The Hario V60 is no longer just one dripper. What started as a single cone-shaped brewer has grown into an entire ecosystem of specialized devices. Each model solves a different problem or targets a different type of coffee drinker.
This guide breaks down every V60 model currently available, what makes each one different from the original, and which one might be right for you.
The Standard V60: The Original Benchmark
Before exploring the variations, you need to understand what makes the original V60 tick.
The standard V60 features a 60-degree cone angle with spiral ribs running along the interior walls. These ribs create an air gap between the paper filter and the dripper, allowing carbon dioxide to escape during brewing and enabling water to flow freely. A single large hole at the bottom means flow rate is controlled entirely by your grind size and pour technique.
This design produces clean, tea-like cups with high acidity and distinct flavor separation. But it demands skill. Pour too fast or too slow, and your coffee suffers. It rewards precision and punishes sloppiness.
Price: $9 to $13 (plastic), $30 to $35 (ceramic), $20 to $30 (glass)
V60 Neo: The Beginner-Friendly V60
The V60 Neo was designed for one purpose: make V60-quality coffee without V60-level difficulty.
How it differs from the standard V60:
The Neo replaces the spiral ribs with 72 ultra-fine vertical ribs on the upper walls that converge into 9 deeper ribs near the exit hole. This completely changes how water moves through the dripper.
Standard V60 ribs spiral downward, encouraging a twisted water path that responds dramatically to your pour technique. The Neo’s vertical ribs direct water straight down, creating a more controlled, laminar flow regardless of how you pour.
The result? You can dump water from a regular kettle into the center and get results similar to a skilled barista using careful spiral pours on a standard V60.
The Neo is made from Tritan, a BPA-free copolyester that looks like glass but has the thermal properties of plastic. It stays out of the way thermally, letting your brew water do its job.
Price: $28 to $37
Best for: Home brewers who want V60 flavor without mastering V60 technique. Works well even without a gooseneck kettle.
V60 Switch: The Immersion Hybrid
The Switch adds something the original V60 never had: a valve.
How it differs from the standard V60:
A silicone base with a steel ball bearing sits beneath a glass V60 cone. Flip the switch down, and the ball blocks the drainage hole, turning your pour-over into an immersion brewer. Flip it up, and the coffee drains.
This changes the extraction physics entirely. Standard V60 brewing uses percolation, where fresh water constantly washes over the grounds. The Switch in closed position uses diffusion, where coffee extracts into standing water until it reaches equilibrium. Think French press in a V60 shape.
The real power comes from hybrid recipes. You can bloom and pour with the switch open (extracting bright acids like a normal V60), then close it and steep (extracting sweetness and body like a French press), then open and drain. World Brewers Cup champions use techniques like this.
The glass cone does lose heat faster than plastic, which is worth noting. But the thermal mass of the water itself helps buffer this.
Price: $48 to $60
Best for: Experimenters who want to combine pour-over clarity with immersion body. Also great for anyone who wants more consistent results, since timed steeping removes the variability of continuous pouring.
V60 Mugen: The Single-Pour Dripper
Mugen means “infinity” in Japanese, and this dripper takes a radically different approach to the V60 philosophy.
How it differs from the standard V60:
The Mugen has no raised ribs at all. The interior walls are nearly flat with only shallow star-shaped grooves near the bottom.
When you add water, the wet paper filter presses against these smooth walls with nowhere for water to escape around the sides. This creates near-zero bypass. Every drop of water must pass through the coffee bed.
The star grooves at the bottom restrict flow significantly, so drawdown happens slowly without any technique required. You pour all your water in one continuous pour, then walk away. The dripper does the work.
This produces cups with heavier body, integrated sweetness, and less brightness than a standard V60. If you love the sparkling acidity of light roasts, this might not be your dripper. If you prefer rounder, sweeter cups or darker roasts, the Mugen delivers.
Price: $16 to $30
Best for: People who want a set-and-forget pour-over. Works especially well with darker roasts where body and sweetness matter more than acidity.
Mugen x Switch: The Maximum Control Setup
This is the competition-level configuration. It combines the Mugen cone with the Switch base.
How it differs from the standard V60:
The standard Switch has one problem: during immersion, some water can bypass the coffee bed by flowing through the ribs and sitting between the filter and the glass wall. When you open the valve, this under-extracted water mixes with your brew.
The Mugen cone eliminates this. Its flat walls press the filter paper tight against the sides, so during immersion every molecule of water contacts coffee. Zero bypass throughout the entire process.
When you open the switch, the Mugen’s star grooves create a controlled release rather than the rush you get with standard V60 ribs. This prevents channeling during drawdown.
The 2024 US Brewers Cup Champion used this configuration. It offers the most extraction control variables of any Hario setup: time (via the switch), flow restriction (via Mugen geometry), and temperature (via separate pours).
Price: $35
Best for: Competition brewers and serious hobbyists who want maximum control over every extraction variable. Not necessary for daily brewing, but powerful for those who want to push limits.
V60 Suiren: The Skeleton Dripper
Suiren means “water lily,” and this dripper abandons the solid-wall concept entirely.
How it differs from the standard V60:
Instead of a continuous cone, the Suiren uses a ring holder with 12 removable ribs that snap in to create the V60 shape. The spaces between ribs are completely open to the air.
This means your filter paper is exposed directly to the room rather than sitting in an enclosed space. Heat dissipates rapidly. The filter can also bulge outward between ribs, creating very fast, unrestricted flow.
The result is a cooler extraction with higher acidity and lighter body than a standard V60. The rapid cooling can actually preserve delicate aromatics that might degrade at higher temperatures.
The ribs come in six colors, so you can customize the look. But functionally, this is more of a specialty tool than an everyday brewer.
Price: $33 (full set), $15 (rib packs)
Best for: Aesthetic enthusiasts and experimental brewers. The rapid cooling effect can work strategically for very dark roasts where you want to reduce bitterness.
Hario Pegasus: The Flat-Bottom Alternative
The Pegasus breaks from everything the V60 stands for. It uses a flat-bottom, trapezoidal shape instead of a cone.
How it differs from the standard V60:
The Pegasus has a wedge shape with a flat coffee bed and two small drainage holes at the bottom. These holes physically limit how fast water can exit, creating automatic flow restriction.
Even if you pour aggressively, the exit rate is capped. Water pools above the coffee bed, keeping grounds saturated. This makes the Pegasus extremely forgiving.
The flat bed also promotes more even extraction than a conical bed, where the center is always deeper than the edges.
Hario added spiral ribs to the walls, borrowed from V60 technology, which increases drainage surface area compared to straight-ribbed flat-bottom brewers.
The cup profile is balanced and sweet rather than bright and layered. Flavors blend together instead of separating distinctly.
Price: $10
Best for: Home batch brewers who want a “good cup” without specialized equipment or technique. Works well with coarser grinds and doesn’t require a gooseneck kettle.
Zebrang Flat Dripper: The Travel V60
The Zebrang is Hario’s outdoor sub-brand, and this dripper is designed to go anywhere.
How it differs from the standard V60:
The cone is made from flexible silicone rubber that can be rolled up or folded flat. It snaps into a rigid polypropylene base for brewing.
Functionally, it mimics standard V60 geometry. The silicone has low thermal conductivity (good insulation) but the walls are thin to allow folding. The higher surface friction of silicone may cause the filter to grip the walls more tightly, potentially reducing bypass compared to smooth plastic.
You get roughly 90% of V60 performance in a package that fits in your pocket. Unlike rigid plastic (which can crack) or ceramic (which shatters), the Zebrang is nearly indestructible.
Price: $23
Best for: Campers, travelers, and anyone who needs a V60 that survives being thrown in a backpack.
Quick Comparison Table
| Model | Price | Key Feature | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard V60 (Plastic) | $9-$13 | The benchmark, full control | Skilled brewers who want maximum clarity |
| Standard V60 (Ceramic) | $30-$35 | Beautiful, needs preheating | Aesthetics, slower pace |
| V60 Neo | $28-$37 | 72 vertical ribs, forgiving | Beginners, no gooseneck needed |
| V60 Switch | $48-$60 | Immersion valve | Consistency, hybrid recipes |
| V60 Mugen | $16-$30 | Zero bypass, single pour | Dark roasts, set-and-forget |
| Mugen x Switch | $35 | Maximum control | Competition, serious hobbyists |
| V60 Suiren | $33 | Open-air, modular | Aesthetics, experimentation |
| Pegasus | $10 | Flat bottom, restricted flow | Easy everyday brewing |
| Zebrang | $23 | Collapsible silicone | Travel, camping |
Which V60 Should You Buy?
Buy the Standard Plastic V60 if: You want maximum control, you’re willing to learn proper technique, and you value bright acidity and clarity in your cup. At under $13, it’s the best value in specialty coffee.
Buy the Neo if: You want V60-style coffee without V60-level difficulty. It’s the smart choice for home brewers who don’t own a gooseneck kettle.
Buy the Switch if: You want to experiment with hybrid brewing or you want more consistent results without perfecting your pour technique. The immersion option changes everything.
Buy the Mugen if: You prefer sweeter, fuller-bodied cups over bright acidic ones. It’s also ideal if you want the simplest possible pour-over workflow.
Buy the Pegasus if: You find the V60 intimidating and want something forgiving. At $10, it’s low-risk entry into quality manual brewing.
Buy the Zebrang if: You need a V60 that travels. Nothing else in the lineup packs flat.
The original V60 placed all responsibility on the brewer. These newer models shift some of that burden to the device itself. That’s not dumbing things down. It’s recognizing that different people want different things from their morning coffee.