Brew Method
Kalita Wave: Recipe, 155 vs. 185 and Filter Guide
Kalita Wave is a flat-bottom pour-over brewer with three drain holes and pleated paper filters. Start with the 20 g coffee, 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) water recipe below, then choose the right paper and adjust the grind to your coffee.
On This Page9 Sections
Key Takeaways
- 1For the Wave 185 recipe, use 20 g coffee and 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) water: a 1:16 input ratio. Start medium and aim for 2–3 minutes from first water.
- 2Match the paper to the dripper: Wave 155 and Wave 185 use their own pleated filters. Kalita 101/102 is a different brewer family.
- 3Check filter fit and pouring before changing the grind when a brew stalls.
Highlights
- Coffee and water
- 20 g + 320 g (10.8 US fl oz)
- Input ratio
- 1:16 by weight
- Temperature
- 94°C (201°F) starting point
- Brew time
- 2–3 min, including bloom
What Makes a Kalita Wave Different?
The Wave combines a flat coffee bed, three small outlets and a basket-shaped paper with pleated walls. It is a specific member of the pour-over family, not a name for every Kalita dripper.
The paper's folds reduce contact with the dripper walls. The bed, paper, outlets and your pouring all affect drainage. A flat bottom can make the bed easy to level.
Kalita Wave 185 Recipe
This recipe adapts the Kalita-branded Wave instruction sheet: 20 g coffee, 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) water, medium grind, a 30–45-second bloom and a 2–3-minute brew. The source does not specify temperature or bloom weight; 94°C (201°F) and 40 g (1.4 US fl oz) are our editorial starting points.
Recipe
Kalita Wave 185, 20 g Coffee, 320 g Water
- Makes:
- 1 generous serving; measure the coffee collected
- Time:
- About 5 minutes with hot water ready; 2–3 minutes brewing
Ingredients
- 20 g coffee, ground medium
- 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) brewing water at 94°C (201°F), plus extra water for rinsing
Equipment
- Wave 185, matching 185 filter, grinder, scale, timer, kettle and heatproof server or mug
Method
- Set a Wave 185 dripper securely on a heatproof server or mug. Seat a matching 185 Wave filter, rinse gently with hot water and discard the rinse water without crushing the pleats.
- Add 20 g medium-ground coffee and gently level the bed. Place the full setup on a scale, zero it and keep the running water total throughout the brew.
- Start the timer and pour 40 g (1.4 US fl oz) water at 94°C (201°F), wetting the grounds evenly. Wait until 30–45 seconds on the timer before continuing.
- Pour gently in small circles over the coffee until the scale reads 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) total, adding 280 g (9.5 US fl oz) after the bloom. Pause if needed to keep water safely below the paper rim.
- Let the coffee drain, aiming for 2–3 minutes from the first water. Remove the dripper, mix the collected coffee gently and serve. Taste before deciding whether to change the grind.
Recipe notes
Adapted from the Kalita-branded Wave instructions. The 40 g (1.4 US fl oz) bloom and 94°C (201°F) temperature are editorial choices.
Keep the scale cumulative: 40 g (1.4 US fl oz) bloom + 280 g (9.5 US fl oz) more = 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) water. Rinse water is separate.
Time includes bloom. Water input is not finished cup volume.
Use a burr grinder and a stable collecting vessel. A gooseneck helps with a controlled stream. Allow about five minutes with hot water ready, including preparation.
The bloom guide explains the initial wetting stage. For grind terminology, use the grind-size guide. Keep this recipe together for the first brew rather than combining several different pouring schedules.
Ratio and Collected Yield
320 ÷ 20 = 16, giving a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio. The 40 g (1.4 US fl oz) bloom is part of that 320 g (10.8 US fl oz), not extra water. Some water stays in the grounds and paper, so measure the collected coffee if you need a specific serving size.
For a stronger starting ratio with the same 20 g dose, 1:15 uses 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) water; 1:17 uses 340 g (11.5 US fl oz). Compare these ratios in separate brews. Changing the batch size also changes bed depth and drawdown, so do not assume the same time will scale proportionally.
Kalita Wave 155 or 185: Size and Material
Choose the size around the batches you brew, then buy the matching Wave papers. The numbers are product sizes, not coffee doses or finished milliliters.
Check the brewer family before buying papers: Kalita 101/102 uses fan-shaped filters, while the Blue Bottle Dripper has its own specified filter and pouring sequence.
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| Brewer | Paper to buy | Practical distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Wave 155 | Wave 155 pleated paper | Smaller basket; suited to smaller batches. Start with a recipe written for the 155. |
| Wave 185 | Wave 185 pleated paper | Larger basket; the 20 g / 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) recipe here is written for this size. |
| Kalita 101/102 | Matching fan-shaped paper | A different wedge-style system; Wave papers are not its specified filters. |
Kalita's published cup labels vary between product pages and refer to small servings, not a standard mug. Compare a named recipe and your actual serving needs instead of turning “2–4 cups” into an assumed liter capacity.
Stainless steel is useful when breakage resistance matters; glass lets you see the paper and bed; ceramic offers another handling and heat-management choice. Model geometry, paper seating, grounds and pouring can also change the result. Check the exact model's care instructions; the standard stainless 185 listing allows dishwasher cleaning and recommends preheating.
Kalita Wave Filter Care and Troubleshooting
Check the paper and pour before changing the grind in a slow brew.
The pleated paper gets a gentle rinse and a quick look before brewing. I avoid flattening the folds against the dripper, because changing the filter's seating can alter drainage even when I've left the grind alone.
Store papers so their basket shape is protected.
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| What you notice | First check | Next adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Water rises toward the rim | Correct paper size, seated base and a manageable pour | Pause for drainage; never keep pouring into a nearly full filter. |
| Drawdown slows sharply | Compressed paper, excessive stirring or many fine particles | Rinse and seat a fresh paper carefully; use gentler pours. Try a slightly coarser grind if needed. |
| Coffee tastes thin or sharp | Correct dose, water total and even wetting | Try a little finer at the same recipe; sourness alone does not prove a grind fault. |
| Coffee tastes dry or harsh | Roast character, agitation and recipe consistency | Reduce agitation or try slightly coarser; judge taste rather than chasing a fixed time. |
After brewing, let the equipment cool, discard the paper and grounds, and rinse the dripper. Clear visible residue from the outlets without enlarging or modifying them. Do not reach into a hot slurry to adjust the filter.
Kalita Wave vs. Hario V60
Both can make clean paper-filtered coffee. Their clearest differences are the bed shape and the paper you need, rather than guaranteed flavor categories.
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| Detail | Kalita Wave | Hario V60 |
|---|---|---|
| Bed and outlet | Flat bed; three small outlets | Pointed cone; one large outlet |
| Paper | Pleated Wave paper matched to 155 or 185 | Conical V60 paper matched to the dripper size |
| Recipe on this site | 20 g / 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) in Wave 185 | 15 g / 250 g (8.5 US fl oz) in V60 02 |
| What to decide | You prefer the flat-bed setup and can obtain its papers | You prefer the cone setup and its filter availability |
The recipes above use different doses and pouring schedules, so they are not a controlled taste comparison. Read the V60 guide for its complete method. Chemex offers a different filter-and-carafe system; the Fellow Stagg XF is another flat-bottom option with its own instructions.
Kalita Wave Caffeine, Calories and Serving Size
A 200 g (7.1 oz) portion of generic brewed black coffee provides approximately 80 mg caffeine, 2 kcal and 0 g sugar in USDA reference data. This is a serving estimate, not a measurement of this brewer or recipe.
Serving assumptions, sugar and calculation
USDA brewed coffee, NDB 14209, lists 40 mg caffeine, 1 kcal and 0 g sugar per 100 g. Our 200 g example doubles those values. The coffee you collect weighs less than the brewing water because the grounds and filter retain water. Beans, dose and extraction affect caffeine; weigh the portion you drink rather than treating water input as serving weight. Milk, sugar and syrup add their own nutrients.
Common Questions Before You Brew
Can I Use V60 Filters in a Kalita Wave?
Use the specified Wave paper for a dependable starting point. V60 paper has a pointed cone shape; Wave paper forms a flat basket. A paper that can be folded into the brewer is not necessarily a supported fit.
Is a 185 Too Large for One Cup?
Not for the 20 g / 320 g (10.8 US fl oz) recipe here. “One cup” can mean very different serving sizes. If you routinely use much smaller doses, compare a 155 recipe before choosing; do not make your decision from the cup label alone.
Do I Need a Gooseneck Kettle?
No, provided you can pour hot water safely in a gentle, controllable stream. A gooseneck makes that easier. Watch the filter rim and avoid flooding the dripper.
Should the Coffee Bed Drain Completely Between Pours?
This recipe uses a bloom followed by a gentle main pour, with pauses only as needed for space. Other Wave recipes use deliberate pulses. Follow one method first instead of adding a dry-bed pause to every pour without adjusting anything else.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
5 references
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