V60 Brew Guide

A conical brewer that is enjoyed by many for its clear and complex results, and for the ritual that goes into brewing it properly. The V60 can be fiddly to master, and that is part of the appeal; pouring slowly and deliberately to really get the most out of the coffee.

The conical shape of the brewer means the water flows down through the tip of the paper, so if the pour isn’t right the coffee in the tip does all the work, while the coffee at the sides gets left behind

Brew Guides / V60

What you'll need to get started...

Fresh Coffee Beans

Coffee Grinder

Weighing Scales

Timer

Pouring Kettle

Mug or Server

V60 Brew Ratio

20g Coffee, 300ml Water (1:15)

1

Fill your kettle with at least 350ml of water, and set it to boil. If you have a temperature control kettle, set it to 92°C. Otherwise, see our separate guide for achieving the right water temperature. You will need a gooseneck kettle for this brew method.

2

Set up the v60 on your mug with a fresh filter paper.

3

Weigh out 18 grams of coffee beans, and grind on a medium setting. We’re looking for a grainy sand like consistency, nothing too chunky.

4

Once your kettle is up to temperature, rinse some water through the filter. This helps to hold the paper in place, preheating your mug, and washing out any papery taste from the filter paper.

5

Add your freshly ground coffee to the centre of the brewer, and give it a tap to level out the bed.

6

Place your mug and brewer onto a set of scales, and zero out the weight.

7

Start a timer as you begin pouring. Slowly add 30-40ml of water, just covering the coffee bed. You’re aiming to add just enough water to get the coffee saturated, but no more.

8

Wait 30 seconds, as the coffee and the water get to know each other. The coffee might swell up a bit, and give off some bubbles, this is called bloom, and it happens as CO2 is released with the introduction of water. If it doesn’t get all bubbly, don’t worry, it’s not essential for delicious coffee.

9

This is the tricky bit. Slowly pour, starting at the centre, and spiraling outwards. As you pour, the water hitting the top of the brew creates turbulence, which disturbs the coffee bed.

The aim of the slow pouring technique is to keep that turbulence both at a minimum, and evenly distributed across the bed. Keep the water level about a centimeter above the coffee bed, pouring about as fast as the coffee dripping through underneath, stopping and starting as necessary.

10

Bring the total weight up to 300ml.

11

Allow the water to fully drip through, this should take somewhere between 2.5 and 3 minutes.

...and enjoy!

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