Make a Near-Perfect V60

Simple, Repeatable, Really Good Coffee

Today we’re talking about how to brew with the V60—and more importantly, how to get great results without turning your morning into a science experiment. This is a technique inspired by James Hoffmann and built around one core idea: clarity through consistency.

It works at home. It works in cafés. It works whether you’ve got a beautiful gooseneck kettle or a regular one from the cupboard. And even if you already have your own way of brewing, there’s almost certainly something here that’ll help you level it up just a bit.

Why the V60 Is Different

The V60 is a pure cone brewer with almost no built-in resistance. Unlike flat-bottom brewers or Melitta-style drippers that slow water down with small holes, the V60 has a wide-open exit at the bottom. That means you control extraction almost entirely through grind size, pouring, and temperature.

Because of that, techniques that work well for other brewers don’t always translate perfectly here—so this method is designed specifically for the V60.

Kit List (What Actually Matters)

Before we brew, let’s talk gear. Nothing fancy—just the right tools.

• V60 brewer
  Plastic is honestly excellent: cheap, durable, and great for heat retention. Glass or ceramic are fine too—just preheat them well.

• Filter papers
  Faster-flowing papers tend to taste cleaner. Paper choice affects drawdown, though not as dramatically as grind size.

• Digital scale
  This is non-negotiable if you want consistency. Accurate to 0.1 g is ideal.

• Kettle
  A gooseneck is nice, but not required. What matters most is pouring directly from the kettle you boil in to keep temperature high.

• Spoon
  Any spoon. Seriously.

• Coffee beans
  Good technique can only reveal what’s already there. Bad coffee, perfectly brewed, is still bad coffee.

• Water
  Coffee is 98% water. Use water that tastes good and isn’t too hard. Filtered water is often enough; bottled water can help in tougher cases.

• Burr grinder
  This is the biggest upgrade you can make. Freshly ground coffee gives you control and consistency that pre-ground never will.

The Recipe

• Ratio: 60 g per liter

• Today’s brew: 30 g coffee → 500 g water

• Grind: Slightly finer than medium

• Water: As hot as possible (especially for light roasts)

Step-by-Step Technique

1. Prep and Rinse

Rinse your filter paper thoroughly—this removes papery flavors and preheats the brewer. Discard the rinse water.

Grind 30 g of coffee fresh and add it to the V60. Gently tap to level, then create a small well in the center.

2. Bloom (0:00–0:45)

Zero your scale, start your timer, and pour 60 g of water (2:1 bloom).

Make sure all the coffee gets wet. If you miss a dry pocket, add a touch more water—but don’t exceed 3:1.
Once poured, pick up the brewer and swirl gently until the slurry looks even and smooth.

Let it bloom for 30–45 seconds. This releases CO₂ and sets you up for better extraction.

3. Main Pour: Build Extraction (0:45–1:15)

Now we pour with intention.

Your goal is to reach 300 g total water (60%) by 1:15.

Pour steadily—not aggressively. You want some agitation, but not so much that you create channels. This phase is critical: too gentle and the brew stalls; too aggressive and water rushes through unevenly.

The cone should look nice and full. That’s good—it helps retain heat.

4. Final Pour: Maintain Heat (1:15–1:45)

Slow your pour slightly and top up to 500 g total water over the next ~30 seconds.

Keep the cone full, pour gently, and avoid unnecessary splashing. If your kettle isn’t precise, small pulses are fine—just don’t disturb the bed more than needed.

5. Stir, Swirl, and Let It Drain

Once you hit 500 g:

• Give one gentle stir clockwise, then one counterclockwise (just to knock grounds off the paper).

• Wait a moment, then give one final gentle swirl to flatten the bed.

Now let it drain completely.

Understanding Drawdown (Why Time Matters)

Drawdown is influenced by:

• Grind size

• Water temperature

• Paper type

• Agitation

Hotter water actually drains faster—cooler water slows extraction and tastes worse. This is why transferring hot water into a cold kettle is such a bad idea.

Faster papers tend to taste cleaner. Slower papers aren’t “wrong,” but they usually taste a bit muddier.

Final Thoughts (And Tuning to Taste)

A common myth is that you should never pour on the paper. In reality, pouring only on the paper leads to very long drawdowns and higher extraction—but worse flavor. You want balanced interaction with the coffee bed.

At the end of the brew, look for a flat bed with no large clumps stuck to the walls. A few fines on the edges are totally normal.

Adjusting Flavor (Do This First)

Change grind size before anything else:

• Sour, hollow, weak: grind finer

• Bitter, harsh, drying: grind coarser

Push finer until you hit bitterness, then step back slightly. That’s usually the sweet spot—the highest extraction your setup can deliver without sacrificing balance.