Hario V60 Plastic Dripper 02 Review UK

Hario V60 Plastic Dripper 02 – An Affordable Introduction to Pour-Over Coffee

The Hario V60 Plastic Dripper Size 02 is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to start exploring manual pour-over coffee.

Its design is built around three distinctive features: a cone-shaped brewing chamber, spiral ribs running around the inside and one large opening beneath the paper filter.

Unlike brewing systems that deliberately restrict the flow of water, the V60 gives the person brewing considerable influence over extraction. Grind size, coffee dose and particularly the way you pour can all change how quickly water travels through the coffee bed.

That makes the V60 both accessible and surprisingly deep. You can start with a straightforward recipe, but there's plenty to experiment with as your technique develops.

Why Consider the Hario V60?

The V60 makes very few decisions for you.

Water isn't forced through several small drainage holes or held inside an immersion chamber. Instead, the large opening beneath the filter means that grind size and pouring technique play a significant role in controlling the brew.

That can make the V60 slightly more sensitive to technique than some manual brewers, but it's also what makes it so useful for learning.

Once you understand the basics, you can deliberately adjust grind, ratio, temperature and pouring to change what you taste in the cup.

Key Features

• Size 02 – Hario rates this model for approximately 1–4 cups.
• 60-degree cone – Creates the characteristic V-shaped coffee bed from which the brewer takes its name.
• Spiral ribs – Help prevent the wet filter from sealing completely against the walls of the dripper and provide space for air movement.
• Single large opening – Allows the rate of water flow to be influenced by grind size and pouring technique.
• Transparent plastic construction – Lightweight, inexpensive and easy to handle.
• Dedicated V60 02 filters – Uses cone-shaped paper filters designed for the V60.
• Manual brewing – Gives you direct control over coffee dose, water quantity, temperature and pouring.
• Made in Japan – Hario currently lists the plastic V60 as Japanese-made.

How Does the V60 Work?

The V60 is a percolation brewer.

Hot water is poured over ground coffee held inside a paper filter. The water travels through the coffee bed, extracting soluble compounds before passing through the filter and into your mug or server.

What makes the V60 distinctive is how little the dripper itself restricts that flow.

Its single large opening means the brewing rate is influenced substantially by your grind and pouring.

Pour quickly and water can move through the brewer faster. Pour more gradually, or use a finer grind, and contact time generally increases.

This interaction between grind and pouring is central to learning how to use the V60 well.

Why the Spiral Ribs Matter

The raised spiral ribs running around the inside of the brewer aren't simply decorative.

Hario explains that they help prevent the wet paper filter from adhering completely to the dripper wall.

This creates space between the paper and brewer for air to escape while the coffee grounds expand during brewing.

Combined with the cone shape and large opening, those ribs form the basic V60 brewing system. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}

Why Choose the Plastic V60?

It's easy to assume that ceramic, glass or metal must automatically represent an upgrade over plastic.

For a coffee dripper, it isn't that simple.

The plastic V60 is lightweight, inexpensive and requires relatively little energy to bring up towards brewing temperature.

A heavier ceramic brewer absorbs more heat when cold, which means careful preheating becomes more important if you want to minimise temperature loss during brewing.

The plastic version is therefore not merely the budget option. For everyday brewing, its low thermal mass is genuinely practical.

Plastic vs Ceramic V60

Both versions use the fundamental V60 geometry – cone shape, spiral ribs and large opening – so choosing ceramic doesn't unlock a different brewing method.

Ceramic may appeal if you particularly prefer its appearance, weight and feel.

The plastic version has several practical advantages:

• lower purchase cost;
• lighter weight;
• less vulnerable to breakage;
• less demanding to preheat; and
• easy to take between home, work and travel.

If your priority is simply learning and using the V60 brewing method, there's no need to regard plastic as an inferior starting point.

Which Filters Do You Need?

This model uses Hario V60 Size 02 paper filters.

It's important to match the filter size to the dripper. Size 01, 02 and 03 V60 brewers have different capacities, with Hario rating the 02 for approximately 1–4 cups. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}

The paper filter contributes to the relatively clean style of coffee associated with the method by retaining fine sediment and some oils.

A Simple Starting Recipe

There are countless V60 recipes. You don't need to learn all of them before making good coffee.

A straightforward starting point is:

• Coffee: 15g
• Water: 240–250g
• Ratio: approximately 1:16
• Grind: medium-fine as an initial starting point

1. Place a Size 02 paper filter into the V60.
2. Rinse the filter thoroughly with hot water and discard the rinse water.
3. Add your ground coffee and gently level the bed.
4. Add enough water to saturate the grounds evenly.
5. Allow the coffee to bloom for approximately 30–45 seconds.
6. Continue adding the remaining water gradually in controlled pours.
7. Allow the water to drain through the coffee before removing the V60.

From there, use taste to decide what to change rather than chasing one supposedly perfect recipe.

Learning to Dial In a V60

The V60 becomes much more useful once you stop treating recipes as fixed instructions and start understanding what the variables do.

If the coffee tastes weak, sharp or under-extracted, you might experiment with a finer grind, longer contact time or different pouring pattern.

If it tastes harsh, dry or overly extracted, you might explore the opposite direction.

Change one major variable at a time whenever possible. That makes it much easier to understand what actually improved or worsened the cup.

Do You Need a Gooseneck Kettle?

No. You can begin learning with an ordinary kettle.

However, the V60 is one of the brewing methods where a gooseneck kettle becomes particularly useful because pouring speed and placement directly influence the brew.

A narrow spout makes it easier to add water slowly and deliberately.

If you're only starting out, we'd learn the V60 before assuming you need expensive accessories.

If you later want more repeatability and control, a variable-temperature gooseneck kettle such as the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro becomes a logical upgrade.

V60 vs Kalita Wave

The V60 and Kalita Wave are both paper-filtered pour-over brewers, but their geometry is fundamentally different.

The V60 uses a cone-shaped coffee bed and one large drainage opening. Pouring and grind therefore have considerable influence over the rate at which water travels through the coffee.

The Kalita Wave uses a flat-bottom coffee bed and three smaller drainage holes.

The Kalita can be appealing if you want a relatively structured flat-bottom approach. The V60 is particularly rewarding if you actively want to experiment with pouring and extraction.

Neither is automatically better – they're different ways of approaching manual coffee.

V60 vs Chemex

The Chemex also uses cone-shaped paper filtration, but its brewing proposition is different.

Its substantial Bonded filters create a particularly heavily filtered cup, while the glass vessel functions as both brewer and serving carafe.

The V60 is smaller, considerably cheaper in plastic form and particularly convenient for individual brewing.

If you're primarily making one coffee and want to experiment extensively with technique, the V60 makes a great deal of sense.

If you're more interested in brewing and serving a larger batch from the same vessel, the Chemex may be more appropriate.

Who Is the Hario V60 02 Best For?

The plastic V60 is particularly worth considering if you:

• want an inexpensive introduction to pour-over coffee;
• usually make one or two coffees at a time;
• enjoy experimenting with brewing technique;
• want to learn how grind and pouring affect extraction;
• prefer clean, paper-filtered coffee;
• want a lightweight brewer that's easy to store or transport; or
• want a manual brewer with very little to maintain.

Who Should Look Elsewhere?

If you want a brewing method that requires very little pouring technique, an immersion brewer such as an AeroPress or French press may be easier.

If you regularly need to make several large coffees simultaneously, a larger-capacity system may also be more convenient.

And if the tactile feel and appearance of ceramic or glass equipment matters to you, Hario makes the V60 in those materials too. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="3"}

Cleaning and Everyday Use

There isn't much to maintain.

After brewing, dispose of the paper and grounds, then rinse the dripper thoroughly.

Its simple one-piece brewing shape means there are no filters, valves or mechanical parts to disassemble.

The plastic construction also makes it a particularly practical brewer for everyday handling.

Our Take

The Hario V60 Plastic 02 is one of those unusual pieces of coffee equipment where spending more isn't necessarily required to access the important part of the product.

The inexpensive plastic model still gives you the cone, spiral ribs and unrestricted large opening that define the V60 brewing method. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="4"}

Its greatest strength is also its main challenge: the brewer responds noticeably to what you do.

That means it can take some practice to become consistent, but it also makes the V60 an excellent brewer for understanding how grind, ratio and pouring influence extraction.

If you're curious about pour-over coffee and want a low-cost way to start learning properly, the plastic V60 02 is difficult to overlook.

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