Hario x Project Waterfall V60: Brew Better, Give Back

The Hario x Project Waterfall V60 range — a Size 02 plastic dripper and 100-pack filter papers — lets cafés and their customers support clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in coffee-growing communities simply by buying kit they’d use anyway. Project Waterfall has worked in coffee-producing countries since 2011.

Every cup of coffee begins with water. Water grows coffee, processes it and brews it. Yet in many of the places coffee is grown, safe water and sanitation still aren’t a given. That’s the gap Project Waterfall exists to close.

What is Project Waterfall?

Project Waterfall is a charity that unites the coffee industry and coffee drinkers to invest in clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in coffee-growing communities. Since 2011 it has raised over £1 million and changed more than 50,000 lives across Nicaragua, Tanzania, Rwanda, Vietnam, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. Its country pages show the work on the ground, including Ethiopia and Uganda.

What’s in the Hario x Project Waterfall range?

Read Hario UK’s overview of the Project Waterfall collaboration.

Why should a café stock it?

1. It sells itself at the till. Papers are a repeat purchase, and a clear cause gives customers a reason to choose these ones.
2. It tells your sourcing story. If you buy from Ethiopia, Uganda or other Project Waterfall countries, the connection is direct.
3. It’s the same kit. The dripper and papers brew exactly like a standard size 02 V60 — nothing to relearn.

What has Project Waterfall achieved with this support?

In 2022, Project Waterfall and its partners at WaterAid completed their flagship project in Jabi Tehnan, Ethiopia, after four years of work. They reported that 10,571 people gained improved access to safe water and 10,662 people gained better access to sanitation and hygiene. We were already supporting Project Waterfall through sales of these filter papers when that project completed.

“Currently, I collect tap water near our house. It only takes me five minutes to do so. In addition, the water is clean and available whenever we want it.”
— Bizuayehu Anteneh, Jabi Tehnan, Ethiopia (2022)

Why Ethiopia belongs in this story

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and it’s one of the countries where Project Waterfall has funded work. Ethiopian coffee culture is built around time, attention and hospitality — values that sit naturally with pour-over brewing.

A recipe to share: the “Buna Bloom” V60

This recipe nods to the aroma-first character of Ethiopian coffee and uses a five-pour V60 structure inspired by the method World Brewers Cup Champion Matt Winton demonstrates with Hario — watch Matt Winton’s five-pour V60 method. It’s our adaptation for everyday brewers, not his competition recipe.

1. Rinse the filter paper well, add the coffee and tap to level the bed.
2. Bloom (0:00–0:15): pour to 60 g, swirl firmly to wet all the grounds, then wait until 0:45.
3. Pour 2 (0:45–1:00): pour to 120 g.
4. Pour 3 (1:15–1:30): pour to 180 g.
5. Pour 4 (1:45–2:00): pour to 225 g.
6. Pour 5 (2:15–2:25): pour to 270 g, then let it draw down completely.

If it tastes sharp or thin, grind a touch finer or extend the bloom to 55 seconds. If it tastes heavy or drying, grind a touch coarser and reduce the bloom pour to 50 g. Use an Ethiopian coffee if you can — washed for florals and a tea-like clarity, natural for fruit.

Stock the Project Waterfall dripper and papers, or read more about how we support the coffee community.

Frequently asked questions

What is Project Waterfall?
Project Waterfall is a charity that brings the coffee industry and coffee drinkers together to fund clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in coffee-growing communities. Since 2011 it has raised over £1 million and changed more than 50,000 lives in seven countries.

How does buying Hario x Project Waterfall papers help?
Sales of the Hario x Project Waterfall V60 dripper and filter papers raise funds for Project Waterfall’s clean water and sanitation projects in coffee-growing communities.

Do Project Waterfall filter papers fit a standard V60?
Yes. They’re Hario V60 size 02 papers, so they fit any size 02 V60, V60 NEO, Switch or Mugen dripper.

Which countries does Project Waterfall work in?
Project Waterfall has funded projects in Nicaragua, Tanzania, Rwanda, Vietnam, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.