Our Go-To V60 Ratio (and Why We Changed It)
For a while we brewed everything at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio — 20g of coffee to 300g of water. It’s a solid, widely recommended starting point.
What changed
Moving to 1:16 gave us a noticeably cleaner cup with darker roasts specifically, without losing body. Lighter roasts we still pull tighter, closer to 1:15.
Why the roast level made the difference
Darker roasts are already more soluble — the roasting process breaks down more of the bean’s cell structure, so compounds extract faster and more easily. At a 1:15 ratio, a dark roast can tip into over-extraction before the brew even finishes, which shows up as a slightly ashy, bitter edge. Backing off to 1:16 (more water for the same amount of coffee) gives the same contact time but pulls out proportionally less, landing in a sweeter, rounder spot.
Light roasts are the opposite story — denser, less soluble, so they generally benefit from a tighter ratio to extract enough flavor in the same brew window.
Our actual routine now
Behind the counter, for a single mug, we land on:
- Dark roast: 18g coffee to 288g water (1:16)
- Medium roast: 19g coffee to 285g water (roughly 1:15)
- Light roast: 20g coffee to 300g water (1:15, sometimes tighter)
Don’t treat this as gospel
These numbers work for our grinder, our kettle, and our palates. Someone with a different burr grinder set slightly finer or coarser than ours will get a different result at the exact same ratio. Use these as a starting point, not a target to hit exactly — the only real test is whether you like what’s in the cup.
One more variable: bloom time
Whatever ratio you land on, don’t skip the bloom — pouring a small amount of water first and letting the grounds rest for 30–45 seconds before the main pour. Skipping this step changes how evenly the rest of the water extracts, regardless of your ratio, and it’s an easy thing to shortcut when you’re in a hurry.
Ratios are a starting point, not a rule. Taste, adjust, and let the specific beans tell you what they want.