How much do you know about the Hario V60? Let’s delve into the history of this popular coffee dripper.

Hario V60 History

Hario, derived from the Japanese words for glass and king to be dubbed as “The King of Glass,” was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1921 by Hiromu Shibata with the goal of designing, manufacturing, and marketing heatproof glass.

The company first ventured into the coffee realm in 1948 with its first household item, the family-use coffee siphon. It then continued to produce coffee siphons and became a leading manufacturer in the coffee market in Japan in 1967.

The Hario V60 pour over coffee brewer was then released commercially in October of 2005 after a lengthy trial and error process. It soon gained worldwide recognition after Michael Phillips won the 2010 World Brewers Cup with it in London. It won the championship title six more times (in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2021) and is the only coffee dripper to have numerous wins. (1)

It has garnered a reputation this century for being one of the best brewers for specialty coffee for coffee professionals and hobbyists alike.

The V60 in its name comes from the cone’s ‘V’-shape and its iconic 60-degree angle. It has spiralled ribs and one large hole at the bottom to allow the brewer greater control over both the waterflow and airflow. This grants the barista greater flexibility over the resulting tasting notes of the coffee.

The V60 comes in a variety of materials, introduced initially in ceramic and glass, then plastic and metal. Every material, except for plastic, has great heat retention and temperature maintenance for a better end cup. The original white Arita-yaki ceramic style is produced in Arita to this day, a town known for its ceramics, with a 400-year long Japanese tradition that uses fine clay to yield a clear and shiny finish.

To enjoy, simply measure out your water and grind whole coffee beans to the coarseness of table sugar. Place the V60 on a mug or server, insert your pre-wet paper filter, toss in your coffee grounds (ensuring a nice levelled bed), and cover the coffee evenly in just boiled water, ideally with a gooseneck kettle.

Equator Coffee Roasters offers the Hario V60 ceramic dripper in white, red, lemon yellow, and turquoise blue colors, plus the Hario V60 clear plastic dripper. We also offer white and natural Hario filters, and other compatible equipment, including the Hario V60 metal drip scale, the Hario V60 olive wood server, and the Hario V60 insulated stainless steel server in black. Everything fits the size 2 Hario V60, which is meant for 1-4 cups of coffee, compared to the 1-2 cups from a size 1 or the 1-6 cups from a size 3.

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