V60 is one of the clearest examples of why water deserves attention.
The brewer is simple.
The variables are highly exposed.
Pouring, grind, temperature, ratio and water all influence the final cup.
So what water should you use?
There isn't one universal answer.
Start with a clean baseline
For V60 experimentation, a low-mineral base can be useful because it gives you control.
You can then build a known mineral profile.
This is particularly useful when comparing coffees or testing water.
Think about the coffee
A delicate washed coffee may benefit from a water direction that preserves clarity and acidity.
A more developed or heavily processed coffee may respond differently.
The water doesn't need to make the coffee taste like something it isn't.
It should help reveal what is already there.
Alkalinity matters
V60 often highlights acidity.
That makes alkalinity especially interesting.
Higher buffering can soften perceived acidity.
Lower buffering can allow acidity to remain more prominent.
Neither is automatically better.
The coffee determines what is useful.
Hardness matters too
Calcium and magnesium contribute to hardness.
They are part of the mineral environment surrounding the extraction process.
But don't reduce the relationship to:
more hardness = more extraction.
The research is more nuanced than that.
V60 exposes imbalance
If your water has excessive alkalinity, a bright coffee can lose some of its sparkle.
If your water is extremely low in buffering, the same coffee may become excessively sharp.
If the mineral composition is poorly controlled, the cup can feel less coherent.
This is why water can be particularly noticeable in light-roasted coffee.
Keep the recipe constant
If you're testing water:
same coffee
same dose
same grind
same ratio
same temperature
same pouring structure
same brewer
Then change the water.
This makes your experiment meaningful.
Don't chase TDS
A specific TDS number doesn't guarantee a specific V60 result.
Two waters with the same TDS can have very different:
hardness
alkalinity
and ionic composition.
The composition matters.
A useful V60 experiment
Prepare three waters:
Water A — low alkalinity
Water B — moderate alkalinity
Water C — higher alkalinity
Keep the mineral hardness similar if possible.
Brew the same coffee.
Taste blind.
Focus on:
acidity
sweetness
clarity
body
finish
This teaches you more than simply copying a water chart.
The Water Artist
V60 rewards precision.
Water should be part of that precision.
Don't search for the perfect V60 water.
Find the water that allows this coffee to express itself.
Water is the canvas.
You're the artist.