Kalita Wave 185 Drippers

Product Information

While I still love the Clever Dripper, I can’t help but feel that it’s been overtaken by the more flexible Hario Switch.

One of the biggest differences between these two coffee makers isn’t even apparent from the brewers themselves, and that’s the type of filters needed for each. In theory this means that there will be more flow restriction with the Kalita Wave. So you can get away with a more careless pouring technique. Pouring water on ground coffee and letting gravity do the work is called ‘percolation’. This is one of the oldest coffee brewing techniques along with ‘immersion’ (aka steeping), which is what the French press relies on. How to make hand drip coffee Instead of ribs in the bottom, the glass has a center that is lifted. This efficiently keeps the filter away from the drain holes. This was one of the most detailed methods that made the list, requiring not only timed pulse-pouring but also a specified number of circles. This method worked best with the Kalita Wave Pot, due to its ability to use a high flow rate. When using a Fellow Stagg EKG, I was unable to both pour 60g and let it drain down two lines in 15 seconds; by the time I added 60g, it was time to add another 60g.However, the glass version is rather fragile, so if you’re the least bit clumsy, I would avoid that model. Hario V60 has one big hole where all the water has to go through, whilst the Kalita Wave has three smaller holes that restrict the flow rate. Any pour over coffee maker takes more skill than, say, pressuring the “brew” button on an automatic drip coffee maker ( 1). But that’s the fun! Manual brewers like the Kalita give you complete control over the process.

Puzzled, I conducted a simple experiment to see whether there was any actual difference between the two. The ceramic version has three protruding ribs meant to raise the bottom of the filter. These ribs are protruding far enough that you don’t have to worry about the filter getting dragged down to the weight of the slurry. Also, the holes are placed to the side of the ribs, which makes it even more difficult for clogging to happen. I then got my hands on the 185 Wave in ceramic and did the same experiment. Once, again I was surprised; this brewer also acted differently, however not quite as dramatically.

Now, there are some caveats to keep in mind when repeating this test. First, some coffees are going to shine with different brew recipes. So play around with them until you find the best fit. Second, water makes a big difference. We chose to use Third Wave Water so that you could more easily repeat our particular experiences. Third, your grinder is going to play a big role too. We used a Baratza Encore, because it is one of the most popular home grinders, but you may have a grinder that produces more or less consistent grind sizes, which will affect your overall brewing experience. Also, the suggested grind size parameter is only for general orientation, as not all grinders are alike. Each of these methods requires a medium-fine grind size (a little smaller than sea salt), some slightly finer, some slightly coarser. The Hario coffee dripper is the undisputed king of manual drip coffee. And for a good reason. The flavor is rich and nuanced at the same time with just the right amount of acidity. However, the Kalita Wave is definitely a striking and unique design that we have to give the company some credit for. Personally, I think the debacle around cone-shaped drippers is somewhat of a non-issue. if you look how water extracts coffee, I think there’s a good argument to be made that water is a more efficient solvent when it hits the brew bed at first and it doesn’t have coffee particles already and then it extracts less efficiently as it makes its way down and becomes more saturated with coffee particles and loses some thermal energy. So, in that sense, a cone-shape would be rather helpful. Once the gasses have released from the coffee, pour another 50ml at around 30 seconds. The target weight on the scale should be 100g.