V60
The V60 is a piece of art as well as an awesome method of brewing filter coffee. Hario, a Japanese glassware manufacture, produced the V60 in 2004. The name is derived from vector 60, the 60º angle of its cone. The V60 is now available in a number of different materials such as ceramic, glass, plastic and metal. For a durable, portable companion we would recommend the metal option.
Below is a starting guideline for brewing specialty coffee with a V60. It is certainly a trial and error process before you discover the perfect coffee brew for yourself. The brewing components that affect the final coffee taste are the amount of coffee grounds, grind size, brewing time and water temperature.
#1 Setup
Place a V60 paper filter into the V60 and rinse it with hot water to remove the paper taste and warm everything up. Make sure all of the water is out. Warm your coffee cup with hot water. Place the V60 on your coffee cup or serving vessel. You will need about 220 ml of water, so put at least 300 ml of water on to boil.
#2 Add Coffee
Measure and grind between 16 g and 18 g of coffee. We would recommend starting with 16 g. If you don't have scales then use 1 coffee scoop's worth. Grind your coffee beans if needed to a medium grind setting; aim for as fine as granulated sugar. If it looks like table salt it's a bit too fine. Add the ground coffee into the filter paper within the V60.
#3 Brew
Let the boiled water cool for a few minutes - boiled water is a little too hot for optimum coffee. Slowly pour 220 ml of water over the coffee grounds. Pour into the middle and then draw an outward spiral with the water to get all the coffee extracting. Avoid pouring directly onto the filter paper.
#4 Drink and enjoy
Sit back and enjoy your fabulously brewed coffee!
Handy notes:
- For a stronger brew, try adding a gram more coffee. For a weaker brew, try reducing the coffee by a gram.
- Grind size plays a vital role. If you grind the coffee coarser you will get a weaker coffee taste as the water filters through the coarse grinds quicker. Conversely, if you grind the coffee finer you will get a stronger taste (but not necessarily a better flavour) as the water filters through the fine grinds slower.
