Hario V60 Dripper – How to Use it to Make Great Coffee
- 25.5.2018
- Coffee Preparation
One of the most popular coffee preparation methods – the V60 dripper from the Japanese company, Hario. Initially, a glass container, in the shape of a cone, was amongst the easiest ways to quickly prepare reasonably good coffee. How and where did the V60 dripper come to fruition? And what does the 60 in its name stand for?
Content
History of The Hario V60 Dripper
The Japanese company Hario was established in Tokyo in 1921 as an industrial glass manufacturer (Hario, when translated, means the king of glass). Over time, the company began to focus more and more on the food industry which culminated in the 1980s with the prototype “V Sixty” from Tsuruoka Sana. He was trying to respond to a problem in preparing coffee – at the time, the most common preparation was using the Nel Drip, but this required skill, patience and most importantly, experience. The V60 Dripper would change this forever.
For the dripper, however, he had to wait (again) until 2004. In spite of his great-grandfather, he made some important changes – he widened the hole in the middle and modified the rib grooves. Why does the name contain ‘V’? It’s simple, it indicates the angle that the paper filter holds in the pot.
An Old Principle
The principle remains the same – to drain the water, through the coffee, without the sediment reaching the cup, without hindering the quality. Similar to the Chemex, the coffee is filtered through a special paper filter (however, in the case of the Hario V60, the filter is thinner). Although the original Hario V60 is made from glass, recently they have started to experiment with other materials. As a result of this, you can now buy ceramic, copper and even cheaper plastic drippers. At the present, Hario products can be found in more than 70 countries worldwide. Why is the Dripper V60 so popular? Some of its coffee is simply the best. “If you ask my favourite methods of making coffee, it’s definitely the V60 and Aeropress. The V60 stands out because it releases the full potential of great tasting coffee and if I feel like something lighter, I always choose it. As soon as I want something full-bodied, I go to the Aeropress. In addition to this, everything is ready in no time and both devices are very easy to clean.” – Ondřej Macků, owner of Coffee to Home.
Pouring hot water into the V60
One or Two?
What is the difference between drippers branded V60 #1 and drippers branded V60 #2? It’s easy – number one is smaller. You should get this if you’re mainly brewing coffee for yourself. The plastic Hario V60 #1 holds 250ml of coffee and can be bought from £4.98.
Choose the number two if tend to drink coffee with your friends of family. It holds up to 450ml of coffee which can easily serve 3 people. The V60 #2 can be bought for around £6.00.
Both need filters but be careful – they are not the same. For number one, buy V60 #1 filters, which cost around £5.50 per hundred pieces. For the number two, buy V60 #2 filters for £5.80.
Preparation of coffee using the Hario V60
- Prepare high-quality ground coffee (for type #1 – 17g, for type #2 – 30g).
- Grind the coffee into a finer grind for that used in French press (medium-coarse grind).
- Thoroughly wash the paper filter (this removes the paper flavour) and place it in the funnel.
- Pour the coffee into the V60.
- Prepare the water to around 90˚C (if you do not have a thermometer, leave the lid of the kettle open for half a minute).
- Slowly cover with water, aiming toward the centre of the filter (for Type #1 – 250ml of water, for Type #2 450ml).
- Wait for about 3 minutes and serve.
- Both glass and plastic options are dishwasher safe.
