The Kalita Wave is similar to a v60, but features a flat bottom and ridged filter. The shapes of the brewer and the filter help to promote even and consistent extraction. Where the brew time of the v60 is largely determined by the barista’s rate of pour, the flat bottom of the Kalita Wave helps to control the effect of pour rate on brew time.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

1. Kalita Wave

2. Kalita Wave filters

3. Something to brew the coffee into (Kalita or Hario glass server, mug, mason jar, etc.)

4. Burr grinder

5. Timer

6. Scale

7. Filtered water

8. Your favorite Casa Brasil Coffee

BREW RATIOS

Use a brew ratio of coffee to water somewhere between 1:14 to 1:16. A scale is an inexpensive way to ensure a consistent brew ratio. Our favorite brew ratio with the Kalita wave is 1 part coffee to 16 parts water.

WATER

Buy a refillable jug of filtered water from a nearby grocery store. Unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with amazing tap water, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the noticeably better quality of your coffee using good quality filtered water. Avoid distilled water; its complete lack of mineral content results in an inferior cup.

step by step

1. Position the filter in the Wave, taking care to maintain its shape.

2. Pre-wet the filter by pouring hot water directly into the bottom (flat) portion of the filter: this will help keep its shape, facilitating even extraction.

3. Add the desired weight of ground coffee to the filter (common doses are 20–30 g).

4. Bloom the coffee: Start a timer and pour an amount of water that is twice the weight of coffee over the grounds (example: a 30 g dose of coffee would take 60 g of water for the bloom). The goal of blooming is to completely saturate the ground coffee with water while minimizing the amount of water that drips through. This can be achieved with a slow and controlled pour, starting at the center of the grounds and circling out toward the edge. Depending on the freshness of the coffee, the bloom can last anywhere from 15 seconds to 1:30. Generally, coffee brewed in its prime (4 to 5 days from roast) will require a 30- to 45-second bloom.

5. Begin adding water: Add water evenly to the entire surface of the ground coffee: Don’t pour too aggressively as over-agitating the coffee may lead to an undesirable extraction. Pour until the water reaches about 2 cm from the top of the filter. Let the water level drop 1 or 2 cm before resuming the pour.

6. Continue adding water in this manner, bringing the slurry about 2 cm from the top, and then allowing it to drain 1 or 2 cm before adding more. Always add water evenly to the entire surface of the coffee.

7. Once the desired weight has been reached, stop pouring and allow the brew to finish. Your target brew time should be between 3 and 4 minutes.