Kalita Wave Dripper review: Strike a pose for my new favorite pour-over

The Kalita Wave is an iconic pour-over dripper in the world of specialty coffee. Although it’s pretty underrated, it’s got a dedicated cult following, like all the best movies, books, and games. There’ll always be someone singing its praises in the shadowy corner of hipster artisan coffee shops. Is that person now gonna be me? That’s a toughie.

As far as coffee nerds go, I’m not actually that fastidious. Yes, I have a favorite type of bean. Yes, I spend much of my waking time researching, brewing, and drinking coffee. But honestly? If it tastes good, I’m here for it. I’m not even opposed to the occasional Nescafé. Even so, I love trying out as much coffee gear as I possibly can, so I was super excited to get my hands on the Kalita Wave.

However, the Kalita Wave might just make me one of those people who demand coffee a certain way, or not at all. The unique flat bottom and three holes means the Kalita Wave is a little more forgiving than something like a V60, which requires controlled pouring. Could this ease of use make the Kalita Wave one of the best coffee makers? Find out in this Kalita Wave coffee pour-over dripper review.

Hario V60 review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? Specialty coffee enthusiasts, intermediates, experts, and toe-dippers alike, who appreciate a strong brew
• What does it do well? It’s phenomenally easy to use, and doesn’t require as much pouring control as alternatives
• What does it cost? I’ve got the 185 stainless steel version, which is $44, but the glass version is $26
• What are its weaknesses? I think $44 for a dripper is expensive — the steel Hario V60 is just $25
• Anything else to know? Filter papers are $10 for 100, which is 10 cents a pop, 1c pricier than Hario, but 1c cheaper than Chemex

Kalita Wave Dripper: Specs

Kalita Wave Dripper review: Price & availability

The Kalita Wave dripper is $44 from Amazon U.S. and £46 from Amazon U.K.. This is the stainless steel version I tested. The glass version is $26 from Amazon U.S. and £24 from Amazon U.K.. There’s a 155 or 185 size: I tested the 185. Users report that the 155 size is too finicky and small to make any more than one cup, so if you were after a more versatile dripper, I’d recommend the 185.

For a pour-over dripper, $44 is pretty pricey. The plastic Hario V60 hovers at around $10, and the 6-cup Chemex is $47. Considering you can make — you guessed it — 6 cups in the Chemex, and it’s only $3 pricier than the Kalita Wave, it seems a better deal. However, the flavor profiles from each are totally different, which I’ll get into later.

Kalita Wave Dripper review: Design

The Kalita Wave’s design is definitely its number one selling point. The wave design is actually patented by the Japanese brand, much like AeroPress’ vacuum technology is patented. As you physically can’t get the same design anywhere else, it means Kalita’s become renowned for this frilly, stylish design.

The dripper itself is rather unassuming: much like the V60, it’s a conical, mug-like shape with a handle, and sits atop your coffee cup or jug. There’s a little ‘Kalita’ logo embossed into the metal on the bottom rim.

What sets the V60 Dripper and the Kalita Wave dripper apart is the bottom of each gadget. While the V60 has an open funnel where the circular papers sit, the Kalita Wave has a completely flat bottom. Instead of an opening for coffee to drip through, it has three, pin-point sized holes, which means it brews coffee with a slower flow-rate, resulting in a stronger brew. As the water has more time to infuse with the coffee, the resulting drink has a more punch-you-in-the-face flavor.

The Kalita Wave doesn’t come with a scoop, unlike the Hario V60, but this won’t be an issue if you’re using one of the best coffee scales to measure your coffee precisely. I recommend the Felicita Arc or the Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2.

As you might have guessed from my pictures, the Kalita Wave is compatible with Kalita-branded filters, which look like the frilly sleeves you’d expect to see in a Victorian period drama. These filters are $10 for a pack of 100, which works out to 10 cents per filter. As first-party filters go, these are more expensive than Hario’s (9 cents per filter), but cheaper than Chemex’s (11 cents per filter). I wouldn’t recommend using off-brand filters, as a lot of the taste comes from the type of filters you use. Hario filters have a triangular, upside-down pyramid shape, so they wouldn’t fit the Kalita Wave’s flat bottom properly anyway.

Kalita Wave Dripper review: Performance

I’m not going to lie to you — it took me a few practice tries to get the Kalita Wave right. Heed my warning: the Kalita Wave is not a V60, and it won’t brew exactly like one. If you’re here looking for a V60 clone, I’m sorry, but the Kalita Wave is not it. I used the recipe on the Acaia Brewguide app for my first few tries, then I went off-piste and started experimenting, as I’ll discuss below.

Obviously pour-overs are prime for experimentation: they don’t require specific grinds in the same physics-related way espresso machines do. They won’t get clogged unless you use Turkish grind. I wouldn’t recommend finely-ground coffee in the Kalita, but hey, if you want to, it’ll at least work. I’m just not sure it’d win any taste awards.

Flavor is so subjective, there’s no way that my perfect Kalita Wave routine would be the same as yours. I’m fond of a juicy, fruity coffee, so my routine won’t suit someone who likes a coffee strong enough to defeat a Titan in hand-to-hand combat.

My go-to Kalita Wave routine

As Kalita Wave tends to brew a stronger coffee, I go for a 1:18 ratio rather than the 1:16 I use for V60 or Chemex. So for a 350ml mug, I will use 19g of coffee. I’d recommend medium-coarse grind, as medium tends to taste over-extracted with the Kalita in my experience. As my hometown unfortunately lacks a specialty coffee shop (unlike my adopted home of Bath), I went to Starbucks (my old stomping grounds) for my coffee to be ground.

I scooped in 19g of coffee and poured around 40g water to bloom the grounds. After they expanded and released their gases, using my Hario V60 Buono kettle, I slowly poured in the final 290g water. It’s much easier to control the flow on the Kalita Wave than the V60 Dripper, thanks to the flat bottom and the larger funnel size. I was able to pour the entire weight of water in just two runs.

It took 2.29 to brew 276g of coffee, which worked out at a flow rate of 1.8g/s. This is a little slower than on the Hario V60, where I often reach speeds of up to 2g/s. This slower flow rate means the water has more time to infuse with the coffee, resulting in a stronger coffee flavor. As the Kalita Wave brews a less… let’s say, ‘forgiving’ coffee, you’ll need to use freshly ground, high-quality beans, lest your face wrinkle with disgust. You’ll also need to ensure you have the correct grind for your tastes — again, I like medium-coarse.

Kalita Wave Dripper review: Storage & maintenance

Given its compact size, the Kalita Wave will slot away nicely in kitchen cabinets, and could even be taken on camping trips. If you’re a major outdoor enthusiast who can’t resist having a fresh pour-over while camping on an off-the-grid cabin or mountaintop, I’d recommend something like the Wacaco Cuppamoka, which reduces need for cleanup.

The Kalita Wave is dishwasher safe, but I would only ever wash mine by hand for the sake of longevity. That’s got nothing to do with the fact I don’t actually own a dishwasher — I prefer washing anything precious by hand. I wouldn’t even put the inner pot of my Instant Pot in the dishwasher.

As mentioned above, the compostable filters are available on Amazon for $10 for 100, so would be easy to repurchase in a pinch. The stainless steel body of the Kalita Wave means it’s a little more durable than the AeroPress Premium or the Chemex — both made of glass — and could easily be taken traveling.

Kalita Wave Dripper review: How does it compare?

In terms of ease of use, the Kalita Wave is directly comparable with the Hario V60 and Chemex. These pour-over methods are literally set up and go, and mean you don’t have to study the user manual or do too much practising before you’re good to go. I would give each new brewer a trial run though, before showing off in front of friends.

Cleanup is easy, too, thanks to the dripper being dishwasher safe. The V60 is dishwasher safe, too, and the original AeroPress. The filters are compostable, just like Hario, AeroPress, and Chemex’s, so would be easy to dispose of.

In terms of flavor, well, that’s up to you. At a baseline level, the Kalita Wave makes a stronger coffee with a more intense flavor. Obviously you can adapt the flavor of Chemex, AeroPress, and V60 to suit your personal tastes, like adding more coffee or pouring slower for a longer infusion time. However, the ‘default’ flavor of the Kalita Wave is definitely stronger than a V60. Whether that’s what you want, or not, only you can answer that question.

Kalita Wave Dripper review: Verdict

I love my Kalita Wave. Not only does it look simply marvelous, it’s also a breeze to use (once I’d realized it didn’t work the same as my V60). All you have to do is scoop in your coffee and pour in your water based on your ideal ratio. Mastering this dripper is as easy as pie, and easily makes way for major experimentation.

However, it does brew a much more intense coffee than a V60, Chemex, or AeroPress. The Kalita Wave is best suited to those who love the deep taste of coffee, or those who are willing to experiment with ratios and beans to achieve their perfect tastes. This is a beginner-friendly dripper just as much as it’s an expert-friendly — it just requires some experimentation.