Over the last few years, pour over coffee has exploded in popularity. Now pour over drippers are found in coffee shops, on kitchen countertops, and even in backpacks to be taken camping.
Of all the new brewers seeing their popularity increase during this movement, one seems to consistently be standing out from the rest: the Hario V60.
The Hario V60 is a cone shaped pour over brewer with spiral ribbed walls and a large hole at the bottom, where the filter slightly protrudes from. The ribs along the brewer walls are designed to allow for airflow between them and to keep the grounds away from the walls, leading to a more balanced extraction.
In This Guide:
With its signature ribbed walls and loop handle, this cone shaped brewer has become not only a coffee shop staple, but an icon of the pour over movement. Still, as home brewers, we’re luckily spoiled for choice when selecting new pieces for home brewing. So before you hop on the V60 bandwagon, let’s take a closer look on how it stacks up, starting with the pros and cons.
The Good
Price
The V60 can be had from $7 – $20 depending on which material brewer you choose (more on that below). At less than $25, this is a fraction of the cost of most other home brewers.
Material Options
The V60 comes in plastic, glass, ceramic, and metal options. If you’re absolutely terrified of breaking it, the plastic option will put your mind at ease. If you’re looking for a sturdier build and solid heat retention, I prefer the ceramic and metal options. Now, if you trust yourself not to break it, the glass is a really great, sleek looking option as well.
- Cone shape helps to better accentuate coffees with floral or fruit flavor notes
- Spiral ribs allows for maximum coffee expansion
- Hario in Japanese means "King of Glass"
- Large single hole can change coffee taste according to the speed of water flow
- Size 01: 1-2 cups, Size 02: 1-4 cups, Size 03: 1-6 cups
Easy to Clean
Clean up is incredibly easy with the V60. Just toss the filter, rinse and let it dry. There’s no hard to reach places or pieces to disassemble.
The Not So Good
Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
Unfortunately, The V60 isn’t as forgiving as other pour over brewers. While the brewer lets you achieve great results, it’s also more sensitive to things like pour precision, grind size, temp, etc. By no means do you need to be an expert barista to enjoy the V60, as plenty of first time home brewers swear by it. But when starting out, it’s best to approach it with the expectation that there will be some trial and error.
Learn how to brew with the Hario V60 and find your perfect V60 recipe here.
Requires Time and Attention
This is probably not an ideal option for anyone looking for a rushing out the door before work brewer. Brewing with this dripper requires you to be pretty hands on, giving constant attention to pouring. Additionally, you can expect about 3 to 4 minutes of brew time, with additional time for set up and clean up.
Not Great for Groups
Because it really only makes 1-2 cups of coffee depending on which size you choose, the V60 isn’t really the best option for entertaining guests or even sharing with a friend. So if you’re the type of person who likes to brew a french press when you have company, the V60 doesn’t provide you with a great alternative.
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- Classic Ceramic Dripper: Specially designed to produce an evenly brewed cup of coffee. Durable Japanese ceramic retains heat to help ensure retain temperature throughout the brewing cycle. Minimalist look to suit any kitchen design or style
- Pour Over Excellence: Specialty cone shape and unique spiral ridges allow for deeper layering of the coffee grounds, producing a deep, rich umami flavor
- Pour Control: The V60 features a single large hole, improving pour flow and providing users the ultimate freedom-- Pour water quickly for a light flavor or slower for a rich, deep taste. Better accentuates coffees with floral or fruit flavor notes
- Traditional Meets Modern: Our ceramic drippers are made from Arita-yaki, a traditional style of Japanese ceramics with a rich 400-year history. Each Hario pour over dripper is handmade by a local craftsperson in Japan
Overall Impressions
So now for the important question: how does it taste?
The Hario V60 has a stellar reputation among everyone from coffee professionals to the most frugal home brewers. And honestly, it’s extremely well deserved. The V60 is an absolute steal when you compare the quality of coffee you get for the price you pay. Your electric coffee maker may cost two or three times as much but it’s a safe bet that the V60 will have it collecting dust once you get a few practice reps in.
With a little bit of trial and error, along with implementing the Scott Rao V60 method, I’ve been able to achieve outstanding results with the V60.
It consistently produces a bright, complex cup of coffee that is second to none. The coffees I’ve made with the V60 usually end up with a very light mouthfeel and taste on the sweeter side. According to Hario, the brewer’s cone shape helps to better accentuate coffees with floral or fruit flavor notes. In my experience, this is absolutely true. Though overall, I’ve also found it performs well with beans of just about any origin or tasting notes.
As I mentioned earlier, it is really a great time to be a home brewer because there are so many options for making great coffee at home. Thanks to its tremendous value and quality of coffee, it’s easy to see why the Hario V60 is leading the pour over pack.
- Made of the best heat resistant borosilicate glass from Hario
- Hario in Japanese means "King of Glass"
- Professional Experience
- Easy to Use and To Clean
- Professional Experience. Size 01: 1-2 cups, Size 02: 1-4 cups, Size 03: 1-6 cups
If you’re just getting started, take a look at the Hario V60 pour over starter set. It comes with the Hario V60-02 Coffee Dripper, coffee server, coffee scoop and disposable paper filters (100-pack).
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- Hario Starter Kit: Everything you need for a professional pour over cup of coffee at home or work—Just add coffee and water! The perfect starter setup for yourself, or a gift. Great for those new to pour over or manual coffee brewing
- Pour Control: The V60 features a single large hole, improving pour flow and provides users the ultimate freedom-- Pour water quickly for a light flavor or slower for a rich, deep taste. Better accentuates coffees with floral or fruit flavor notes
- Kit Includes: V60 02 Coffee Dripper, V60 02 Coffee Server, Coffee Scoop and V60 02 Disposable Paper Filters (100-pack)
- Japanese Design: Sleek, modern and minimalist coffee set to suit any kitchen design. Heatproof glass server with BPA-free handle, lid and measuring spoon. Made in Japan
How does the V60 compare to other coffee brewers?
Take a look at our comparison guides:
- Cafec Flower Dripper vs Hario V60
- Hario V60 vs AeroPress
- Chemex vs Hario V60
- Kono Dripper vs Hario V60
- Hario V60 vs Kalita Wave
What does V60 mean?
The V refers to the shape of the cone, and the 60 to the angle of it.
What size Hario V60 to buy?
This will depend on how much coffee you typically expect to make. Here are the capacities of the various V60 sizes:
| 01 | 02 | 03 |
| 1-2 cups | 1-4 cups | 1-6 cups |
Keep in mind that a “cup” of coffee might be smaller than you expect. The exact size isn’t hard and fast but it could be 150ml – 250ml. A decent size mug is about 1.5 or 2 cups.
Which is the best V60 material?
Debates rage online about this, and there is no definitive answer. It will depend on your requirements and preferences for:
- Portability
- Aesthetics
- Durability
- Cost
The best V60s for heat retention are glass, plastic (doesn’t require pre-heating) and ceramic (when pre-heated). Steel and copper will likely reach a higher temperature and distribute heat evenly, but they are likely to lose heat faster than the others.
The best V60 for durability is plastic or copper/steel since you are unlikely to break it by dropping it, which is not the case for glass or ceramic.
The best V60 for portability is the plastic one since it’s the least likely to break.
The best-looking ones are generally considered to be the glass with olive wood, the ceramic or the copper.
All the V60s are relatively inexpensive. But if cost is a factor, you can’t beat the plastic model.
As far as taste goes, most casual coffee drinkers won’t notice a difference between the models. So most folks base their choice on the factors above. Some people actively avoid the plastic version, for fear that it could be unhealthy. As far as the metal one goes, if you are concerned about a metallic taste, that doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Still stumped on which one to choose? Go with the classic and classy ceramic.
Your choice of material is not going to make or break the end result. Other factors, like having a good grinder, and your overall technique are more important.
Is the Hario V60 dishwasher safe?
The plastic, ceramic and glass V60s are dishwasher safe. The copper V60 is not dishwasher safe.
Are Hario V60 filters compostable?
Yes, they are made of paper and are therefore both compostable and biodegradable.
Recommended Accessories
Hario V60 Kettles
Hario V60 Filters
Zach is a writer and content marketer, specializing in coffee. His work has also been featured on Sprudge.