Coffeeholic

Suggest an improvement

Anything wrong, missing, or worth adding? We read every one.

What is it

Thanks — that's with us

We read every one. If you left an email we'll come back to you when it lands.

Breville Smart Grinder Pro for Pour Over (V60)

The clarity method — a single cone, a paper filter and a steady pour that turn good beans into something bright, tea-like and articulate. It rewards attention and shows off a coffee's origin.

Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Find your grinder… Breville Smart Grinder Pro
1Zpresso J-Max 51–74 1Zpresso JE 96–120 1Zpresso JX 22–29 1Zpresso JX-Pro 128–176 1Zpresso K-Max 80–87 1Zpresso K-Plus 80–87 1Zpresso K-Pro 80–87 1Zpresso K-Ultra 33–46 1Zpresso Q2 (Heptagonal burrs) 54–96 1Zpresso Q2 (Pentagonal burrs) 54–96 1Zpresso Q2 S 54–96 1Zpresso X-Pro 20–30 Baratza Encore 15 Baratza Encore ESP 25 Baratza Sette 270 13–18 Baratza Vario+ 25–36 Baratza Virtuoso+ 15
Breville Smart Grinder Pro 31–46
Comandante C40 MK3 18–27 Comandante C40 MK4 20–29 Comandante C60 Baracuda 28–42 DF64 Gen 2 25–36 Eureka Mignon Specialita 45–65 Eureka Mignon Zero 41–59 Fellow Ode Gen 2 4–8 Fellow Opus 17–33 Flair Royal 25–36 Hario Mini-Slim Pro 9–13 Hario Skerton Pro 2–7 Kingrinder K0 100 Kingrinder K1 100 Kingrinder K2 100 Kingrinder K4 20–30 Kingrinder K6 100 Kingrinder P0 45–60 Kingrinder P1 45–60 Kingrinder P2 45–60 MHW-3Bomber R3 Pro 60–100 Mazzer Philos 45–65 Moccamaster KM5 3–6 Niche Zero 35–45 Normcore Manual V2 23–33 OXO Brew Conical 15–22 Option-O Lagom P64 21–41 Sage Smart Grinder Pro 31–46 Timemore C3 Max Pro 13–16 Timemore C3 Pro 13–16 Timemore Chestnut C2 16–21 Timemore Chestnut C3 15–20 Timemore Chestnut S3 50–80 Timemore Chestnut S3 ESP 40–61 Timemore Chestnut X 25–38 Timemore Nano 18–24 Turin DF54 26–41 Varia VS3 28–41 Weber Key 45–65 Wilfa Svart 18–43 Wilfa Uniform+ 12–22
Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs

Breville Smart Grinder Pro's setting

Clicks
31–46
Grind size
450–650 µm
Grind descriptor
Medium-fine

These settings are consensus values computed from 1 independent sources (manufacturer manuals, reference charts and our micron model), monitored daily for changes.

See the Breville Smart Grinder Pro grind chart

Overview

Ours 1:16·15 g·240 g·94 °C·Medium-fine · 450–650 µm·3:33 Make it yours

Brew with us

Pour Over (V60)

Grind Medium-fine 450–650 µm
Ratio 1:
Dose g
Water g
Water temp °C
Total time 3:33

0:00 Timer
— Flow
— Weight
—
STEP 1 / 10 0:00 / 0:00

Notes

We aim to land the whole brew around 2:30–3:00 — if it's finishing much faster, go a click finer; much slower, a click coarser. The second pour is where most of the sweetness comes from, so keep it steady.

Behind every step

  1. 1Weigh beans

    0:05

    Weighing instead of scooping is the only way to repeat a brew — beans differ in density and roast, so a scoop of one is not a scoop of another. Fix the dose and every other variable finally means something.

  2. 2Grind

    0:15

    The V60's open cone drains fast, so grind size is really what controls contact time. Medium-fine — about granulated sugar — usually lands a brew around 2:30–3:00; finer slows it down, coarser speeds it up.

  3. 3Rinse filter

    0:10

    Even the V60's thin paper carries a dry, cardboard note, and the rinse washes it out. It also warms the cone and the server — a cold brewer pulls heat out of the first pour, which is exactly when the coffee is most soluble.

  4. 4Add the grounds

    0:10

    Coffee and brewer finally meet, and it is worth its own beat rather than a clause in another step: the filter is rinsed, the kettle is hot, and until the grounds are in there is nothing to brew. Give the brewer a tap to level the bed — a bed sitting at an angle sends the first pour down the low side and extracts unevenly from there on.

  5. 5Bloom

    0:45

    Fresh coffee is full of trapped CO₂ that repels water and pushes the bed around. Wetting it first lets that gas escape — you'll see it swell and bubble — so the real extraction starts on evenly saturated grounds.

  6. 6First pour

    0:30

    With the bloom done, this pour builds the brew. Go slowly in concentric circles and keep the water level steady — pouring faster than the cone drains floods the bed and washes grounds up the paper.

  7. 7Swirl

    0:08

    This is the move that separates a good V60 from a lucky one. The spiral ribs let water run down the paper as well as through the coffee, so grounds end up stranded on the walls — one gentle swirl brings them back into a flat bed for the final pour.

  8. 8Second pour

    0:35

    The final pour tops you up to the full water weight and rinses grounds off the walls back into the bed. Finish while there's still water above the coffee, so the drawdown stays even rather than stalling dry.

  9. 9Drawdown

    0:45

    The last of the water is still extracting on its way through, so the finish is part of the recipe, not dead time. A flat, even bed at the end means the water pulled evenly; craters or a sloped bed mean it channelled.

  10. 10Enjoy

    0:10

    Coffee keeps changing as it cools: aromatics fade, acidity sharpens and sweetness comes forward. Drink it soon after brewing, and taste it as it drops in temperature — that's how you learn what to adjust next time.

Fix it by taste

Grind is your main lever — it sets the total brew time, which should land around 2:30–3:00 for a single cup. Draining fast and tasting thin? Go finer. Pooling and drying? Go coarser. Change grind first, ratio second, and keep the pour gentle and even.

  • Thin, sour, drains under 2:00
    Under-extracted / grind too coarse
    Fix · Grind finer and pour more slowly
  • Bitter, drying, water pools on top
    Over-extracted / grind too fine
    Fix · Grind coarser
  • Uneven, patchy bed
    Channeling from a rushed pour
    Fix · Bloom fully, then pour slow concentric circles
  • Weak despite a fine grind
    Ratio too lean
    Fix · Nudge toward 1:15 and keep water near 94 °C

What you need

A V60 (plastic, ceramic or glass), matching filters, a gooseneck kettle for pour control, and a scale. A grinder that produces clean, consistent medium-fine particles makes the biggest difference.

Beans & roast

Light-to-medium roasts shine here — this is the method for a special single-origin bag. Fresher is better, but give beans a few days to de-gas after roasting.

Variations to try

  • Bigger batch

    Scale to an 02 cone and add a pour to keep the ratio

  • Iced V60

    Brew onto ice — swap part of the water for ice in the server

  • Sweeter cup

    Try a finer grind or slightly hotter water

Pour Over (V60) FAQ

Why does my V60 taste sour?

It's under-extracted — the water moved through too fast. Grind finer and slow the pour so the brew takes 2:30–3:00.

Do I need a gooseneck kettle?

Not mandatory, but it helps a lot: the narrow spout gives the slow, controlled pour that even, clean extraction depends on.

What's the bloom for?

Wetting the grounds releases trapped CO₂ so the following pours extract evenly. Use about twice the coffee's weight in water and wait 30–45 seconds.

Should I swirl the V60?

Yes — one gentle swirl after the bloom and another between pours. The spiral ribs let some water run down the paper instead of through the coffee, so grounds strand themselves on the walls; swirling brings them back into a flat bed. Rock the cone, don't stir it.

Grinders dialed for this method

Full grind chart →
Baratza Encore
Baratza Encore Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs 15
Timemore Chestnut S3 Manual grinder · 42 mm conical burrs 50–80
Baratza Virtuoso+
Baratza Virtuoso+ Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs 15
Timemore C3 Max Pro Manual grinder · 38 mm conical burrs 13–16
Timemore C3 Pro Manual grinder · 38 mm conical burrs 13–16
Comandante C40 MK3
Comandante C40 MK3 Manual grinder · 39 mm conical burrs 18–27
Ratio calculator Grind settings for 58 grinders Make your own version Alpha