Hario V60 Mugen: Noob Friendly Pour-Over Dripper

Toss Coffee in. Single Pour. Enjoy.

Here's my take on the Hario V60 Mugen! The Mugen brings many of the properties of the Stagg X (mainly forgiveness) to a much lower price point ($8). It is incredibly straightforward to do a single pour and the resulting cup of coffee is always great.

Mugen vs. Standard V60:
The Mugen features star-shaped patterns on the inside while the standard V60 has spirals. Filters in the Mugen stick to the edges compared to the standard V60 assisting in the drawdown. I would say this is much more forgiving than the regular V60 which is very dependent on technique.

If you are a beginner on a budget who wants to brew high-quality cups of coffee with minimal effort this is the right dripper for you. If you are looking to grow and challenge yourself in the pour-over space, the standard V60 will allow you to explore many of the complex recipes that exist.

I also showcase the usage of Stagg X filters/Kalita filters to turn the Mugen into a Hybrid Kalita Conical style of dripper. I was finding cleaner cups with less heavy of a body in these brews. The point here is a beginner can slap in a different filter and start applying various techniques maximizing their experimentation without buying a new dripper!

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Machine: Decent Espresso DE1 1.3 Pro
Grinder: Niche Zero
Tamper: Decent V3 Tamper + Decent Tamping Cradle
Pitcher: WPM Pitcher 15oz Brushed Steel
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Filming Equipment:

[minusminus]

One key thing Brian did was NOT doing a fast pour, but slow circles. The Hario technique of a fast pour can easily lead to stalling, since it agitates the coffee A LOT. I think if you have a professional level grinder, with very few fines, then the super fast pour works. For the rest of us a longer brew time works much better.

[Kaffeinated]

Fun fact, the mugen easily fits in a switch base!

[RadioactiveLegos]

Hey Brian, it seems like the main difference between the Mugen and the standard V60 is the design approach to venting. On the standard V60, the spiral rifling is what enables air to escape from the mug or carafe as coffee displaces it. As a result of the rifling, liquid can also easily pass through the sides of the filter, creating the opportunity for water to bypass the slurry (which is why many will caution against pouring at the edges). On the Mugen, the star-shaped channels are much smaller, leading to something closer to an immersion brew, and venting is primarily accomplished by the slot in the base of the dripper.

Out of curiosity, did you try the Mugen technique on the standard V60? The single spiral pour is pretty much all I do these days on mine (with a 30s bloom). Also, the brew ratio in the Mugen's instruction pamphlet is super high (12:1). I'm typically sticking to somewhere between 16.6:1 and 14:1.

[cyrusfontaine]

I just picked one of these up after hearing about single-pour methods that seek maximum sweetness, and my first cup out of it was super promising! I've historically been a big fan of all of Tetsu Kasuya's methods, and this one is no exception!

[zarelinoise]

I find the mugen to be much more difficult to use due to the tendency to clog, even as an experienced user I still have issues with new roasts sometimes.
If the grind size is wrong on a Mugen, the brew on will be completely messed up, with a regular V60 you can also clog it but it's less severe and therefore more forgiving.
Mugen will tend to overextract anything so the recipe uses less water and is a low efficiency extraction, it's better for people that like coarse grinds and lower temperatures really, more of an immersion style brew due to the extended drain times and no bypass

[montagdp]

Seems like a really high coffee:water ratio. Do you know the reason for that, and does it taste really strong? I usually use something like 1:16 on my V60.

[hoilst]

Just got one of these today. Was looking for reviews (my ol' V60 shattered, and this what they had at the store, so why not?) You're a really good presenter, too, great review and tips. I'll try it out tomorrow for brekky.

[gregoryrobak]

Have you compared the Mugen to the Hario Switch V60? It’s beginner method is single pour with switch closed, steep for 2 min, open switch and allow it to drain into cup. Thanks!

[RealBonk]

Finally a good portable chemex

Idk what drippers you've used, but I found the Blue Bottle Dripper is a good noob proof flat bottom dripper.

[sunriseshell]

How does this compare to the Melitta?
If it's similar I don't see any advantage. At least in the US the Melitta dripper is common and the filters are available almost anywhere.

[NightFoxXIII]

If you get this as a set with the air kettle you can get a really really cheap entry level for both a plastic dripper and gooseneck style kettle all in one for about 30 USD. It's crazy good value.

[fiendishshape]

I saw Hario has the Mugen on their US site now for $12. I got my hands on it and it's pretty damn great. I don't like the instruction recipe as it's way too strong. Ultimately this feels like it fulfills the role of my old Melitta dripper except without the stalling as those Melitta filters are pretty bad about clogging. Also gives me a way to burn through all my Kalita Wave filters that I don't use since the Kalita also stalls (except that's because of the design, not the filters).

Thanks for the recommendation!

[mikeydoesit]

Ughhhh the recent Tales video(s) had me wanting one but I was like no no don’t need it but that Kalita filter hack is the final straw. ‘Thanks’ 😅

[tommihommi]

What rarely gets mentioned in modern pourover discussions is the good old Melitta dripper, why is that? It gives good results and is hard to mess up.

[joelraivid]

Thanks Brian. Just ordered one of these for work. What’s a good micron range to start at?

[GoTellJesusSaves]

Interestingly, I've been getting a milk chocolate flavor out of multiple different Columbian coffees using the Mugen.
I've never tasted that flavor with ANY other device I've used.
Not sure what's happening with this Mugen but... I LIKE IT!

[unsharted_territory]

Thanks for the great content Brian! I love kurasu though the shipping is expensive but I love that you can find the latest and greatest coffee products there. I recently ordered the w60 (Pete licata) and the hario 100th anniversary brewer and I'm having so much fun with them. Idk know that about the mugen if I did I would've ordered it too😅.

[ulisesdiaz]

What would happen if I use a v60 technice on a mugen?

[thePowerPlant]

You can buy that dripper in a bundle with the Air Kettle for less than 10 USD...but you have buy a ticket to Japan.

[lobitoinosaka]

Great video, but you repeat the same thing over and over, just get onto the point my dude haha

But yeah completely agree the Mugen is super unrated.

But the bloom is a NECESSITY.
You need to the let the coffee degas, plus I wouldn't recommend doing one pour, I would recommend dividing it between 6 pours.

But anyways cheers! Keep up the great videos!