3 Ways to Brew with a Hario V60 Based on Coffee Region

The Hario V60 has become the icon for making pour over coffee. It is an affordable brewer that remains a constant in coffee competitions and cafés worldwide. Try these V60 recipes to bring out the distinct flavors of each coffee region.

Recipe Guide

Variables	Taste Description	Ideal Coffee to Use
Jump to Recipe 1	Balanced but emphasizes sweetness	Light to medium roast Latin American coffees
Jump to Recipe 2	Rich and heavy bodied	Medium roast Brazilian and Asian coffees
Jump to Recipe 3	Juicy mouthfeel that articulates acidity	Light roast African coffees

What You’ll Need

• Scale
• Timer
• Gooseneck kettle
• Thermometer
• Filtered water
• Hario V60
• Paper filters
• Good coffee

Read more: The best scales for pour over that won’t break the bank

Recipe Breakdown

For any of these V60 recipes, always make sure to pre-rinse the paper filter to wash off the papery taste. Timer should start the same time as pouring. 

Recipe 1 – Central America

• Dose: 20g
• Total amount:  300 ml
• Ratio: 1:15
• V60 size: 02 or 03
• Grind size: medium fine
• Water temperature: 94°C / 201°F
• Pouring pattern (ml): 60 – 220 
• Pouring intervals: every 40 seconds 
• Total time (minutes to seconds): Between 2:45 to 3:00

This is a straightforward recipe that produces an enjoyable and balanced cup. It works well with coffees from Central America (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, etc.) and can help bring out the sweet chocolate and caramel flavors coffees from this continent are known for. 

First, pour 60ml for the bloom phase. While the coffee blooms, spin the brew or stir the grinds with a spoon to make sure all the grounds are wet. After 40 seconds, do one long pour up to 300ml. Pour in a slow circular motion starting from the center. Do 4 circles going outward then back inward and repeat. End the pour by around 1 minute and 30 seconds. 

Long, continuous, pours tend to produce a more balanced taste. They also keep a more consistent temperature for the entire brew. 

Central American coffees tend to drain fast. A medium fine grind setting will help keep the total brew time between 2: 45 and 3:00 to maximize extraction without producing bitterness. 

Recipe 2 – Asia and Brazil

• Dose: 18g
• Total amount: 250ml
• Ratio: 1:14
• V60 size: 01 or 02
• Grind size: medium
• Water temperature : 88°C / 191°F
• Pouring pattern (ml): 40-60-100-50
• Pouring intervals: every 30 seconds
• Total time (minutes to seconds): 2:30 to 2:45

Most coffees grown in Asia and Brazil are grown at lower elevations. By default, they’ll have a heavier mouthfeel and are more bitter than other coffees. A shorter ratio, lower temperature, and faster brew time can help reduce the bitter flavors. 

Pouring should be in circular motions and relatively quick. Start with 40ml and stir. Let the coffee bloom and do a 60ml pour (target at 100ml) after 30 seconds. Let it drain and pour the next 100ml (target at 200ml) by 1:00. Pour the final 50ml (target at 250ml) by 1:30.

Recipe 3 – Africa

• Dose: 12.5g
• Total amount: 200ml
• Ratio: 1:16
• V60 size: 01
• Grind size: medium coarse
• Water temperature: 96°C / 205°F
• Pouring pattern (ml): 40 – 80 – 80
• Pouring intervals: 40s bloom, finish the first pour around 1:10. Let it drain and do the last pour around 1:30
• Total time (minutes to seconds): 2:30 to 2:50

Brewing African coffees can be tricky. Compared to other origins they inherently have more acidity. This can be balanced out with a higher temperature and longer ratio to bring out more sweetness. The result is a light and refreshing cup – almost like drinking fruit juice. 

Start with a 40-second bloom of 40ml. Again, stir or spin to make sure all the grounds are covered. Pour 60ml (target at 100ml) in 4 slow circles going outward and the remaining 20ml (target at 120 ml) down the center. Pause, repeat by 1:30 and finish pouring by 1:50. Dividing the pour this way helps balance both sweetness and acidity while keeping a juice-like texture. 

Coffee from Africa is generally grown at high elevations – causing them to retain more water and prolong the brew. This allows for a coarser grind size to prevent the V60 from choking and extracting unwanted flavors.

Want to brew great iced coffee? Read more on how to brew Japanese iced coffee

Understanding the V60

The V60 is a cone-shaped brewer that is known in the coffee community to make bright and crisp pour overs. It features a large hole at the center that allows for the water to go through the coffee fairly quickly. This generally allows you to grind finer to better control the total brew time. 

3 sizes are available for the V60. From smallest to largest: 01, 02, and 03. Flow rate and flavor can slightly change depending on the size of the V60 used, despite the same recipe. 

The larger sizes will have a faster flow rate from having a slightly larger hole. Agitation from pouring will also vary per size of the V60. 

With the larger sizes of the V60, pouring will be at a higher level by default. The coffee will also be deeper into the cone. This difference in height will increase the agitation from pouring and can alter the taste of the final cup.

Should the Final Bed Always Be Flat?

While a flat final bed can be a good indicator for an even extraction, it does not automatically guarantee the final cup will be good. I’ve had great tasting brews before where the final bed was uneven. Likewise, I’ve also had mediocre brews with a very even final bed.

Most of the extraction happens at the start of the brew. It’s easy to swirl or stir at the end to flatten everything. But if the coffee was not properly extracted at the beginning, forcing a flat bed will not save your brew.

Click here to know more about coffee extraction and take your brewing to the next level.

I’m not saying either to not try to get a flat final bed. Every indicator for an even extraction will always be useful. But it shouldn’t mean the end of the world if your final bed looks uneven, as long as the other parameters of your recipe are in check.

Glass vs Plastic vs Ceramic vs Stainless V60: Are they Different?

There are 4 types of material the V60 can be made of: plastic, ceramic, glass, and stainless steel. The price of the V60 itself can vary depending on the material. Plastic is the cheapest, while stainless steel is the most expensive. 

Price and durability aside, I recommend using the plastic V60. From experience, it produces the best cup. My theory is that it boils down to heat retention. Since plastic retains heat better compared to the other materials it extracts the coffee more efficiently to produce a fuller cup. 

To get similar results to the plastic V60 using the other materials, you’ll need to use more hot water when rinsing the paper filter to preheat the brewer. If you really don’t want to preheat, you can increase the water temperature by 2 or 3 degrees to slightly compensate for the heat loss.

Filters

Filters can also affect the final cup. From what I’ve tried, I’ve found the white filters to flow faster than the brown ones since they’re made of thinner paper. 

James Hoffman’s video on V60 filters explains in detail how these can affect your brew.

The Hario V60 is a versatile brewer that produces an exciting final cup. I created these V60 recipes based on what I want to taste and how much I think is the right amount to brew, given these different origins.

While I intended these recipes to pair with certain coffees, I also encourage trying these recipes with just one coffee. Taste the differences and see which you like best.

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