Like the Hario V60, the Kalita Wave is a Japanese-made pour-over brewer. In contrast to the V60’s cone shape and single large hole, the Kalita has a flat bottom with three small holes which regulate the flow of water through the coffee. It also comes in two sizes, the 155 and 185.
While it is also available in glass and ceramic, the most popular version of the Kalita is made from stainless steel, making it a very robust choice, and its ruffled paper filter gives it an aesthetically pleasing design.
What you’ll need:
- A Kalita Wave brewer and a carafe or large enough mug
- Kalita Wave filters
- Ground coffee (medium)
- Scale
- Timer
- Hot water just off the boil (or between 93 - 96°C). We recommend a gooseneck pouring kettle for added precision, although a regular kitchen kettle will also work.
As with most of our brew guides, we think a 1:16 ratio is the best place to start, but as always, adjust to your personal taste. A medium grind setting tends to work best, but again this may need adjusting. In this guide we’re going to use 20g coffee and 320g water.
Method:
- Boil your kettle. Then, place your Kalita Wave and filter atop your carafe or mug, and place both on your scale. Rinse your paper filter with hot water, remembering to discard.
- Tare your scale and add 20g of coffee, then give the brewer a gentle shake and tap to level the grounds. Tare again.
- Start your timer, then pour about 20-25g of water, trying to saturate as many of the grounds as possible. Giving the brewer a little shake, or stirring with a spoon, can help.
- After 30 seconds, begin pouring in roughly 50g increments until you reach 320g, using a steady circular pattern. This should take about two minutes.
- Once you have poured all 320g of water, give the brewer a gentle shake or a few taps to flatten the bed and ensure even extraction.
- Let the water drip through. All being well, your timer should read 3:30 once it finishes. Dispose of your filter and ground coffee, and enjoy!
Notes:
- If your brew takes a lot longer than this to brew, chances are it’s ground too finely and the water is having trouble passing through the bed and may taste over extracted and sour. If it brews really fast, it’s probably too coarse and the final cup might taste weak.
See here for our full collection of recommended pour over coffee beans and pour over brew kits.
Brewing using a different method? View all of our brewing guides here.
