Answer firstThe keys to a great V60: a 1:15–1:16 ratio (controls strength) and pulse pouring in stages (keeps extraction even). Bigger ratio, lighter and cleaner. Base recipe: 15g coffee, 225–240g water, 90–94°C, medium grind, 2:30–3:00 total.
V60 recipe and reference at a glance
Ratio controls strength
The ratio is the weight of coffee : water. It mainly sets strength (grind and time set balance). Same bean, different ratio, different style.
Pulse pouring: several small pours, each refreshing water-to-coffee contact → even extraction (the goal). One big pour: the stream disturbs the bed and channels → uneven (the error). Pour steadily in circles; avoid the filter wall.
Pulse pour = even; one big pour = channeling
The full timeline
0:00 bloom: pour about 2–3× the coffee weight (~45g), wet all grounds and degas, wait 40s. 0:40 first pour: up to ~150g. 1:30 second pour: up to 250g. 2:30–3:00 drawdown: a flat bed, total time in this window.
Bloom → staged pours → drawdown within 3 minutes
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Common mistakes
Pouring too fast and disturbing the bed (channeling); hitting the filter wall (water bypasses coffee); skipping the bloom; uneven pour speed. Steady and even is everything.
Pour too fast / hit the wall / skip bloom / uneven speed
Pour control cannot be learned from a video; a trainer watching your stream is fastest. JWC’s 1-day hands-on class.
