KALITA WAVE BREW GUIDE

WHAT YOU NEED

• Kalita Wave brewer

• Kalita Wave filter

• Grinder

• 21g (3 Tablespoons) of coffee

• Water right off the boil (about 205°F)

• Spoon

• Scale

• Timer

• Mug

• Optional: Brewing carafe

TIME TO MAKE SOME COFFEE

With the Kalita Wave, you want to do incremental pours every 30 seconds. The amount of water needed will vary based on what stage it is in the brewing process, while the finishing time should be between 2(m):45(s) and 3:15, depending on how much coffee is being made.

The brew I’m going to describe uses 20 grams of coffee to 360 grams of water. 

1. Bloom:

Be sure to wet the filter before adding the grounds; this will get rid of any papery taste. Once the grounds have been added, pour 40-60g of water and let it bloom for 30 seconds. This will help the gas within the beans from the roasting process to escape.

2.  Brew:

Next, pour 150g of water in a constant stream for 20 seconds. Wait until the timer reaches 1 minute, and pour 50g over the next 20 seconds. Wait for the 1:30 mark, then repeat. At 2 minutes, proceed to fill the dripper all the way up to 360 grams. Wait for the water to clear from the dripper, and you’re ready to serve.

There are numerous pour over brewers out there these days, but one of our favorites is the Kalita Wave . It is a flat-bottom dripper, available in two different sizes (155 and 185) and three different materials (steel, glass, ceramic).

Why is it one of our favorites? Oh, thanks for asking!

Due to its unique design, the Kalita offers better extraction than many other brewers.The Kalita’s flat bottom allows water to come in contact with, and drain through, a wider coffee bed, while the three holes in the bottom of the dripper protect against channeling. Taken together, the wide brew bed and multiple drainage points allow for a more even extraction when compared to a cone-shaped brewer such as a V60 or a Chemex. Furthermore, improved extraction is also promoted by the minimal contact between the dripper and the filter; this is because coffee is allowed to pass through the walls of the filter, rather than solely through the apex of certain cone-shaped filters.

As the Kalita Wave has been quite popular in the last 5 years, especially since James McCarthy won the World Brewers Cup with it in 2013, we’ve curated seven of the most notable brew methods and put them each to the test. Through it all we have taken notes, got highly caffeinated, and now submit our findings to you. Whether you are a Kalita pro, looking to add methods to your repertoire, or are just getting started with a new brewing device, we hope you will find this to be a helpful resource as you work on your brewing game.