Kalita Wave
Brew Guide

The fundamental design difference between the Kalita Wave and the Hario V60 is the shape of the brew bed. The V60's conical shape means water naturally converges toward the single centre drain hole, creating a faster, less forgiving flow path. The Kalita's flat bed distributes water evenly across the entire coffee surface before it drains through three small holes spaced evenly at the base.

Three small holes rather than one large one gives the Kalita a built-in flow resistance that the V60 lacks. This resistance acts as a buffer: even if your pour is slightly uneven or your grind is marginally off, the flat bed and three-hole drain tend to self-correct more than a cone brewer would. The wavy filter paper adds another layer of buffering by creating an air gap between the filter and the dripper walls, preventing the paper from collapsing against the metal and restricting airflow.

Kalita Wave drippers and their corresponding filters come in three main sizes: 155, 185, and 185 large. The number refers to the diameter of the flat base in millimetres. Each size has its own matching filter, and filters are not interchangeable between sizes. Using the wrong filter size collapses the wavy structure and defeats the design entirely.

Kalita Wave filters are available in two materials: paper and stainless steel mesh. Paper filters produce the cleaner, brighter cup by removing oils and fine particles. Metal filters allow more oils through and produce a heavier-bodied brew closer to a French Press in texture but with pour over clarity. For most applications, paper filters are preferred. When purchasing paper filters, ensure you are buying the correct numbered size for your dripper: a 155 filter will not function correctly in a 185 dripper and vice versa.

Paper Kalita filters are also available in natural (unbleached) and bleached white versions. As with Chemex, bleached filters require less aggressive rinsing and produce a marginally cleaner cup. Both work well. Always rinse before use regardless of which type you choose.

The Kalita Wave uses a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio. The recipe below is for a 185 dripper producing a generous single serving or a light two-cup brew. The Kalita's flat bed and slower drain mean it performs well at slightly coarser grind settings than the V60 at the same ratio.

Brew time target on the Kalita is slightly longer than the V60: 2 minutes 45 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds for a 20g brew. If your drawdown completes faster than 2:30, grind finer by a few clicks. If it exceeds 3:45, grind coarser. Unlike the V60 where a 20-second variance is significant, the Kalita tolerates a slightly wider brew time window due to the buffering effect of the flat bed and three-hole drain.

Water temperature follows roast profile: light roasts at 92 to 94°C, medium roasts at 89 to 92°C, dark roasts at 86 to 90°C. The Kalita's slightly slower extraction means you can typically brew light roasts at a degree or two lower temperature than you would on a V60 and still achieve full extraction.

The Kalita Wave works well with both pulsed and continuous pour techniques. The recipe below uses a four-pour structure which gives you maximum control over the extraction and takes advantage of the flat bed's even saturation properties. Once you are comfortable with this, try a continuous pour from 0:45 onward for a simpler, faster workflow.

The key difference in Kalita pour technique versus V60: on the Kalita, you can pour more toward the outer edges of the bed without significant risk of channelling. The flat bed distributes water laterally before it drains, so a slightly wider pour pattern works well and ensures the full coffee bed is evenly saturated. On a V60, pouring toward the edges carries more risk of hitting the filter directly. On the Kalita, this concern is significantly reduced.