When I entered the world of specialty more than 5 years ago and knew nothing about it, it was THIS device that won my heart. To this day, it still occupies first place when it comes to the hierarchy of pour-over coffee brewing devices. Only a drip coffee maker can compete with it. And that's only because, at home, I'm usually too lazy to think about how I'm going to make my coffee and I cater to a machine that 'thinks for me'. But whether or not this is the right approach will be discussed in one of the next articles.

But to the point, there is no time to waste, the coffee will not make itself ?

The V60 - it has been the one that has focused my attention the most since the beginning of my coffee career. Both in terms of brewing methods and my development in general.

It is the v60 that I use immediately after cupping to evaluate the coffee samples I get. It gives me a clear, transparent brew, so I can definitely assess the beverage more accurately and its potential when it comes to the end result - that is, the coffee already brewed in the filter.

I could go on endlessly about the virtues of the V60 and the internet would not be enough to express my admiration for the drip ? Because that is what the V60 is colloquially called. Is it correct? Perhaps not entirely. Because a drip is also a chemex or a kalita.

Back on topic - I'd like to tell you a few of the crowning principles when it comes to the V60 and how to make a good cup of coffee in it, without or with a spin ?

Firstly, when buying a drip we are faced with a choice. We are talking about the material from which it is made. Hario (for that is the name of the brand that created this device) gives us several options to choose from: plastic, glass, ceramic and copper. Which option is the best? There are many theories. In my opinion, the cheapest one. Yes, I'm talking about the plastic dripper. Why? Well, it is mainly about the thermicity of the device. Before brewing coffee, the dripper should be warmed with hot water. So that it remains as thermally stable as possible while the coffee is brewing. Ceramic, glass or copper are said to heat up faster. And this is true, but at the same time these materials give up heat much faster. So what we have heated up escapes quickly. Plastic takes longer to heat up, so that the temperature inside the dripper remains stable and does not drop.

Of course, the ceramic and copper V60s look much nicer and will certainly look better in the kitchen. Your taste will therefore be primarily responsible for this choice.

And in fact any choice will be OK. Because coffee is not to be pinned down ?

Let's move on! We need to buy filters for the dripper.

I personally recommend paper ones in opposition to metal or fabric ones, of which I am an absolute opponent.

Let's start with the ones I dislike the most. The metal filter looks like... a second dripper. It is constructed in a pretty funny way, because it resembles a sieve that has a billion micro holes. And it is these micro holes that are the problem. You have to grind the coffee very coarsely with them. So that they don't clog up and block the flow of water through the filter. This phenomenon can interrupt proper extraction and produce a brew that tastes bitter and is simply unbearable. Unfortunately.

As for the second option - whenever I used a fabric filter, firstly - it gave a very unpleasant bitter material aftertaste in the brew. And secondly, cleaning it was very cumbersome. In addition, after time it changed colour, simply staining from the coffee. The filters can be washed and dried, but I don't think this is a very hygienic solution.

That is why I rely on paper filters, whatever they may be - bleached or grey. It's a disposable, fully biodegradable product that we simply throw away in the recycling bin after use. And with it, we can enjoy a much better tasting coffee than with the previous two solutions. I can assure you that if you pour enough water over the paper filter (while the machine is heating up), it will not leave any aftertaste in your coffee.

So now that we know the whys and hows of the device itself, it's time to brew.

Below, I will outline some of the principles that I follow and that give me really satisfactory results.

Firstly: always pour hot water over the filter. By doing so, you will heat up the vessel, so you will have a more stable temperature during brewing. And the more stable the temperature of the machine and the water, the better the coffee.

Secondly: grammage. For a drip, I usually use the rule of thumb of 6 grams of coffee for every 100 grams of water. However, if I want a more intense coffee, I increase this dosage, up to 21 grams of coffee per 300 grams of water.

Pouring technique is another important issue. Whether you pour faster or slower, more or less water into the dripper at once is very important, because with the pouring you set the ground grain in motion. This is like sugar. It's like with sugar. If you stir sugar in a glass with a spoon, it dissolves and gives flavour to the water. It is exactly the same with coffee - the harder you stir it, the more soluble particles it gives off into the water. However, more is not always better! There is a phenomenon called over-indulgence - if you overdo it, the coffee will simply be bitter. This is why I am personally a fan of Scott Rao's method. It is very simple and always gives me at least the correct results!

Next - the temperature of the water. I use water at a temperature of about 94 degrees Celsius. As water is the solvent for the organoleptic compounds in the grain, it also determines how the brew will taste. Here, too, the comparison to sugar will work - the warmer the water, the easier it is to dissolve the sugar. It is the same with coffee. Of course, the water must be of good quality and with the right mineral composition. Therefore, ALWAYS use spring water with as little mineral content as possible. Do not use mineral water, which has so many coffee-dissolving compounds in it that the coffee will very quickly become scalded. On the other hand, if you use tap water, remember to filter it.

So much for the start.

If you want to develop a coffee workshop, I will tell you how I practised different techniques and compared the results. Download the Coffee Guru app. There you have a compilation of very many techniques for all alternative methods, including drip. It helped me a lot at the beginning of my coffee adventure and I hope it will help you too. Stay warm and try everything the dripper brings you!

Paweł Świderski,

known in the industry as Swider or Sad Swider. He has been dabbling in coffee since 2015. Finalist in many coffee competitions, including 2nd vice-champion of the Polish Brewers Cup 2019. A devotee of overflows, antitalent of latte art, privately a musician, photographer and nature lover.