BREW GUIDE

V60 Pour Over

Pour over coffee at its cleanest. 22 g of coffee, 360 g of water at 93 degrees, a 45 second bloom, finished by 3:30. The method for tasting what a single origin actually is.

  • Medium
  • ⏱ 4 mins total
  • ☕ 1 large cup (about 320 ml)

The short version

To make pour over coffee in a V60: rinse the paper filter, add 22 g of medium-coarse ground coffee, pour 50 g of water at 93 degrees and wait 45 seconds for the bloom, then pour in slow circles to 200 g by 1:30 and to 360 g by 2:30. It should finish draining by 3:00 to 3:30. Draining faster, grind finer; slower, grind coarser. That is about 60 g of coffee per litre, the same ratio we run on batch brew.

GEAR

V60 + gooseneck + scale

RATIO

1:16 (22 g coffee, 360 g water)

GRIND

Medium-coarse

WATER

93°C (just off boil)

THE RECIPE

Eight steps for a great V60

V60 is the most expressive method on this site: the cleanest cup and the most variables. A scale, a timer and a gooseneck kettle take the guesswork out. Here is the recipe we use at the roastery.

  1. Gather the gear

    Prep: 2 mins

    V60 dripper, a paper filter, fresh beans, a grinder, a gooseneck kettle, a scale, a timer and something to brew into. The scale and timer are not optional. Pour over is a ratio brew.

  2. Heat water to 93 degrees, weigh 22 g

    1 min

    Boil, then let the kettle sit 30 to 45 seconds to drop to about 93 degrees. Weigh 22 g of coffee and grind medium-coarse, like coarse sand. That size lets 360 g of water through in the right time.

  3. Rinse the filter, heat the dripper

    15 sec

    Fold the filter along the seam, seat it in the V60 and rinse with hot water. That removes the paper taste and heats the dripper and the cup. Tip the rinse water out before the coffee goes in.

  4. Add the coffee, zero the scale

    0:00

    Grounds in, a gentle tap to level the bed, the whole setup on the scale, zero it. Start the timer on the first pour.

  5. Bloom: 50 g, wait 45 seconds

    0:00 to 0:45

    Pour 50 g in a spiral so every ground is wet. It will bubble and swell; that is carbon dioxide leaving. Wait 45 seconds. Skip the bloom and the cup tastes flat and sour.

  6. First pour to 200 g

    0:45 to 1:30

    Pour slowly in circles from the centre outward, staying off the paper at the edge. Stop at 200 g on the scale. The pour itself should take 30 to 40 seconds.

  7. Second pour to 360 g

    1:30 to 2:30

    When the water has dropped about halfway, pour again in the same slow circles to 360 g. Keep the bed level; a flat bed at the end means an even extraction.

  8. Drain, swirl, taste

    Finish: 3:00 to 3:30

    Let it drain through, then a gentle swirl of the cup. Drained before 2:45: grind finer. Still dripping past 4:00: grind coarser. Taste as it cools; sweetness shows up at 55 to 60 degrees, not boiling.

PRO TIPS

Three tips for better V60

Three things that separate cafe-quality V60 from kitchen V60.

Buy a gooseneck kettle

V60 lives or dies on pour control. A gooseneck gives a thin, steady stream you can aim. A standard kettle dumps water, floods the bed and channels. $80 to $150 and it lasts for years; see the brewing gear range.

Stay off the filter edge

Water that hits the paper bypasses the coffee and thins the cup. Keep the pours in the centre two-thirds of the bed and the bed flat.

Pour over shows the bean

Paper filters strip the oils, so what is left is the origin: florals and citrus in an Ethiopian, red fruit in a Colombian, cocoa in a Brazil. The origin guide says what to expect from each.

BEANS FOR V60

Which beans to use

V60 is where the single origins sing. A washed Ethiopian for florals and citrus, a Colombian for red fruit and caramel, the Geisha when you want to show off. Same recipe, very different cups.

Shop coffee beans

Other brewing methods

Same beans, different flavours. V60 brings clarity. The other methods bring different sides of the same coffee.

Espresso

Concentrated, intense, the foundation of every milk-based drink.

AeroPress

Clean, forgiving and travel-friendly. Great for single cups.

Stovetop (Moka Pot)

Bold and traditional. Italian-style intensity without an espresso machine.

Pour over questions people ask

What is the best ratio for pour over coffee?

About 1:16 by weight, which is 60 g of coffee per litre of water. For one large cup that is 22 g of coffee and 360 g of water. Go to 1:15 for a stronger cup, 1:17 for lighter.

What grind size for V60?

Medium-coarse, like coarse sand. The test is drain time: a 360 g brew should finish between 3:00 and 3:30. Faster, grind finer; slower, grind coarser.

What water temperature for pour over?

92 to 94 degrees for most coffees. Light, dense single origins can take 95 to 96. Boil the kettle and wait 30 to 45 seconds.

Why does my pour over taste sour or watery?

Under-extraction. Usually grind too coarse, water too cool, or a skipped bloom. Grind finer first; if it is still sour, check the kettle temperature.

Is pour over better than a French press?

Different, not better. Pour over through paper is cleaner and brighter and shows the origin; a French press through metal is heavier with more body. See AeroPress vs French press for the plunger side.