How to dial in your V60
The V60 rewards dialling in — but it can feel finicky. The good news: almost every flavour problem has a clear, single cause. Here's how to read your cup and fix it.
Common V60 problems and fixes
Tastes sour or sharp
Under-extracted. The grind is too coarse and water is rushing through too fast. Grind finer to slow the flow and draw more out of the coffee.
Tastes bitter or harsh
Over-extracted. Too much is being pulled from the grounds. Grind coarser to speed up the flow and stop extracting the bitter compounds.
Watery or weak
Not enough coffee for the water. Try increasing your dose — a good starting ratio is 60g of coffee per litre of water. If body is still low, grind slightly finer.
Dry or astringent finish
A strong over-extraction signal. Grind coarser. This is one of the clearest signs you're pulling too much from the coffee.
Flat or no sweetness
Often caused by water temperature. Make sure you're brewing at 90–96°C. If temp is fine, try grinding slightly finer to improve extraction.
The V60 dial-in process
Change one variable at a time — grind size first, then dose, then water temperature. If you change everything at once, you'll never know what actually fixed it.
Grind size has the biggest impact on taste. A small adjustment — just a click or two on a burr grinder — can completely transform the cup. Always start there.
A good baseline: 15g of coffee, 250ml of water at 93°C, 2:30–3:00 total brew time. From there, taste and adjust.
Get personalised V60 advice
Tell Dial In how your cup tasted and get one specific adjustment to try next time. No guesswork — just taste-based coaching tailored to your brew.
Dial in your V60 →