Our colleague, friend and especially experienced barista Šimon Janík has prepared a series of articles about home brewing. In short, it’s about how to make the perfect coffee in the comfort of your own home. The first article in our series is the preparation of the popular Hario V60 method.

Why a filter? Filtered coffee offers more subtle and cleaner tastes than classic espresso, allowing the character of a particular bean to fully emerge.

The secret of perfect homemade coffee

Before we even start with the recipe, it’s important to understand the basics. Whether you’re in our café in Bratislava or at home in the kitchen, the basics are ingredients and freshness.

As advised by our colleague Šimon Janík, Slovak Champion in the Barista category for 2019:

“There are several ways to prepare quality coffee at home. They are affordable and easy to prepare. For starters, I would recommend the Hario V60, Aeropress, Chemex or French press. I would also recommend getting your own grinder and grinding your own fresh coffee just before preparation. Such coffee has much more taste and aroma than already ground coffee.”

So let’s take a look at how to get the most out of your V60.

Basic recipe for V60

• Coffee: 20 g (we recommend lighter roast coffee, ideally marked “filter roast”)
• Water: 300 g
• Water temperature: 96 °C
• Grinding: medium coarse (reminiscent of sea salt)
• Total time: 2:30 – 2:45 min

Step by step preparation procedure

Preparation: put the paper filter into the V60 dripper and wash it thoroughly with hot water. This step will get rid of the paper taste and at the same time preheat both the V60 and the decanter (the container underneath). Pour out the water from the decanter.

Step 1: Weighing and grinding Place the V60 with the decanter on the scale. Pour in 20 grams of freshly ground specialty coffee, shake gently to settle the coffee, and reset the scale. Prepare the stem.

Step 2: Blooming Start the stems. Pour 50 g of water in a circular motion to soak all the coffee. Gently swirl the V60 or stir the coffee with a spoon. Wait 30 seconds. During this process, CO2 is released from the coffee and the coffee “blooms”.

Step 3: First top-up After 30 seconds, start topping up the water in a slow and thorough circular motion up to a weight of 200 g. Direct the water stream evenly onto the coffee, not the filter walls.

Step 4: Second top-up At 1:30, top up the remaining water again in a circular motion until the total weight is 300 g. Finally, we gently twist the V60 again (spin) to align the coffee grounds and allow the water to flow evenly.

Step 5: Finale and Serving The total extraction time should be between 2:30 and 2:45. When the water overflows, remove the filter.

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Think of this recipe as a stepping stone, not an immutable rule. Every specialty coffee is different – it has a different density, a different roast level and a different flavour profile. So don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust the recipe to your own taste. Your best tool for calibration is the grinder:

• The coffee makes your coffee taste bitterer: If you feel an unpleasant bitterness in the aftertaste, it means that the coffee has been extracted for too long. Next time , set a coarser grind.
• The coffee is watery and weak: If the taste is bland, the water has run out too quickly. Next time choose a finer grind.

Look for the right balance (“sweet spot”) where the coffee is sweet, fruity and pleasant.

A little final tip from Goriffee: Remember to stir the coffee in the decanter in a circular motion before serving. The tastes are released gradually and in layers – stirring them together will bring them together into a harmonious whole.

Do not drink filtered coffee immediately after it has been brewed. Wait about 2-3 minutes for it to cool down gently. Specialty coffee has the most developed tastes at a temperature of approximately 60-70 °C.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about V60 preparation

1. Do I need to have a special gooseneck kettle? Although not a prerequisite, a kettle with a shaped spout (gooseneck) will make your life much easier. With the V60, the key is to pour the water evenly and slowly. With an ordinary kettle, it is difficult to control the water flow, which can lead to uneven extraction. If you’re serious about home coffee making, investing in a kettle like this is definitely worth it.

2. Why does the paper filter need to be flushed? There are two main reasons for rinsing the filter with hot water before pouring the coffee. Firstly, it removes any unwanted “paper” aftertaste that could transfer into your cup. Second, the hot water heats up the V60’s ceramic or glass dripper and decanter, so your coffee will retain its ideal temperature longer.

3. What water should I use to make coffee? Coffee is 98% water, so the quality of the coffee has a major influence on the final taste. Tap water, especially in Bratislava and its surroundings, is often too hard and chlorinated, which “kills” the subtle fruity notes of Specialty coffee. We recommend using filtered water (e.g. from a BWT or Brita filter kettle) or spring water with a low mineral content.

4. When after brewing is the coffee best to filter? Freshly roasted coffee needs time to “degassing”. Just after roasting, it contains a lot of carbon dioxide, which prevents the proper extraction of tastes. The ideal time to prepare filter coffee is approximately 10 days to 4 weeks from the roasting date.

5. What is the difference between grinding for espresso and for V60? The grind on the V60 needs to be significantly coarser than for espresso. While for espresso you need a fine powder (like semi-coarse flour), for V60 you are looking for a consistency reminiscent of sea salt or granulated sugar. If you grind the coffee too finely, the filter would clog, the water wouldn’t flow and the result would be unpleasantly bitter.

Taste some of our new filter coffees for V60