Kalita Wave Official Recipe
The Kalita Wave is the friendly, forgiving cousin of the V60. Its flat bottom and three small drainage holes restrict and even out the flow, so the brewer's pour matters less and consistency comes easier — which is exactly what makes it a favorite for cafés serving cup after identical cup. The official method leans on pulse pouring to keep the bed submerged and level. 🧱
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Brewer | Kalita Wave 185 (stainless or glass) |
| Dose | 21 g |
| Water | 340 g total |
| Ratio | 1:16 |
| Temp | 93-96°C |
| Grind | medium, a touch coarser than V60 |
| Bloom | 50 g for 30 s |
| Brew time | ~3:30 |
| Roast | medium, also flatters lighter |
| Source | Kalita, published method |
| Resulting cup | Sweet, rounded, even; more body and forgiveness than a V60, still clean |
#Pour Schedule
- 0:00 — Add 50 g (cumulative 50 g); bloom 30 s.
- 0:30 — Pulse to 150 g (cumulative 150 g) with small circular pours.
- 1:15 — Pulse to 250 g (cumulative 250 g).
- 1:50 — Pulse to 340 g (cumulative 340 g), keeping water above the bed.
- ~3:00-3:30 — Drawdown completes; the flat wave filter leaves a level bed.
#Why It Works
The Wave's geometry does the regulating that you'd otherwise do by hand in a conical cone. The fluted wave paper filter touches the dripper wall only at its ridges, insulating the slurry and preventing the filter from sealing against the side — so flow stays predictable. Because the three holes meter the outflow, the recipe uses multiple small pulses rather than long continuous pours: each pulse tops the water back up and gently stirs, building even extraction without aggressive agitation. The flat bed makes the Wave unusually tolerant of a sloppy pour.
Scale it linearly for the larger 185 size or down for the 155. Many brewers cool the water slightly for darker roasts; the published temperature band is approximate and worth dialing to your beans.
#Continue Reading
- Kalita Wave — the flat-bottom dripper and its filters
- Conical vs Flat Bottom Drippers — why geometry changes the recipe
- Pulse vs Continuous Pouring — the pour style this method uses
- Flat Bottom Drippers — April and Orea — modern relatives of the Wave
- The Standard V60 Recipe — the conical comparison