Start with a ratio.

For a one-cup paper-filter V60 brew, start with 15 g of coffee and 250 g of water. That is about ½ oz of coffee to 8.8 oz of water by weight. Weighing in grams is easier to repeat than measuring grounds by volume.

A small digital scale and a timer are useful because they let you change one thing at a time. They don’t need to turn breakfast into a laboratory session.

A simple first cup.

  1. Put the paper filter in the dripper and rinse it with hot water. Empty the rinse water from the vessel below.
  2. Grind 15 g of coffee medium-fine, add it to the filter and gently level the bed.
  3. With freshly boiled water, wet the grounds evenly with about 40–50 g of water and pause for roughly 30 seconds.
  4. Pour the remaining water slowly, in a couple of stages, until the scale reads 250 g in total. Keep the stream controlled and avoid pouring directly down the paper.
  5. Let the water draw through, remove the dripper, stir the cup gently and taste as it cools.

This is a starting method for a V60, not a prescription for every brewer or coffee. Follow your brewer’s instructions and adjust to taste.

Change one thing.

If the cup tastes thin or sharply sour, try a slightly finer grind next time. If it is harsh or the drawdown stalls, try a little coarser. Grind, water, roast and pouring all interact; keep the recipe steady while you learn what a single adjustment does.

If you like the flavour but want more or less strength, change the coffee-to-water ratio a little. Make a note of the version you want to drink again.

Leave a little time for the cup.

The brew is only half the ritual. Sit down while it is still warm. Put it in a mug you like. A good morning doesn’t have to be an elaborate one.

Starting ratio and technique informed by Hario’s V60 brew guidance. The photograph shows a different pour-over brewer; use the V60 method with the appropriate dripper and paper filter.