Medium-fine grounds are generally the best option when you are brewing with a Hario V60 because it is the size that is most likely to get good extraction during the brew. Grind size is all about extraction, and you want to make sure that the consistency of your coffee grounds is giving you the best flavour and concentration possible.
As a pour over coffee maker, the V60 is quite versatile and the grounds and technique that you use can be adjusted, but there are some important reasons why medium-fine grounds are preferred by most V60 users. Not all brewers work well with all grind sizes and making the wrong choice can result in under or over extraction.
This article will go into detail about the Hario V60 Coffee Maker, what it is and how it works, and the different ways in which grind size affects the brewing of coffee so that you can make an informed decision about how fine or coarse your grounds need to be.
What is the Hario V60?
The Hario V60 is a pour over coffee maker that is seen by many as the most iconic of its kind in the world, partly due to its distinctive design but also its versatility. It is designed to sit over a cup or a jug and have the coffee simply drip out of the bottom, ready to drink.
How Does Pour Over Coffee Work?
Pour over coffee works by allowing hot water to pass through the coffee grounds, extracting oils, flavours, and aroma as it moves. The coffee also travels through a filter, which removes solid coffee granules and some of the oil to reduce the intensity and bitterness from the brew, resulting in a clean and mellow cup of coffee.
What is Extraction?
In the world of coffee, extraction is the key to everything, and it is the process by which solid coffee is dissolved into water to create a liquid coffee beverage. This extraction happens in much the same way that other soluble solids can be dissolved in water, but there are several different brewing methods used to do it.
Why Are Coffee Grounds Used to Make Coffee?
You can make tea with tea leaves, but you can’t really make coffee with whole coffee beans. In order for the soluble coffee to be extracted, the beans need to release their flavour and aroma first, and there needs to be a greater surface area to interact with the water, which is why coffee is ground before brewing.
How Does Grind Size Affect Extraction?
When there is a greater surface area to interact with the water, the soluble coffee can be extracted more quickly and more thoroughly. Finer grounds have a greater overall surface area and coarser grounds have a smaller overall surface area, so the finer your grounds are, the more extraction will take place in a shorter amount of time.
How Does Extraction Affect Flavour and Concentration?
Ultimately, the more extraction you get from your coffee then the stronger and more intense the resulting flavour will be. You will also get more soluble coffee in your brew, which means it will have a higher concentration and your cup of coffee will be heavier and denser as a result.
Can Changing Grind Size Affect Flavour?
In general, a finer grind size will give you more bitterness and intensity to the flavour of your coffee, though this is not always what you may be aiming for. Many coffee drinkers prefer a method like pour over which, while still getting good extraction, keeps the brew balanced and mellow, highlighting the nuances and subtleties of the flavour.
How Do I Know if My Coffee is Over Extracted or Under Extracted?
If your grounds are too coarse or your brew time is too short, you may end up with under extracted coffee, which tastes sour, acidic, or salty, and may seem watery. If your grounds are too fine, or your brew time is too long, your coffee might become over extracted and it will taste bitter and hollow.
Why Is My Coffee Poorly Extracted When I Used the Right Grind Size?
The size of your grounds also needs to be consistent to get good extraction, and poor quality grinders can result in grounds that are not uniform. If your grinder is giving you inconsistent grind sizes, small grounds will block up the filter and over extract at the same time that large grounds take up space and under extract.
Why Are Different Grind Sizes Used for Different Brewing Methods?
The type of brewing method that you use may dictate the grind size that you opt for more than your personal taste because some methods work best with some grind sizes. Depending on how much time the coffee grounds are interacting with water, and how fine the filtration element is, some grind sizes are not ideal for some methods.
Why is Medium-Fine the Best Grind Size for V60?
Because the Hario V60 is a pour over brewer, the grounds don’t steep for long in the water, so a reasonably fine grind is important to get a good amount of extraction. If the grind size is too fine, however, it can clog the filter, slow down the water flow, and give you an over extracted, bitter coffee.
What Grind Size Do Other Pour Over Coffee Makers Use?
Most pour over coffee makers, like the Kalita Wave, also use medium-fine grounds, but the Chemex coffeemaker is a bit different. The Chemex uses thicker filters than the standard paper coffee filter, so it has a slower flow of water and can be blocked more easily, which means that medium-coarse grounds are better suited for it.
What Grind Size Does a French Press Use?
For a French Press, otherwise known as a cafetiere, coarse or medium-coarse grounds are best. This is because the grounds will steep for a long time and its metal plunger has quite large holes in it, so fine grounds will over extract and pass through into your coffee, making it bitter and muddy.
What is Espresso Grind?
The finest grind size is often referred to as “espresso grind” because it is specifically used in espresso machines to make espresso. Because these grounds are so fine, they can be packed tightly together into a disc within the machine and are able to be rapidly extracted under pressure, delivering highly concentrated coffee without losing CO2.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
