Brewing · Pour-over
How to brew a great V60
Five levers, in order: beans, grind, water, ratio, and the bloom. We explain the science instead of assuming it, so you understand why, not just what. Scroll to brew.
What pour-over actually is
Hot water flows oncethrough fresh grounds and a paper filter. The paper holds back oils and the finest particles, that's why a V60 tastes so clean and bright. You control everything, with just five levers. We'll walk through them in order.
The science: Filter coffee extracts solubles: water dissolves flavour from the bean. How much it dissolves (the extraction) decides sour ↔ balanced ↔ bitter.
Fresh beans, stored right
Freshly roasted isn't the same as ready. Coffee degasses CO₂ for days after roasting; brew too early and the gas pushes water away, extracting unevenly. Filter coffee usually tastes best 7–21 days after the roast date. The four enemies: oxygen, light, heat, moisture → keep it airtight, dark, cool. And grind just before brewing.
The science: Staling is oxidation of the aromatic oils. A bag's one-way valve lets CO₂ out but no O₂ in.
Grind: size and consistency
For V60 you want medium-fine, like coarse sand (~650 µm). But consistency matters more than size. Too many fines (dust) → over-extracted and a clogged filter (bitter). Too many boulders→ under-extracted (sour, thin). A burr grinder makes even particles; a blade chopper makes random sizes → you taste sour and bitter at once.
Water is the main ingredient
Coffee is 98 % water, it's the ingredient, not just the vehicle. Two things: temperature 90–96 °C (≈ 93 for V60): hotter extracts more (bitter risk), cooler less (sour risk); and chemistry: water needs some mineral content to dissolve flavour. Too soft (distilled) → flat and sour; too hard → chalky and muted.
The science: Magnesium grabs fruit/sweetness aromatics especially well; bicarbonate buffers acidity. Aim ~150 mg/L hardness, ~40 mg/L buffer.
The ratio
The brew ratio is coffee to water. The standard: 1 : 16 to 1 : 17, about 60 g per litre (the "golden cup"). Stronger (1:15) = more intense; lighter (1:17) = more tea-like. Our recipe: 15 g coffee → 250 g water (≈ 1 : 16.7). Always weigh, never scoop: scoops vary ±30 %.
The science: Ratio sets strength (TDS ~1.2–1.35 %); grind/time/temp set extraction (~18–22 % of the mass dissolved). Two different dials.
The bloom
Pour just ~2× the coffee weight first, then wait 30–45 seconds. Fresh coffee swells and foams: that's the CO₂ escaping. Only after the bloom does the bed take water evenly. Then pour in slow spirals to your target, avoiding agitation, and let it draw down.
Now find a coffee worth brewing it with
Explore single-origin harvests traced back to a specific farm, washing station or producer, and see which other roasters offer the same coffee.
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