Kalita Wave
Between the demanding V60 and the forgiving French Press, the Kalita Wave holds a unique place. Its flat bottom with three holes is a clever compromise of precision and consistency. The method for reasonable perfectionists.
What is the Kalita Wave
The Kalita Wave is a Japanese dripper developed by the Kalita brand. Its distinctive design: a flat bottom pierced with three small holes, unlike the conical bottoms of the V60. This architectural choice radically changes the water behavior during extraction.
On a conical bottom, water is guided to the center and drains quickly. On the flat bottom of the Kalita, water is slowed and forced to pass through the entire coffee bed surface more evenly. Result: a more homogeneous extraction, less sensitive to small pouring errors.
The big comparison
- Flat bottom, even extraction
- Less sensitive to pouring
- Slightly fuller body
- Ideal for complex origins
- Conical bottom, centered extraction
- More sensitive to technique
- Lighter body, maximum clarity
- Ideal for fruity origins
Prepare a Kalita Wave
Pour 30 g of water in circles from the center. Wait 30 seconds. The coffee will bloom and release gas — this is the bloom.
Pour an additional 70 g in a slow spiral from the outside to the center. Make sure to wet the entire surface.
Same technique. The water level should never drop to the grounds before this pour.
Last pour. Extraction should finish around 3:00 – 3:30. If faster, grind finer. If slower, grind coarser.
Refine your extraction
Paper filters leave a slight taste. Pour hot water over the filter before adding the coffee, then discard this water.
Medium to medium-fine. Slightly coarser than for the V60. If the grounds are flat and clean at the end of extraction, it's a good sign.
Essential for pouring precision. With a standard kettle, you cannot control the flow. The gooseneck kettle is the basic investment for quality drip coffee.
Recommended coffees
The Kalita Wave excels with complex medium-bodied origins: Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia. Light to medium roast to reveal all the nuances.
Choose my drip coffee
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