We know that you enjoy your normal brewing method, something like the French press. You’ve probably heard of the pour-over method and you don't know where to start from?  There are many pour-over brewers to choose from but why do some coffee lovers go for the Kalita wave? They love it because it's hard to break. It is versatile equipment that can be used at home or in a café, it can be used for camping too. It is a portable brewer (lightweight). 

People love this brewer because it has grind settings that affect the flow rate, unlike other pour-over methods. This gives you more flexibility to use a grind size you like and still get a delicious brew after 4 or 5 minutes. The Kalita Wave is also known as the ‘flat bottom’ brewer. 

The wave is a popular product by Kalita. This is a family-owned Japanese that produces coffee equipment, they have been in business since the ’50s. Note that the brewer comes with a sleek, minimalistic design, it's also an affordable brewer, quite easy to use and it gives you more control as you brew, unlike the electric drippers. 

In this guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Kalita wave brewer and the things you need to consider brewing with a Kalita wave. 

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING BEFORE BREWING

Use fresh coffee beans: Brewing a good cup of coffee always starts with using fresh coffee beans to brew. You should buy coffee from brands that roast every day. Coffee loses its flavors some days after it's been roasted. Imagine buying already ground coffee from supermarkets. Who knows how long it's been sitting there.  Buy coffee beans and store them properly. 

You can store it in a canister, in a cool, dry, and dark place. Make sure you keep the coffee beans away from moisture. Grind the beans a few minutes before brewing so the aromatic compounds and flavors will remain. Aim to consume your coffee within one to two weeks after roasting. Buy from Coffee hero, we sell freshly roasted beans and care about coffee.

Use filtered water: You have to brew with filtered water to get the best results. Don't use tap water to brew because it contains minerals and contaminants that can change the taste of your coffee. In other words, if your tap water contains dissolved solids then it will negatively affect your ability to brew delicious coffee and you don't want this. 

Use a scale: Consider getting a scale for brewing. A scale gives more accurate measurements. As a result, you’ll notice consistency and quality in your morning brew. Who doesn't like that? 

RELATED: HOW TO MEASURE COFFEE 

WHAT YOU NEED TO BREW 

• Kalita Wave 
• Carafe 
• Filter 
• A kettle 
• Scale 
• Fresh coffee beans 
• Water 
• Spoon 
• A timer 
• A cup or mug 

TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING

The Kalita wave comes in two sizes- one is the Kalita wave 155, which is ideal if you are brewing only one cup of coffee at a time. The Kalita wave 185 can brew two to three cups of coffee at the same time. You can't use a universal filter for any of these brewers. You need to use the 185 or 155 filters to brew.  

It is important to note that these filters are delicate. Ensure that you store them properly, that is in the wave cone or your cupboard, lay them in a way that they won't be squashed.  For the ratio, we feel that the best water to coffee ratio is from 14-16:1. For example, you can use 400ml of water for 25-28.5 grams of coffee. Boil some more water to use for preheating of brewing equipment. That brings us to this. 

STEP ONE: BOIL SOME WATER TO RINSE THE FILTER 

Put the filter into the Kalita wave dripper and place it gently into the carafe. Boil more water than what we mentioned above to rinse the filter. Pour a small amount of water in the center of the filter, not the edges. If you pour on the edges, you may just ruin the shape of the filter. 

This is an optional step but we discovered that it won't give a papery taste after brewing. It also warms up the carafe for brewing so the temperature will be the same when you pour the hot water. When the extra water has dripped into the carafe. Discard it so it doesn't spoil the taste of your coffee. Also pour a small amount of water into your mug so it can remain warm while you prepare the coffee 

STEP TWO: WEIGH THE COFFEE 

The next step is to place the carafe on the scale and tare it. Grind your coffee and add it to the filter, shake it a bit so the grounds can be leveled. Hush, don't pour the water into the filter yet. Wait for some minutes before pouring the hot water into the coffee. 

Use a thermometer to check the temperature or wait for 30 or 40 seconds after the water boils before pouring. The ideal temperature for brewing is 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. Don't pour the water immediately from the kettle, it might burn your coffee. If you keep it down from heat for a longer time, the coffee will not extract properly.  

STEP THREE: LET YOUR COFFEE BLOOM 

It's time to start the timer, pour about 40-0g of water on the coffee. It has to be in a circular motion so the grounds will be evenly saturated. The next step is to allow the coffee to bloom for about 30 seconds. Blooming doesn't mean waiting for the grounds to produce flowers. It means you should let out carbon dioxide from the grounds especially if you are using freshly ground beans.  

When you grind the coffee, carbon dioxide sticks to it for about 2 weeks. Blooming is also known as degassing, this happens when hot water is poured on coffee and it releases co2 that is trapped. This will cause the coffee bed to rise and the taste of your final cup will be improved. 

STEP FOUR: GIVE THE COFFEE A LITTLE STIR 

When the coffee has bloomed, use a spoon to stir it. Then proceed with the second pour (that should be around half of the total grams of water you are using) in a circular motion. Ensure that an even level of water above the coffee grounds. 

While the coffee is dripping, continue pulse pouring until you have used the correct grams of water (which is the same amount you calculated when you started brewing). The total brew time for the Kalita wave should be about 3 to 4 minutes. Note that you can choose the size of pulse to use. If you are using fewer pulses that means there will be more water in each pulse. If you are using more pulse, then you will use less water for each pulse.  This is because if you use few pulses, the water will heat the coffee bed harder and the extraction time will be short. If you are using more pulses, then the extraction time will be longer.  

POUR THE COFFEE AND ENJOY 

By now, your coffee is ready. Pour the coffee into a mug and enjoy. Remember to discard the water you used in step one else the coffee will come out watery, with a papery taste.  

If you can master brewing with the Kalita wave, you’ll likely feel like a barista among your friends or colleagues who will always find an excuse to visit you and enjoy a hot cup of drip coffee. Being skilled with the Kalita wave will open your mind to other manual brewing methods like the Hario V60, Chemex, and Clever dripper.  

If you want to try other brewing methods, we have a lot of guides you can learn from here. Start brewing with a kalita wave today. Buy freshly roasted coffee beans from our store. We also offer FREE SHIPPING. Click here to find out more. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

What is the best manual coffee dripper? 

The answer to this question is simple. It all depends on what suits your needs and your preference. All pour-over brewing methods produce delicious coffee. To choose the brewer that is best for you- consider the portability, the brewing time and accessories to be bought. 

Does Kalita wave come in sizes?

This brewer comes in 2 sizes, one is Kalita 155 that brews only one cup of coffee at a time, and the bigger one, Kalita 185 that brews up to 3 cups. Note the different filters that match these two brewers.