Home Brew Guide
Your Grinder — Part 1
Your grinder uses two burrs — metal discs with teeth — to crush beans into even particles. No blades, no heat, no mess. The dial or click ring controls how far apart the burrs are, which determines how coarse or fine your grind comes out.
More clicks = coarser grind = slower extraction = lighter flavour.
Fewer clicks = finer grind = faster extraction = stronger, more intense flavour.
Before first use, you need to find "zero" so your click counts are accurate.
Set your grind size using the dial. For AeroPress, a good starting point is —. For V60, try —.
Add beans — pour measured coffee into the top opening. Start with 15g (about 1½ tablespoons).
Grind — turn the handle clockwise with steady pressure. About 30–45 seconds for 15g. Very hard to turn = too fine. Very easy = too coarse.
Collect your grounds — the catch cup at the bottom holds them. Pour directly into your brewer.
Your Grinder — Part 2
This is precision equipment. Treat it like a good kitchen knife — don't be precious, but don't be careless either.
After every grind, tap the catch cup gently and use the included brush to knock out stuck grounds. Stale grounds ruin your next cup.
The outer body can be wiped with a damp cloth. Never rinse the burr assembly under water — moisture causes rust. Dry brushing only.
Disassemble fully and brush all parts. A dry toothbrush works well for burr teeth. Clean more often with dark oily roasts.
Only whole coffee beans. No spices, nuts, or dried anything else. Other materials damage the precision-calibrated burrs.
Store upright, handle off. Keep away from steam — not next to the kettle. A dry drawer or shelf is perfect.
The central shaft is precision-fitted. Don't force reassembly. If something feels stuck, wiggle gently — never pull hard.
Grind Settings Reference
Select your grinder above to see the right click counts.
No idea where to begin? Use — for AeroPress or — for V60 and make a cup. Bitter and too strong → go coarser. Sour and weak → go finer. Adjust gradually.
Grind Setting Converter
Found a recipe that mentions a different grinder? This converts to your grinder using micron size — the actual particle size each grinder produces. Most accurate method without a lab.
These are close approximations. Burr wear, bean density, and roast level all affect actual grind size. Use as your starting point, then taste and adjust.
Enter the micron value from a recipe or spec sheet. Range: 200μm (very fine) → 1200μm (very coarse).
Brew Guide
Choose your brewer below. Each has its own character — AeroPress is forgiving and fast, V60 is clean and expressive.
The AeroPress is a plastic cylinder with a plunger — like a big syringe for coffee. You add coffee and hot water, steep briefly, then press the plunger down to push water through a paper filter into your cup. Under 2 minutes total.
What makes it special: it brews under gentle pressure, which extracts coffee faster with less bitterness. Almost impossible to make a truly bad cup — ideal for beginners.
Outer chamber — the main tube that sits on your cup. Coffee and water go here.
Plunger — the rubber-tipped piston you press to create pressure.
Filter cap — screws onto the bottom, holds the paper filter.
Paper filters — always rinse with hot water first. Removes the papery taste and pre-heats your cup.
Sweet spot: 85–96°C. No thermometer? Boil and let sit 1–2 minutes. Too hot = bitter. Too cool = sour and weak.
Rinse the paper filter in the cap with hot water. Discard that water from your cup.
Assemble in standard position — chamber on your cup, plunger not yet inserted.
Add ground coffee — gentle shake to level the bed.
Start timer and add water — pour slowly and evenly.
Stir, steep, press — press slowly over ~30 seconds. Stop when you hear a hiss.
Clean up — unscrew cap over a bin, pop the puck out, rinse. Done in 20 seconds.
The V60 is a cone-shaped dripper with a single large hole at the bottom and spiral ridges on the inside. You place a paper filter in the cone, add coffee, and pour hot water over it — gravity pulls the water through the grounds and filter into your cup below. No pressure, no tricks. Just coffee, water, and time.
It's called "V60" because of its 60-degree angle. That angle and the single large hole give you a lot of control over how fast water flows through — which means your grind size and pour technique matter more than with an AeroPress. The reward is a very clean, bright, and flavourful cup that shows off the character of the coffee.
AeroPress: Faster, more forgiving, fuller-bodied. Good for any morning.
V60: Takes more attention, but produces a cleaner, brighter cup. Great when you want to really taste the coffee.
The V60 dripper — sits on top of your cup or a small jug (server).
V60 paper filter — fold the seam before placing it in the dripper. Always rinse with hot water first, then discard that water.
A kettle — ideally a gooseneck (thin-spout) kettle for better control of your pour. A regular kettle still works, just pour more carefully.
A scale + timer — more important here than with AeroPress. Even a phone timer and eyeballing will get you started.
Use 90–94°C water. Lighter roasts can handle hotter (94°C). Darker roasts are better at lower (90°C). Boil and wait ~30 seconds if you have no thermometer.
Rinse your filter — place the folded filter in the dripper, pour hot water through it, discard the water. This removes papery taste and heats everything up.
Add your ground coffee — use — on your grinder. Give the dripper a gentle shake to level the bed.
The bloom pour (0:00–0:30) — start your timer and pour just enough water to wet all the grounds, about 2× the weight of your coffee. If you use 15g coffee, pour about 30ml. You'll see the coffee puff up and bubble — this is CO₂ escaping. It means the coffee is fresh. Wait 30 seconds.
Main pour (0:30–2:30) — slowly pour the rest of your water in a steady spiral from the centre outward. Don't rush. Try to finish pouring by around 2:00–2:15.
Let it drain (2:30–3:30) — stop pouring and let the water drain through completely. The whole brew should finish by about 3:00–3:30. If it's much faster, go finer. If it's much slower, go coarser.
Pouring too fast. The V60 rewards a slow, controlled pour. If you rush, the water level rises too high and you lose control of extraction. Take your time — the whole pour should feel calm.
Recipes
Grind settings below are calibrated to your selected grinder. All recipes use the same coffee-to-water ratios — only the click counts change.
AeroPress · Recipe 01 · Beginner Friendly
AeroPress · Recipe 02 · World Barista Champion Method
AeroPress · Recipe 03 · Fuller Body
AeroPress · Recipe 04 · Malaysia Weather Approved
V60 · Recipe 01 · Beginner Friendly
V60 · Recipe 02 · Hoffmann 4:6 Method
V60 · Recipe 03 · Malaysia Weather Approved
Go Deeper
Once comfortable with the basics, these are the people and places worth learning from. All free, all excellent.
📺 AeroPress Recipe Videos
📺 V60 Videos
📖 Reading & Reference
Watch the James Hoffmann AeroPress video first, then the Ultimate V60 Technique. Two videos, 15 minutes total, and you'll understand both brewers properly.