The Hario V60 Coffee Dripper has been at the epicentre of the surging interest in speciality coffee in South Africa and across the world. It embodies the movement that has (re)embraced hand-brewed coffee alongside the more traditional espresso-based coffee culture. Specifically, the Hario V60 belongs to the increasingly popular family of pour-over coffee makers.
This simple, beautifully engineered little cone allows delicious coffee to be made easily and affordably, without the need for an expensive machine. While additional pieces of equipment like drip kettles and servers may help a little, all you really need to make a fantastic brew with a V60 Coffee Dripper is a kettle to heat water, fresh coffee and a cup to stand it on.
The style of coffee the V60 makes is very different from espresso - a nod to the past as much as it is a part of a new world of coffee. It is filter coffee but filter coffee made with precise control over brewing variables, allowing the natural flavours of the coffee you're drinking to shine. This tendency to highlight, rather than alter, the coffee's characteristics explains why it has been adopted by many roasters of high quality, single origin coffee beans all over the world.
If you're an adventurous coffee drinker who likes to explore different flavours and experiment with brewing variables, the Hario V60 Coffee Dripper is an essential piece of coffee equipment to own.
Product features
- Large opening at the bottom to facilitate even flow of water
- Internal ridges to keep the paper from sticking to the sides, preventing channels from forming
- Spiral ridges assist in making water turn supporting even extraction
- Sits comfortably on most cups, mugs, milk frothing pitchers or servers
- Easy to clean
- Heat resistant
- Available in Ceramic or Plastic finish
Style guide: Ceramic vs. Plastic
The plastic and ceramic V60 cones are almost identical in design and will yield a very similar cup of coffee. The difference between the two is largely aesthetic, however there are some minor advantages to each that may help you choose.
Ceramic advantages
- Better heat retention
- Dishwasher safe
Plastic advantages
- More durable & transportable
- More affordable
Size guide
The most common size for the Hario V60 Coffee Dripper is the 02 version as it allows you to brew anything from a single cup up to 4 (though many find the best results are with 1-2 cups). As such, if you're not sure which one to get, we'd suggest the 02 model.
If you are only going to be brewing a single cup at a time, the 01 (1 Cup) is a great option but please bear in mind that it's difficult to make coffee 2 full mugs of coffee using this size. If you want to brew coffee for 3 people more, you should have a look at the 03 size which only come in plastic.
- 01 Size - Good for 1-2 cups (1 mug)
- 02 Size - Good for 1-4 cups (1-2 mugs)
- 03 Size - Good for 1-6 cups (1-3 mugs)
Note: We've heard that some people will use the 03 size to brew even larger amounts of coffee (1 litre or more) but Hario's official guideline is for up to 6 cups.
Need filters?
Please note that normally the Hario Coffee Dripper does not come with filters included and they are needed to brew coffee. We've included the option to add 100 filters with your order using the drop-down menus above. When you run out, you can buy more paper filters here.
Brewing guide
Part of the beauty of the Hario V60 system is that it allows you to control your variables and experiment. Please treat the instructions below as a starting point but we would encourage you to make changes and see what works for you. Equally, different coffees may shine under slightly different brewing conditions.
- Boil about twice as much water as you actually need for the coffee
- Fold a paper filter along the seem (so it sits better in the cone) and place it inside
- Place the Coffee Dripper on top of your mug or server and rinse the paper filter with hot water
- Let the hot water sit to warm up all your brewing equipment
- Grind your coffee to a medium-coarse setting - about 70g per litre (~9g per 125ml cup)
- Discard the water you used to rinse the filter and then put the coffee grounds in the Coffee Dripper
- Tap the cone so that the bed of coffee ground flattens - some recommend making a small indentation in the middle
- Pour in a very small amount of water just to wet the grinds (which should have cooled to below 95 degrees)
- After 30s of the grinds soaking, very slowly pour the rest of your water into the cone in a spiral motion (following the direction of the ridges)
- Try to make the pouring speed consistent
- Always pour onto the coffee grounds, not onto the sides of the filter - you want the water to go through the coffee
- Pause if the cone is filling up too fast
- Allow all the water to come through the cone. Brewing times can be adjusted but quicker than 2 minutes or slower than 4 is probably too extreme on either side
- Discard your filter and grounds, rinse your cone and enjoy your coffee! (many prefer pour-over coffee slightly cooler so give it some time)
