The Ultimate V60 Technique

A simple, repeatable V60 method designed to work equally well at home or in a cafe, with any kettle.

Coffee: 30g, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“I'm gonna be brewing 30 grams to 500 grams”
said in the original · transcript, 4:06
Water: 500g, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“I'm gonna be brewing 30 grams to 500 grams”
said in the original · transcript, 4:06
Ratio: 1:16.7
Temperature (estimated): 100°C, worked out from the recipe. Show the evidence.
my preference is that you pour the water into the V60 from the kettle that you boil it in
worked out from the recipe · transcript, 2:13 — pouring directly from the boiling kettle means water is at 100 °C
Brew time: —
Grind (estimated): medium-fine, worked out from the recipe. Show the evidence.
I would recommend something that's on the slightly finer end of kind of medium.
worked out from the recipe · transcript, 4:13 — 'slightly finer end of medium' maps to medium-fine on the standard spectrum

FineCoarse

Grind: slightly finer end of kind of medium

Tap any underlined number to read where it came from. Numbers marked estimated are ones the original recipe does not give.

Equipment

Designed on: Hario V60, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“Today we're gonna be talking about how to brew with the Hario V60.”
said in the original · transcript, 0:12
Works with: conical paper dripper, worked out from the recipe. Show the evidence.
This is my recommended technique for making coffee with the Hario V60, and any other cone-shaped brewer with a large open area.
worked out from the recipe · description box

Brewing a different amount?

grams

Uses 500g of water

Water in the brewer over time, drawn from the recipe.

0:00

0:00Pour to 60gbloom pour, 2 g water per gram of coffee; aim to wet all grounds
↳Swirlswirl brewer in circular motion until slurry looks evenly mixed
↳Waitbloom rest up to 45 seconds (30 s minimum in a cafe context)
0:45Pour to 300gadd 240gpour to reach 60% of total brew weight (300 g cumulative) by 1:15you have 30s
1:15Pour to 500gadd 200gslower pour to reach 100% of brew weight in the next 30 seconds; pulse if no gooseneck
↳Stirone stir each direction with a spoon to knock grounds off sidewalls without creating a lasting swirl
↳Swirlone final swirl to keep the bed flat for even extraction
↳Let it drainallow to drain fully; aim for a flat bed at the end

Weights are cumulative: what the scale reads when that pour finishes.

Filter rinsed first: Yes, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“you also wanna rinse out your filter paper. That will help remove any potential papery tastes and it will also preheat the brewer.”
said in the original · transcript, 4:39
Kettle: gooseneck visible in frame; preference stated for pouring from the kettle you boil in, seen in the video. Show the evidence.
“gooseneck kettle visible on the right of the three kettles shown; Hoffmann states his preference for pouring from the boiling kettle”
seen in the video · frame at 2:40; transcript 2:13
Stirring and swirling: swirl after bloom; stir both directions after final pour; final swirl before drawdown completes, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“begin to swirl in a circular motion”
said in the original · transcript, 5:51 — first agitation; second and third agitation sourced from 'grab a spoon and give the V60 a little stir in one direction and then a little stir in the other direction' (transcript 8:30) and 'give it one final swirl' (transcript 8:54)

grind: Change extraction solely through grind. Go finer if the cup is empty, hollow or acidic; stop when bitterness and astringency appear, then back off slightly — that point is maximum extraction for your setup.
bloom time: Up to 45 seconds; 30 seconds is sufficient in a cafe. Do not exceed 45 seconds.
bloom water: Use 2 g water per gram of coffee for the bloom; up to 3:1 if a large pocket of dry coffee remains.
temperature by roast: Use water as hot as possible, especially for light roasts. For dark roasts it is acceptable to wait 15–25 seconds after boiling before pouring.
pour aggressiveness by dose: With a smaller V60 (e.g. 15 g to 250 g) use a gentler pour; aiming for 60% of brew weight in the first main pour naturally scales agitation to the bed size.

Style: clarity, worked out from the recipe. Show the evidence.
Great technique, it's just gonna give you transparency on your ingredients.
worked out from the recipe · transcript, 2:42 — high-agitation bloom swirl followed by controlled pours in a fast-draining conical paper brewer is associated with a clean, clear cup
Suits: light, medium, dark roasts, said in the original. Show the evidence.
“If you're using a pretty dark roasted coffee, it's okay to wait 15, 20, 25 seconds after the water is boiled before starting to pour but if you're brewing something very light, the hotter the better.”
said in the original · transcript, 5:15 — all roast levels addressed; dark roast gets a temperature adjustment, not an exclusion

Where the original recipe does not say how the coffee tastes, the flavour here is an estimate.

This recipe is James Hoffmann’s. We have written out the numbers and linked to the original.