Hario V60
Ratio Calculator
Exact coffee and water amounts for any V60 recipe. Covers standard, classic, and the Tetsu Kasuya 4:6 method with complete pour schedules and brewing guides.
V60 Pour-Over Calculator
4 steps to your exact recipe
V60 Coffee Ratio Quick Reference
All values at 1:15 ratio. Total water poured, not yield in cup. Use the calculator above for other ratios and methods.
| Target Yield | Coffee | Total Water Poured | Bloom Pour | Ratio | Brew Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~180ml (1 small cup) | 12g | 180g | 30g | 1:15 | 2:00-2:30 |
| ~270ml (1 standard mug) | 18g | 270g | 45g | 1:15 | 2:30-3:00 |
| ~270ml (20g classic dose) | 20g | 300g | 50g | 1:15 | 2:30-3:00 |
| ~360ml (1 large mug) | 25g | 375g | 63g | 1:15 | 2:30-3:00 |
| ~540ml (2 mugs) | 37g | 555g | 93g | 1:15 | 3:00-3:30 |
What Is the V60 Coffee to Water Ratio and Why Does It Matter More Here Than Anywhere Else?
The ratio for V60 pour-over is 1:15 as the default starting point: 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water poured through the dripper. Unlike French press or drip, where the coffee sits in water for a fixed time and the ratio is the main control, V60 gives you three variables to work with simultaneously: ratio, grind size, and pour technique. All three interact. A coarser grind lets water drain faster, which effectively reduces extraction time. A slower pour increases contact time at the same ratio. This is why the V60 is more demanding than other methods but also more capable of producing very precise results when all three variables are dialed in.
Yield in your cup versus total water poured
This is the distinction that trips up most people who are new to pour-over. When a recipe says “use 300g of water,” it means 300g poured through the dripper, not 300ml collected in your cup. Some water stays behind, absorbed by the coffee grounds and the paper filter. Typically, about 1.5 to 2 grams of water are retained per gram of coffee used. With 20 grams of coffee, you lose about 30 to 36 grams to absorption, so 300g of water poured produces approximately 264 to 270ml in the cup. The calculator above accounts for this automatically when you use yield-first mode.
How to adjust the ratio based on what your cup tastes like
If the cup tastes weak or sour, the extraction is too low. Try grind finer first before increasing the coffee dose, because under-extraction and weak flavor are usually grind problems, not ratio problems. If the cup tastes bitter or harsh, lower the water temperature by 1 to 2 degrees before reducing the coffee dose. Only adjust the ratio itself after you have ruled out grind and temperature as the cause, because ratio changes are a coarser tool than grind or temperature adjustments.
What Is the Tetsu Kasuya 4:6 Method and How Does the Recipe Work?
Tetsu Kasuya won the 2016 World Brewers Cup using a pour technique he called the 4:6 method. The name comes from how it divides the total brew water: the first 40 percent of the water controls sweetness and acidity, and the remaining 60 percent controls the strength and concentration of the cup.
The first 40 percent is split across two pours. The first pour wets and blooms the grounds; the second pour completes Phase 1. The relationship between these two pours controls acidity and sweetness: a larger first pour relative to the second produces a sweeter, less acidic cup; a smaller first pour produces a more acidic, brighter result. Once you find the right Phase 1 ratio for your coffee and palate, it stays consistent across different batch sizes.
The remaining 60 percent is split into three equal pours, each separated by 45 seconds. More pours (if you were to split this 60 percent into four or five instead of three) would produce a more concentrated, stronger cup because finer division maintains higher water-to-grounds contact throughout. Fewer pours produce a lighter cup. Three pours is the standard for 1:15.
When to use the 4:6 method versus classic
The 4:6 method is particularly useful when you are working with a specific coffee whose flavor profile you want to emphasize or reduce. If you are brewing a very acidic natural-processed Ethiopian and want to reduce the fruit-forward brightness, a larger first pour in Phase 1 will pull it toward sweetness. If you are brewing a washed Colombian that tastes flat and needs more brightness, a smaller first pour will bring it forward. The classic method does not give you this kind of independent control over sweetness and acidity without changing the ratio or the grind.
What Grind Size Should You Use for a V60?
Medium-fine is the target for V60. Visualize coarse sand or table salt: you can see individual particles, they feel slightly gritty between your fingers, but they do not clump or feel powdery. On a numbered burr grinder scale of 1 to 10, a V60 grind typically falls around 4 to 6. For a Comandante grinder, 20 to 24 clicks is a common starting range. For a 1Zpresso JX, 2 to 3 full rotations from zero is typical.
Grind size for V60 is not a fixed number. It is a variable that you adjust based on your total brew time. The rule is simple: if your coffee drains through the V60 in less than 2 minutes total, grind finer. If it takes more than 3 minutes 30 seconds, grind coarser. You are aiming for a 2:30 to 3:00 total drawdown for the classic method. Adjust grind one increment at a time, keep everything else the same, and retaste.
Why a burr grinder matters more for V60 than for French press
French press uses a coarse grind where the variation from a blade grinder is less catastrophic because the immersion brewing process averages out uneven extraction over four minutes of steep time. V60 has no such averaging mechanism: water passes through the grounds once, in a few seconds per pour. A blade grinder produces a mix of fine powder and large chunks. The fine powder clogs the filter and over-extracts; the large chunks under-extract in the same brew. The result is simultaneously bitter and sour, a combination that is very hard to diagnose or fix without switching to a burr grinder.
V60-01, V60-02, or V60-03: Which One Do You Need?
The V60-02 is the right choice for most people. It handles a wide brew range of 120 to 400 ml and is large enough for two standard mugs at once. The recipe math, filter type, and technique are the same across all sizes; only the max brew volume changes.
The V60-01 is the travel and single-serve option. It maxes out at about 200 ml and uses the smaller 01 filters, which you will need to keep separately stocked. The V60-03 is a newer, larger format for batch brewing up to about 600 ml. It uses size 03 filters and is worth considering if you regularly make coffee for three or more people.
V60 Troubleshooting: Diagnosing Your Cup by Brew Time and Taste
Three V60 Habits That Separate Consistent Results from Hit-or-Miss
Change one variable at a time, always
V60 has enough interactive variables that changing two things between brews makes it impossible to know which change caused the difference in taste. If you decide the last cup was too weak, change only the grind and keep the ratio, pour speed, and temperature identical. If the grind fix did not help, revert it and try the next variable. This is time-consuming but is the only reliable way to find the correct recipe for a specific coffee.
Preheat everything before brewing
Rinse the filter with hot water, let it preheat the dripper, and pour that rinse water into your server to warm it before discarding. Then pour about 50 ml of hot water into your serving cup and let it sit while you set up. A cold dripper, server, and cup can each drop the final serving temperature by 5 to 8 degrees. Preheating all three adds only about 45 seconds to your routine and keeps the coffee noticeably hotter from first sip to last.
Treat brew time as your daily grind calibration
Coffee loses CO2 as it ages from roast date, and this slightly changes how the grounds behave during extraction. Fresh coffee produces more bloom and slightly longer extraction; older coffee extracts a little faster. A bag of coffee you have been using for three weeks may need a finer grind than it did when fresh to maintain the same brew time target. Checking your total brew time against your target range every few days tells you when to make a small grind adjustment, without any change to the ratio or recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions About V60 Coffee
What is the V60 coffee to water ratio?
+The standard V60 ratio is 1:15, meaning 1 gram of coffee per 15 grams of water poured through the dripper. The range used in specialty coffee runs 1:13 (strong) to 1:17 (light). These ratios refer to total water poured, not the yield in the cup.
How much coffee do I use for a V60?
+For a 300 ml cup at 1:15: 20 grams of coffee with 300 grams of water. For a 200 ml cup: 13 grams with 200 grams of water. These are total water amounts poured, not the yield in the cup after brewing, which will be slightly less due to absorption.
What is the Tetsu Kasuya 4:6 method for V60?
+The 4:6 method uses five pours: the first 40% of water (two pours) controls sweetness and acidity, and the remaining 60% (three equal pours) controls strength. For 20g coffee with 300g water: pours of 50g, 70g, 60g, 60g, 60g, each 45 seconds apart.
What grind size should I use for a V60?
+Medium-fine, similar to coarse sand or table salt. On a 1-10 grinder scale, roughly 4 to 6. Adjust based on brew time: if the coffee drains faster than 2 minutes, grind finer; if it takes longer than 3 minutes 30 seconds, grind coarser.
How long should a V60 take to brew?
+Classic method: 2:30 to 3:00. Simple two-pour method: 2:00 to 2:30. 4:6 method: 3:00 to 3:30. Brew time is your grind diagnostic: too fast means grind coarser, too slow means grind finer.
What water temperature should I use for V60 pour over?
+Medium roast: 92 to 94 C (198 to 201 F). Light roast: 94 to 96 C (201 to 205 F). Dark roast: 88 to 91 C (190 to 196 F). Let boiling water rest 30 to 60 seconds before pouring for medium roasts.
Do I need a gooseneck kettle for V60?
+Strongly recommended but not required. The narrow spout allows slow, precise pours that control water distribution across the grounds. A standard kettle makes consistent V60 much harder, particularly for the bloom and for the even pours the 4:6 method requires.
What is the difference between V60-01, V60-02, and V60-03?
+Size only. V60-01: up to 200 ml, uses 01 filters, single-serve or travel. V60-02: up to 400 ml, uses 02 filters, most common. V60-03: up to 600 ml, uses 03 filters, for batch brewing. Ratio and technique are identical across all sizes.
Should I rinse my V60 paper filter before brewing?
+Yes. Rinse with hot water, discard the rinse water from the server. This removes papery taste and preheats both the dripper and server. Takes 20 seconds and makes a noticeable difference, especially when drinking black without milk.
Can I make V60 coffee without a scale?
+Yes, approximately. One level tablespoon of medium-fine ground coffee is about 6 grams. For a standard 20g dose, use 3 to 3.5 level tablespoons with 300ml of water (a bit more than 1 standard US measuring cup). A scale gives much better consistency because tablespoon volume varies with grind size and scooping style.
Where to Start with V60
Rinse your filter, grind 20 grams of coffee medium-fine, pour 300 grams of water starting with a 50-gram bloom, and aim for a total brew time between 2 minutes 30 seconds and 3 minutes. That is the complete recipe. If it tastes off, adjust grind first, temperature second, ratio last. Once those three variables are aligned, the V60 will consistently produce some of the most transparent, nuanced coffee possible from home equipment.