Last Updated on January 30, 2024 by Ibrahim Bat
Hario V60 is a coffee brewing equipment frequently used by coffee enthusiasts worldwide. It often appears in 3rd wave coffee shops, coffee forums, or YouTube channels publishing coffee-related content.
So what makes Hario V60 special? What exact features bring it to the forefront? Should you buy a Hario V60? We will seek answers to all these questions and more in this article.
Let’s dive in.
Hario V60 101
The Hario V60 is a manual coffee maker device for pouring coffee.
The name HARIO comes from the ancient Japanese word for glass (玻璃, hari) and the Japanese word for king (王, ō). Therefore, HARIO (or 玻璃王) means “the King of Glass.”
The ‘V60’ in the name comes from the product’s unique shape. The ‘V’ letter in the name resembles the product’s shape, and 60 refers to the 60-degree angle of its walls. This angle is specially chosen for better extraction during brewing.
The Hario V60 uses a paper filter. Thanks to the paper filter, the oils and all coffee grounds in the coffee are retained by the paper filter. This results in a delicious, clean, and bright cup of coffee.
The paper filters used for the Hario V60 come in two different types, natural and white paper filters. Natural ones are not recommended as they pass too much straw paper taste to the cup.
On the other hand, although it may seem simple, it is not easy to brew equipment. It requires some work on it. But don’t worry about it. We have already written an ultimate V60 brewing guide.
Lastly, while this Hario V60 is sufficient brewing equipment, a gooseneck kettle will significantly improve your technique and the quality of the coffee you produce.
Hario V60 Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Easy to clean | It takes time to master |
Durable | Requires constant attention when brewing |
Simple and attractive design | Requires special paper filters |
Different sizes, materials, and color options | |
Reasonable price |
What Makes Hario V60 Special?
Hario V60 is a brewing method that is gaining popularity every day. It offers enough flexibility to customize according to personal preferences during brewing. On the other hand, you can make a clear, aromatic, and bright cup of coffee in just a few minutes.
Ease of Use
The Hario V60 has a simple design and usage. All you have to do is place the paper filter in the cone, put in the coffee, and pour water over it.
Like I mentioned before, the tasks are straightforward, but if you overlook some important factors like the speed at which you pour the water, the blooming process, and the size of the coffee grounds, it’s possible to end up with coffees that don’t taste very good.
I want to add one more thing about ease of use. While brewing coffee in a V60, you can’t do another task (like preparing breakfast) until your coffee is brewed. You need to be present throughout the brewing process. If this is a problem, I recommend you switch to a clever filter.
Design
There are spiral ribs inside the Hario V60. The purpose of these ribs is to create space between the paper filter and the cone walls to facilitate coffee filtration.
The wide-mouth design of the V60, the relatively large hole at the bottom, and the presence of the ribs allow the water to meet as minimal resistance as possible during the filtration process.
In this way, the water flow rate control is in your hands. The goal is to achieve balanced brewing without causing over-extraction or under-extraction.
To do this, you need to adjust the pouring stages of the water and the grind size of the coffee beans. Start from a reference point, and keep searching until you reach the perfect coffee.
Different Material Options
The most common model of the Hario V60 is ceramic. However, copper, metal, plastic, and glass versions are also used.
Among these, the relatively cheapest one is plastic, while the most expensive is the copper model.
Which one to choose depends entirely on your personal preferences. If you carry it with you while traveling or camping, you may prefer metal, copper, or plastic. They are more durable compared to ceramic and glass models.
I usually use the V60 at home, and I try to avoid plastic as much as possible for products that touch food. Since I find the ceramic model more aesthetically pleasing, I use a ceramic set. You can access the set I use from here.
The reason for the carafe in the set is to use it when I make brews for two people. You can place the V60 directly on your cup for single-person brews, but if you’re going to brew for two people, a carafe is essential.
On the other hand, the only disadvantage of the ceramic model I observed is that the preheating stage takes a bit longer. While it is easy to heat plastic, metal, and copper models, when it comes to the ceramic model, it can take a bit longer.
Different Size Options
With the Hario V60, you can brew coffee for one or multiple servings. You can choose the model according to the amount you plan to brew. Hario has 3 different models. These models and their brewing capacities are as follows:
Cup | Metric (ml) | Imperial (fl oz) | |
Hario V60 01 | 1-2 | 120-240 | 4-8 |
Hario V60 02 | 1-4 | 120-480 | 4-16 |
Hario V60 03 | 1-6 | 120-720 | 4-24 |
In Hario models, 1 cup is considered 120 ml (4.06 fl oz).
As you can see from the table, if you buy a model that can brew 4 cups, you don’t have to brew 4 cups every time. You can also make 1 cup of brew.
It seems like a simple detail, but some brewing equipment, like a moka pot, does not allow brewing less than the number of cups it’s designed for.
Here, the important thing to note is to get a paper filter and carafe suitable for the model you are considering buying. For example, you cannot use a paper filter suitable for a 2-cup model in a 4-cup model, or if you have a 600 ml carafe for a 720 ml brew, it will be quite frustrating.
Cleaning
When looked at from a little distance, V60 is a cup with a hole in the bottom. There are not many protrusions and recesses where coffee grounds can get stuck. Therefore, it is easy to clean.
You can easily wash your Hario V60 with soapy water or put it in your dishwasher.
Conclusion for Hario V60 Coffee
Generally speaking, the Hario V60 is easy to use and maintain. Although the idea of it giving you full control may sound scary, you can easily become an expert in V60 brewing with a bit of practice.
If the silty coffee you get from a French press is not your liking and you’re looking for smoother coffees, the Hario V60 will be a good choice.
Finally, when you buy a Hario V60, you won’t feel too lonely. The Hario V60 has quite a large user base among coffee enthusiasts. This means you’ll have access to many resources and information online or face-to-face to improve your brewing techniques.
