How to Brew Coffee With a Kalita Wave
The beauty of brewing with a Kalita Wave is that the process can be as simple or as complex as you desire. The dripper’s user-friendly design brews a balanced coffee, whether you eyeball it or have the latest home brewing gadgets.
Today, we’ll show you an easy Kalita Wave recipe you can add to your morning coffee routine.
Looking to learn more about the Kalita Wave? Read All About the Kalita Wave.
The Quick & Easy Kalita Wave Brew Guide
To start brewing, you’ll need the following items:
Filtered Water
Coffee is 98% water. If your water doesn’t taste good, neither will your coffee!
You want to use water that has the right balance of minerals—not too much and not too little. Water that’s been passed through a Britta filter should do the trick.
Kettle
Stovetop or electric, it doesn’t matter. So long as it gets your coffee hot, it’ll work great for brewing a Kalita Wave.
If using an electric kettle, set it for 200-205℉. This is the sweet spot for brewing coffee. For those opting for a stovetop kettle, let it sit for a minute off boil.
Bonus points if you have access to a gooseneck kettle! These kettles enable you to control the flow of water into the dripper, evenly extracting the tasty natural compounds from the coffee in the process.
Freshly Ground Coffee
While you can always use pre-ground coffee, grinding coffee right before you brew elicits the tastiest flavors. For the Kalita Wave, you’ll want to use a medium grind size, similar to kosher salt.
If you have a burr grinder on hand, you can make subtle grind size adjustments based on the brew recipe and characteristics you enjoy best in coffee.
Quick Tip: Once you’re comfortable using the Kalita Wave, experiment with different grind sizes and see how the adjustments affect the flavors in your cup!
Scale or Measuring Utensils
Remember, brewing a pour over is as easy or hands-on as you want. For precise measurements, opt for a digital kitchen scale.
Don’t have a scale? No problem. A tablespoon of whole bean coffee measures out to roughly 7-8 grams.
Coffee Filter
If you plan to use a paper filter, be sure to rinse the filter with hot water before brewing. This eliminates the papery taste the filters can impart on the coffee. For those using a reusable cloth Kalita Wave filter, be sure it’s thoroughly cleaned and dried from the previous use before brewing.
Mug
We all have a favorite mug at home. Find yours and get ready to brew!
Step 1: Preparation
- Heat water to 200-205℉ or roughly 1 minute off boil.
- Place the Kalita Wave dripper on top of the mug. Add the filter and rinse with hot water (if using paper.)
- Dispose of the rinsed water and place the dripper back onto the mug.
- If using a scale, place the mug & dripper on top and tare to zero.
Step 2: Grind
- Measure out 22g (roughly 3 tablespoons) of coffee and grind on a medium setting.
- Pour grounds into the center of the Kalita Wave and shake gently to even out the grounds.
Step 3: Brew
For this recipe, we’ll use a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water. Begin by gently pouring 50g of water into the center of the Kalita Wave. If you’re opting to eyeball your recipe, aim for roughly double the weight of the grounds.
This step is called the bloom. You’ll notice the coffee grounds begin to rise and release little air bubbles. This is CO2 escaping from the grounds.
After 30 seconds, slowly pour up to 120g, using a concentric circle pattern. Let this drain until the water is a half-inch above the bed. Repeat in 70g increments until you reach the end weight of 330g.
(For those brewing without a scale, pour about halfway up the brewer after the bloom and repeat four times.)
Give the dripper a gentle swirl and let it drain completely. The total brew time should be between 2:30-3:30.
Remove the dripper and place spent grounds in a compost pile. Pour and enjoy!
Insider Tips for Brewing With a Kalita Wave
Ready to level up your pour over skills? Keep these tips in mind.
Practice Makes Perfect
Like riding a bike or learning a new language, it takes time to become comfortable with a new brew method. The more you implement the Kalita Wave into your daily rituals, the easier and more intuitive it’ll become.
Each time you brew with a Kalita Wave, be mindful of one new element of the process. Take a moment to concentrate on your water pouring patterns or how long it takes for the coffee to brew.
Keep Notes & Experiment
As you practice, jot down notes about your recipe and what you taste. Having a record of your past recipes will help you dial in the flavors you enjoy in coffee and give you the freedom to experiment.
Don’t love the bitter finish of a certain recipe? Try grinding coarser the next time to decrease the contact time of the coffee.
Prefer coffees with a slightly brighter acidity? Experiment with your pouring patterns.
Want a more tea-like mouthfeel? Increase the coffee-to-water ratio to 1:17 or 1:18.
There’s no limit to what you can achieve with your brew, especially when you have notes to look back on.
Brew Coffee You Love
When all is said and done, there’s no “right” brew recipe for a Kalita Wave (or any brew method for that matter!)
Tasty coffee can be made by eyeballing a recipe or measuring everything to the exact weight—it’s your choice. It’s all about slowing down, savoring the moment, and being present with a cup of coffee.
Grab your favorite coffee, Kalita Wave, an Ebb filter, and start brewing!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne Mercer is a freelance writer specializing in helping brands and individuals carve out their space in the specialty coffee industry. She is also the co-owner of Victus Coffee, a specialty coffee company based in West Hartford, Connecticut.