A word about Japanese coffee culture.  Surely the Japanese are renowned for their tea culture?  They are - but since the 1960's coffee has become an integral part of life in Japan.  Coffee was always been perceived as a ‘western’ commodity and thus was banned during World War II. Post-war, in an attempt at modernising Japanese society, especially in Tokyo, the import of western goods was a way for the new Japanese middle class to signal their status.  The ban on coffee was lifted in the 1960s and at the time it was very much a luxury product. However, as Japan's economy began to recover, and indeed become the envy of the world, coffee began to become more affordable. 

The Japanese love nothing if not convenience and design and so created the environment for the development of the V60 dripper.  If you visit Japan, you'll find them everywhere - from pop-up stores to hotel rooms.  The traditional tea ceremonies are still super-important of course, but since a tea ceremony takes at least an hour - a V60 filter coffee is the drink of choice for most. We'd not want to wait an hour for a coffee - no matter how good the coffee ... well, maybe we would for a Panama Geisha.  (Google it here, kidz) 

1. A V60 dripper!
2. Coffee filter papers
3. Cup or Coffee Pot
4. 15g Fresh roast speciality coffee (Filter ground)
5. 300ml(g) of boiled/very hot water.

Method

1. Place your V60 dripper over your cup
2. Fold the edge of your filter paper, open and place in the V60 dripper
3. Boil your kettle and pour the water over the filter paper
4. *Tip: This will wash the filter paper, removing any ‘paper tastes’ that could be transferred to the coffee as well as pre heating your cup or coffee pot
5. Grind 15g of coffee to a medium fine grind, if you have a ... er ... grinder!  (Or make sure you order filter grind coffee!!)
6. *Tip: 15g is the recommended "dose".  You can add more or less to taste if you want.  The grind level is important.  If you use espresso level ground coffee the water might take for ever to work its way through and you'll be drinking very strong, cold coffee.  If you use cafetiere level ground coffee, the water will run through too quickly and your coffee will taste like dishwater
7. Boil the water, (who knew!!) - and if you want to be super attentive to your coffee, leave the water to cool for a minute or two.  Boiling water, 100 degrees, will "burn" the coffee and you'll lose the acidity and other taste profiles.  90 degrees is fine.  But, seriously, don't get too bent out of shape on this bit.
8. Place your V60 over your cup, with a filter paper within, add your 15g of coffee into the filter paper
9. Pour enough hot water over the coffee until all the coffee is wet
10. Stir the mixture gently and leave for 1 minute to bloom.  Bloom is the coffee reacting to the water and frothing slightly.  You'll know what we mean when you see it
11. In a slow consistent circular motion pour in the remaining water and allow it to filter through the coffee into your cup.

Remember!  Brewing coffee is an art - the actual amounts that YOU like will be different, so experiment.  Once you find the coffee, grind and water ratio’s that are perfect for you don’t forget it! 

This ‘pour over’ method in the V60 enables all the large sediment particles to be separated, this will result in an easier drinking, cleaner and overall sweeter coffee.  As such - filter coffee is best suited to a clean, bright, coffee varietals such as East African, Central American type coffees.