Hario V60 Review: Should You Buy A V60 Pour Over, Filters and Scale

Coffee enthusiasts love to experiment with their drinks, from choosing the right beans to being involved in the brewing process. The Hario V60 kit is a pour-over coffee maker that lets you play a huge role in brewing delicious coffee.

Automatic drip coffee makers can offer fancy options, but they don’t extract the full flavor of coffee beans the way the slower pour-over process does. While you can set an automatic coffee maker and walk away, making a cup of pour-over coffee involves a bit more work.

The Hario V60 is a great coffee pour over device because there’s no major learning curve. As long as you pay attention to each step, you’ll finish the process with a flavorful cup of coffee that surpasses the one you'd achieve with an automatic machine.

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Who is Hario?

Hario is a Japanese company that was founded in 1921. They initially developed heat-resistant glassware for use in laboratories. In 1964, they established a separate coffee equipment glassware company. The name Hario means “King of Glass.”

The company prides itself on using refined, natural materials to make its heat-proof glass. The factory uses an electric heating system instead of chimneys, which cuts down on pollution.

Hario V60

Hario decided to make a conical dripper for pour-over coffee because they wanted to challenge themselves to brew cleaner-tasting coffee. They thought using wires to pull the filter away from the sides of the dripper would achieve this goal, but it wasn’t very user-friendly.

After refining their design, the company finally created an assortment of ceramic, glass, plastic, and metal pour-over drippers that had unique grooves on the interior walls. These grooves replaced the wires to keep the filter from touching the coffee dripper itself.

This product was released in 2004 and has been one of the most popular options for home-brewing pour-over coffee ever since. The style makes it easy for people to brew a cup of coffee that suits their tastes.

The V60 is a popular pour-over coffee maker because it’s easy to use and makes deliciously rich coffee. Many people avoid the pour-over method because it seems to take a lot of work, but the process. It only takes about three minutes.

The pour-over method will give you coffee that tastes better than anything you’ll get from an automatic drip machine. You might also enjoy the easy clean-up involved with this method when compared with a French press. The grounds in a French press must be washed out of the carafe after use, but with the pour-over process, coffee grounds stay in the filter as they brew.

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Hario V60 Pour Over

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense pour-over coffee maker, Hario is your brand. Their drippers look clean and timeless but aren’t otherwise eye-catching. Instead, the manufacturer focuses on the small factors that will influence how your coffee tastes.

The white ceramic V60 is the classic model, and it’s also available in vibrant red. The ceramic version is sturdy, attractive, and best for heat retention. It’s a little on the heavy side though if you intend to take your coffee dripper with you when you travel.

If you choose a glass version, you can pick one that is clear with a white, black, or red plastic base. You can pay a bit more for a classic-looking olive wood base. It looks great but the glass section is fragile, so you won’t want to carry it around.

You can also buy the Hario V60 in white, red, or clear plastic versions. These are very durable and portable, but they won’t retain the water’s heat like the ceramic models will. Another durable and portable option is the metal pour-over coffee maker. It comes in a silver or black finish.

The plastic option is, of course, the cheapest, but it’s still a quality option. The ceramic drippers are the middle ground in terms of pricing, with glass and metal falling on the higher end of the spectrum.

Hario V60 Sizes

In addition to different materials, you can buy different sizes of dripper, from a single cup up to six cups. The price difference between sizes is very minimal, so get the size that you will use most often when brewing coffee.

Regardless of material or size, all Hario drippers are designed with raised grooves that spiral on the cone’s interior. These grooves help keep the filter from sticking to the edge of the dripper. It has the added benefit of allowing air and water to flow between the filter and the cone.

These grooves result in a more balanced extraction of flavor from the coffee grounds. They also help decrease the time needed to drawdown the brew. When you pour water over your grounds, you’ll already be using a spiral method, but these grooves make the process more efficient.

The way the grooves impact the drawdown gives you yet another way to customize your pour-over process when you’re using the V60. You’ll be able to use trial and error to decide what method of pouring results in the coffee that tastes best to you.

The raised grooves spiral down to one large hole at the bottom of the cone. It might seem like this means all of the coffee will drip from the bottom of the filter, but since the grooves pull the filter away from the wall, some coffee will also escape from the sides and drip down into the carafe.

Hario V60 Decanter

The beauty of a pour-over coffee maker is that you don’t need much to make a great cup of coffee. While you can pick and choose the type of bean you like and the grinder that works best for you, all you need to brew is coffee, water, a mug or carafe, a filter, and the coffee dripper itself.

If you prefer to brew your coffee into a carafe instead of directly into your mug, you might want to find a compatible option. Hario makes V60 glass servers so you can brew your pour-over and use the carafe to serve the coffee.

Hario V60 Filters

Hario makes their own Hario V60 paper filters so you can buy the ones that fit your size dripper:

Hario V60 01 makes one or two cups
Hario V60 02 makes up to four cups
Hario V60 03 makes up to six cups

These filters are already cone-shaped, so you don’t have to worry about folding them to fit the V60 dripper. They also have a tab so you can lift them out of the cone after use without making a mess.

If you want to prevent paper waste, you can find reusable stainless steel coffee filters that are compatible with the Hario V60, but currently, none are made by the manufacturer.

Hario V60 Review

For portability, we give the Hario V60 4.5 out of 5 stars. While all are small and easy to carry, the ceramic and glass options are a little too fragile to travel with. If you choose the plastic or metal option, you’ll have no problem taking it with you as you travel.

For the price, we give the Hario V60 5 out of 5 stars. The plastic options are extremely affordable without being cheaply made. If you want to spend a little more on a higher-quality ceramic model, you still won’t be breaking the bank.

For aesthetics, we give the Hario V60 4.5 out of 5 stars. We like that there are different material choices, like ceramic, glass, metal, and plastic. It’s also nice to have color options within these types. However, the plastic coffee makers aren’t quite as thick as we like, which can affect the coffee’s temperature.

For ease of use, we give the Hario V60 4.5 out of 5 stars. This rating applies more to pour-over brewing than just the Hario model. It’s easy to do but takes some time to master.

For brew control, the Hario V60 earns 5 out of 5 stars. The single large hole at the bottom of the cone paired with the thin Hario V60 filters means you have the potential to customize the flavor in your brewing process.

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Hario V60 vs Chemex

Hario V60 and Chemex are two of the biggest names in the home pour-over coffee maker world, so how do you know which one to choose?

Chemex is an all-in-one coffee maker. It’s made of heat-resistant glass and has a carafe below the cone. It even has a small divot that serves as a spout for serving coffee. This is appealing because you only need one vessel to brew the coffee.

There is a wooden collar around the base of the cone so you can hold and pour without burning your hand. Some models come with a handle for ease of use. You can choose from various sizes of Chemex, from three cups to 13.

The glass itself is smooth, while the Hario V60 has ridges. The brewed coffee comes out of the bottom of the Chemex filter. It has a large hole, just like the Hario V60, but it’s disappointing that the coffee can’t flow from the sides of the filter.

Chemex also has custom filters that you need to use for the best coffee. Because of the design of their filters, you have more leeway with your grounds. If you use grounds that are finer or coarser than what’s ideal, you’ll still get a great cup of coffee.

Hario V60 vs Kalita Wave

Kalita Wave is a quality flat-bottom pour-over coffee maker. Kalita makes custom filters, but you can also use any wave filter that is used in traditional drip coffee machines. Some coffee connoisseurs think that flat-bottom brewing results in a more consistent flavor across cups, but if you’re careful with your initial bloom, that shouldn’t be a problem even in a cone filter.

The base of the Hario V60 has one large hole where the coffee will drain, but the Kalita Wave has three holes that are smaller, therefore restricting the flow. This can cause clogs in the stainless steel option because the rips at the bottom aren’t too effective and keeping the filter pushed up.

The glass and ceramic versions of the Kalita Wave handle the drain clog problem a bit better. If you want to try this brand, you might want to opt for those materials to have a smoother experience.

We found that the Kalita Wave made more consistent cups of coffee. You have a lot of freedom with your grind setting so grounds being too fine or too coarse won’t ruin your coffee. On the other hand, there’s less ability to change the brew. You’ll be getting good coffee every time, but you’ll be missing out on the possibility of variation.

Hario V60 vs Bodum

Bodum is a solid brand that has a lot of quality coffee makers and accessories on the market, and their pour-over decanter is no different. This model looks similar to the Chemex because it’s all one piece. The carafe itself can hold up to 34 ounces, though you can still use it to make a single cup.

Like the Chemex, the Bodum decanter has a spout for easy pouring. There is also a grip cuff around the middle of the coffee maker. Bodum’s is made of silicone, which will give you a good grip and also prevent your hand from burning.

The silicone comes in various colors like black, white, green, and red. You can also choose a cork grip if you prefer that aesthetic. The prices stay affordable whether you opt for cork or silicone.

If you’re environmentally conscious, you might prefer Bodum because they provide a reusable filter. The steel filter won’t affect the taste of your brew, but it will drastically cut down on the waste you’re producing. It’s easy to wash while you’re cleaning the carafe itself.

Hario V60 Recipe

The ritual of pour-over coffee is something that brings many coffee lovers a sense of calm. You don’t set a machine, press a button, and forget about it until you hear a beep. Instead, you are involved in every step of the process.

If you’re a pour-over expert, then you’ll know how to use the Hario V60. The process itself is the same no matter what brand you’re using. You’ll need coffee beans, a grinder, a filter, the Hario V60, a carafe or mug, and water.

The Hario V60 02 is the most popular size and uses about four cups of water. Depending on the mugs you use, this could produce enough coffee to fill two large mugs or four smaller coffee cups.

Hario V60 Kettle

While we recommend the HArio V60 kettle, you can use any kettle for the first step. Simply heat your water to 200 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, boil the water and then let it sit for 30 seconds so it can cool to 200 degrees.

Hario V60 Ratio

Use about 2.5 tablespoons, or 18 grams, of grounds per cup of water. For the Hario V60 02, you’ll need 10 tablespoons, or 72 grams, of coffee grounds. You can always adjust the amount of grounds you use according to taste.

Once you have decided on the winning Hario V60 ratio, get a filter for the size pour-over maker you have. Put the filter in the V60 dripper and put the cone on top of your mug or carafe.

Hario V60 Grind Size

When it comes to the Hario V60 grind size, we recommend a coarse ground. If you find that your coffee is brewing too quickly and tastes under extracted (sour), then we recommend trying a finer ground.

Hario V60 Dripper

Pre-wetting the filter isn’t necessary, but it can level up the flavor of your finished cup. It will take away the paper residue on your filter and help it stick to the sides of the cone. Use hot water so both the V60 dripper and the carafe will be preheated and keep your coffee warmer.

If you pre-wet the filter, you will also be more likely to get all grounds wet. When you pour water over coffee grounds, it’s likely to gather in certain areas and possibly leave other grounds dry. Pre-wetting the filter will help the water spread evenly across all grounds, which will result in a more robust flavor.

After pre-wetting the filter, pour out the remaining water in the carafe or mug so it doesn’t dilute the flavor of the coffee you’re about to brew.

Hario V60 Brew Guide

Add your grounds to the filter and gently shake the dripper so they settle into a flat surface. Pour just enough of your 200-degree water over the grounds to fully wet them. Let it sit for 45 seconds so it can bloom. This means the gas will be purged from the coffee to give a purer flavor.

If you pour all of your water in at once, the gasses remain trapped and affect the richness of the coffee’s flavor. We like to pour a ratio of two to one when it comes to pouring water for the bloom.

After the initial bloom, start pouring the water continuously in circles around the edge of the coffee. Don’t pour onto the filter, or else the water won’t soak the grounds properly. Make sure you’re pouring slowly and consistently enough that the water level doesn’t reach the top of the cone.

Hario V60 Water

It will take about a minute to pour in the four cups of hot water. It may be slightly more or less depending on how much water was used. Now you let it drain through the filter to finish brewing the coffee. The time to drain can range from two to two and a half minutes.

If the water drains quicker than that, you might have ground the coffee too coarsely. If it takes longer to drain, then the coffee grounds might be too fine. You can time the process to help figure out how to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

Hario V60 Coffee

After the water drains, you can throw away the grounds and filter. As you sip your cup of pour-over coffee, enjoy the flavor. If it doesn’t taste like what you expected, consider some of the changes you could try for your next brew.

Variables that affect coffee taste include the coarseness of grounds, amount and temperature of the water, pre-wetting the filter, and overall time to brew.

Verdict

The Hario V60 set is a great way to make pour-over coffee at home, but how does it hold up when compared to the competition? We found that it did just as well as it's competitors, but at a lower price point.

Sure, if you are looking for something fancy to add to your kitchen, you may want to look elsewhere. However, if the quality of the cup is what you are after, no need to spend extra on an expensive Chemex.

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About the Author

Parker Russell is a coffee professional and the founder of Black Ink Coffee. As an expert in the field of coffee roasting, cupping (professional Q-Grader) and brewing, Parker has established Black Ink as brand that fuels the grind of dreamers.