin ?
Thanks for the tip with regards to the cloth filter. So let me get this right, use the filter, wash with water, place in ziplock bag, and put it in the freezer. Am I correct? I’ll give this a shot. And maybe I’ll also scale down to the closest I can to mokapot grind. My grinder is pretty ok, but I have’t been grinding on the smaller settings unless I make Aeropress coffee.
Nice comment on the Blue Brew. I’m not sure if we have them here, but we have some pretty nifty looking drippers too. Take a look at this origami looking dripper:
https://shopee.ph/Japanese-style-Ceramics-V60-Coffee-Dripper-Filter-Cup-Filter-Paper-Holder-Cone-Drip-Coffee-Maker-i.200003992.6013076941
It looks really nice! I haven’t bought it yet at this time. But it’ll be on my wishlist, assuming it is still on market by the time I decide to get it.
Thanks for the info on the single layer mesh. I’ll have to see how the one I bought goes. If it dies, then so be it. At least I was able to try it 🙂
As for the list you posted, I’ve only seen the Hario paperless here, and it goes for about 22 USD. Not too keen on getting it at this price point. Most branded drippers here go for a pretty high price, unless they’re generic branded or ones you can get at our equivalent of one (or two) dollar shops.
What burr grinder do you use if you don’t mind me asking? I’ll start it off and say I use the Baratza Encore. I’ve been using it since I started brewing about 5 or 6 years ago. Pretty good for my use and have been happy with it since day 1. Are you using one of those high end monster grinders and getting more consistent grinds? 🙂
I appreciated how in-depth your article was. The only thing I was wondering about was to do with heat conduction and different v60 materials. As I had heard that for both the V60 and Kalita Wave, the plastic keeps optimal temperature in the slurry?
Hi James. Thank you for your comment, and also for your compliment. I really appreciate it.
With regards to heat conduction, I remember that when I was writing this article, I did some research on the heat capacity of ceramics, glass, and metal. However, I can’t remember where I saw this proof from. My apologies and in the future, I’ll remember to write down references.
Now as for plastics, they are good heat insulators. They keep heat inside because they don’t transfer heat well. I just read that part in the first two sentences of this link (https://omnexus.specialchem.com/polymer-properties/properties/thermal-insulation)
As far as plastics and other materials go, I’d say you’re correct. Plastic does keep the heat better as less heat will escape. I do have a small bias against plastic though as I grew up with adults who keep telling me not to mix hot water with plastic because the plastic will melt and I’ll drink the plastic. Now that I’m older, I do understand that there are grades to plastic, and some plastics start melting melt at more than 120 degrees Centigrade (240 degrees Fahrenheit). But my mind still keeps telling me, “don’t mix hot water in plastic.”
I did try making coffee on a plastic wedge dripper though. But I was too cautious and waited for the temperature to drop down to 85 degrees Centigrade (185 degrees Fahrenheit) so the resulting taste wasn’t too good. But if you don’t have a bias against plastic, I’d say try it. Another upside is that plastic brewers tend to be more cost effective than the other materials too.
Now in fairness to the other materials, I’d say that if you preheat them properly, you should be able to make a killer cup of coffee nonetheless. If ceramics, metals, of glass are already heated, and you start brewing right away, there should be minimal heat loss from the materials. And who doesn’t want a metal Kalita Wave, right? It just looks too cool!
I hope I’ve answered your question properly aside from being sidetracked. Here is the summary:
1. Based on the material properties, plastic will potentially keep heat better
2. I’m too much of a scaredy cat with plastics
3. Other materials should work just as well if they are properly preheated
4. Who doesn’t want a metal Kalita Wave?
P.S. I took a small tour of your site. It looks so cool! Congratulations! I hope you keep adding info on it.
Hey Darwin,
Thanks heaps for the quick and very comprehensive reply! And touche regarding the metal Kalita Wave, we own one and heat conduction or not they are simply stunning 🙂
yes Darwin …..you are correct on the usage of the cloth filters …Use it, clean it immediately if possible and then store it in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Treat it with citric acid every month or so if needed. I swing between paper and cotton cloth every now and then . Baratza encore is a good grinder….. I used to use hario mini mill that has a ceramic burr ….it’s good but takes too long to grind and not very consistent. I have upgraded recently since last year to 1zpresso JX . It’s very good and it’s made in Taiwan…..It’s the fastest steel burr hand grinder that I know of….takes like 20 seconds to grind 15 grams of coffee….and it’s also well made….It’s not good enough to tune for espresso , but I like only filter coffee . I am based off in the USA , east coast to be precise.
They were are selling Hario paperless for $30 when I got it in 2014…it’s expensive for what it’s worth. Anyways I have ordered Bonmac #2 to see if it’s any good as the newer model has fins or ribs only at the bottom .I shall keep you posted. Our Bonavita dripper was the winner in a taste test conducted 5 years back …just an FYI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzMeqFpJbY
I have recently got another ceramic dripper in Amazon and it’s very good. It’s very well built and the bottom is bit smaller in width than the traditional Melitta and makes very strong coffee and it has one hole….water takes a while to exit…..I really like it…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BF955TD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cool Dan. Thanks for the tip with the cloth filter. I’ll give it another go tomorrow for my morning coffee. And wow I thought you used an electric grinder, but it seems you use a manual one. That’s pretty cool. And considering you already found one that could grind beans a lot faster and more efficient, it shows me how much knowledge you have with regards to a lot of brewing and grinding products, and that’s on top of what you know about coffee beans and their range of flavors. I have the Hario Mini too, and yes it takes a long time to grind with that. The 1zpresso is interesting. I’ll keep that in mind.
I looked at the Youtube video. I watched their channel before too. I forgot that the Bonmac actually won then. It really is too good of a dripper. You basically take out the pouring skill of a barista. And the results of the coffee taste with each brewer they tried are also very consistent with my experience with my drippers here… although they used the word sweet. I don’t really know how that tastes in coffee.
I’m glad to see you found yourself a single hole dripper. I think the number of holes has a huge impact in the final taste. Maybe the single hole drippers just have a very consistent water flow compared to 2 or 3 hole drippers, and that’s probably the reason the taste remains consistent. You need more pouring skill, and maybe a little understanding of water flow, if you use 2 and 3 hole drippers.
Darwin , thanks for your kind words…..I am no expert but I learn something about coffee everyday…..It’s my passion indeed. Yes the single hole is a no nonsense approach to coffee brewing ….Once you master brewing, you can try to Master roasting…..it’s a complex art by itself…
That’s cool, Dan 🙂 Thanks for all your comments. Yes I might look into that in the future 🙂 I’m letting other roasters do that job for now.